Several years ago I attended a classical guitar masterclass at a national workshop. The instructor advised that, when learning a new classical guitar piece, one should listen to either no other interpretation, or at least ten interpretations of that same piece. That advice has really stuck with me, though I definitely favor listening to many interpretations over zero. It's amazing what an individual player brings to a piece, and how two different players, playing the exact same notes, can create two completely different worlds.
What do other students/teachers think of this advice? It doesn't apply only to classical guitar, it could apply to any 'cover' of an original composition, in any genre.
Here's an example of three interpretations of the classical guitar piece 'Un Dia de Noviembre' by Leo Brouwer, which a student of mine is learning right now. Each of the guitarists makes the piece their very own. Not to mention factors such as delivery (whether it's a performance or edited video) and recording/sound quality, which also affect the overall impression. I definitely have my personal likes and dislikes among these three, but I'd be curious what some students or teachers have to say first.
Un Dia De Noviembre (Leo Brouwer) played by Thibault Cauvin
Un Dia De Noviembre (Leo Brouwer) played by Antonio Malinconico
Un Dia De Noviembre (Leo Brouwer) played by Alexandra Whittingham
What versions of songs or classical pieces have you listened to that sound completely different from each other, even though they are just different interpretations of the same original piece? What makes them so different? What do they have in common? Which version do you prefer and why?
