My other hobby is indeed music. My core interest has always been, and remains, for classical music, even though nowadays I have got out of the habit of playing CD's or going to concerts. (Rotterdam does have an excellent orchestra and concert hall.) I enjoy lighter music too, though - as long as it exhibits some creative interest. In fact, any style of music potentially earns my admiration if it has originality of expression and quality of performance: in that case, it doesn't matter too much whether it's the latest on the pop scene, something from 400 years ago or anything in between. With few exceptions, re-makes of 'oldies' add nothing to the original and earn my disdain.
But I gravitate towards classical music with a particular affinity for good old J. S. Bach whose music always seems to come up fresh every time you return to it. Two other favourites are Brahms and Berlioz, though maybe one shouldn't single out particular names. Turning to Britain and the twentieth century there's the genius of Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams. The latter's "Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis" represents a pinnacle for me - it's a wistful, nostalgic and powerful evocation of English heritage which seems to call up my spiritual forefathers.
I play classical guitar myself. This I have been doing most of my life. The level of my activities in this respect has its ups and downs, and in terms of achievement, I sometimes wonder why I bother, but then I always return to it. Playing at a high level requires a lot of time, dedication and especially discipline. On the guitar too, I gravitate somewhat towards J S Bach, a number of whose works for unaccompanied violin and 'cello transcribe quite successfully for the guitar.
I possess two concert-grade instruments. (This in no way reflects my musical accomplishment!) I bought the first one, built by Vicente Camacho of Madrid in 1967, second hand in London after I broke the bridge on my existing study guitar. Then, when this was damaged by the dry atmosphere during my stay in Stockholm, I bought a new instrument by Manuel Contreras, also of Madrid, built in 1983. Contreras learned his trade at the Ramirez workshops (famous for the guitars played by Andres Segovia). I haven't been able to find any detailed information on the web about Vicente Camacho. However, I can tell you that he was born in Madrid on August 17, 1928 although his parents came from the Asturias region (northern Spain). He learnt the skills of cabinet making from his father, helping his father in the workshop from age 13. When he was about 20, he came into contact with Modesto Borreguero, a luthier from the 'house' of Ramirez, and through that contact became a guitar maker himself. Vicente Camacho started for himself as luthier in 1960. He always worked alone with no assistant, producing about 18 instruments per year, thus each completely hand-built by himself. I think I can therefore consider my Camacho instrument to be rather exclusive.
For a number of years, partly owing to the damage to the Camacho, I played mainly the Contreras instrument. More recently, I have returned to the Camacho (which I had had repaired some years ago). The Contreras guitar is a very 'classical' design, with cedar top and rosewood sides and back. The Camacho has a more unusual appearance: it has a 'hazel-spruce' (Haselfichte) soundboard exhibiting a pleasing dappled pattern, the sides and back are of Brazilian Rosewood; it is French-polished (not laquered) and is very light in weight and tone. Both are beautiful instruments.
per June 2005: the
Comacho instrument has been refurbished by world-renowned artisan luthier Otto
Vowinkel in Amsterdam. A long overdue operation!
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The two instruments: Camacho left, Contreras right.
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Details of the Camacho guitar (click to enlarge):
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and, not to be left out, some details of the Contreras instrument:
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Well, just in case you thought there was any lack of web interest for the
aforementioned Mr Bach...
Here are a couple of links: