My Life in Music

195 Minutes

GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE AWARD WINNER 2007 - DVD

"This is a splendid presentation with wide musical appeal but to guitarists it is an Aladdin's cave."
(MusicWeb Nov 2006)

Julian is considered by many as the greatest classic guitarist of the twentieth century, as if this were not enough he quietly re invented the renaissance lute and brought it to a new audience.

Written for Bream, Benjamin Britten's 'Nocturnal' Op. 70, is widely regarded as the centrepiece of the modern guitar repertoire and this masterpiece forms an appropriate frame for Julian's story. Director Paul Balmer returned Bream to Aldeburgh, revisiting the original manuscript at Britten's home. This culminated in the guitarist coming out of retirement to perform complete movements of the Britten and the de Falla 'Homenaje' which inspired it, all in the wonderful acoustic of the Snape Maltings.

We also hear Julian perform Richard Rodney Bennett's Sonata for Solo Guitar, in an exclusive BBC Radio 3 digital recording, never before commercially available.

195 minutes including an hour of performance