Musical snobs can be sniffy about the classical guitar. It has its limitations in the concert hall, lacking the punch – and the repertoire – to become truly mainstream, but the recording studio emphasises the instrument’s intimate, subtle colours and when in the impressively expert hands of Greek-Albanian Jon Gjylaci, its versatility is immediately apparent. This relaxed, enjoyable compilation includes attractive enhancements of Albéniz and Leo Brouwer for soloist and string quartet by Gjylaci’s brother, Esen-Nikolas, and virtuosic arrangements of everything from Chopin waltzes to Jorge Morel’s hugely seductive Danza Brasilera.
