Fernando Sor - William Carter - hi-fi+

William Carter is an extremely accomplished guitarist. Here he explores the performance practice the composer used- using his finger pads rather that finger nails. Carter mentions this was a daunting task, likening it to "eating a steak without teeth". Well, he's really mastered the art. The sound quality is sumptuous and immediate and those listeners who are connoisseurs of the guitar will not want to be without this disc. For those who are unfamiliar with the works of Fernando Sor, especially these early works, Carter is really a magician. He plays difficult passages seemingly with great ease and the music is very accessible to everyone.

The sound according to Carter when played with his finger pads contains a warmer vocal quality that was also important to Sor. The selection of music includes three large scale works interspersed with shorter pieces - minuets and etudes. The disc contains phenomenal playing and I have spent several hours listening and re-listening to the quality of Carter's playing. He's a musical master and for those with the slightest interest in guitar, I strongly suggest you give this disc a spin. Outstanding from beginning to end.