The magnificent JULIAN BREAM celebrates his 80th birthday this month and I am such a completely devoted fan of this legendary artist! Since my early days on the New York Classical Guitar scenes (1962/3), I have tried to get to every concert he had given in the New York City concert halls.This month's issue of Classical Guitar Magazine has Graham Wade give us a fast overview of the accomplishments of "BREAM the SUPREME" on pages 30-33. When Bream was last here in New York, he gave a two day master class and of course, I was there to catch his pearls of wisdom.
I miss the magic spell of a Julian Bream Concert. He really produced an incredible variety of Classical Guitar colors each and every performance.Over thirty years ago I was seated in the front Balcony of Town Hall when he played a most incredible concert which featured Giuliani's Rosiniani #1. After his performance he mentioned that there were 5 more composed at which point I shouted from my seat "WE'RE WAITING"! He blushed a little and smiled. I later met him on stage and confessed that I was a fan and it was I from the balcony. I remember how impressed and moved I was by his performance of one of the Lute Suites and told him so. He replied that " It is a LUTE suite"! He mentioned that quip because I stated that he made the Guitar sound like a Lute somehow. Just before ROSE AUGUSTINE passed away, I spent a couple of hours with her at her factory playing and talking Guitar. Rose and I have known each other since the late 60s and she had asked me how I think she should approach Bream to get her 1940 Hauser Back from Bream ( She loaned it to Bream-It is the instrument housed at the Metropolitan Museum, made for Segovia but bought by her husband ALBERT AUGUSTINE). I told her call Bream and ask for it back!
I love the colors Bream would produce from any instrument he performed on! That magical right hand traveled from 12 fret to bridge in search of every possible color nuance to bring depth and breath to each composition. He was famous for the "Mid sound hole stroke and various degrees of Ponticello at the bridge!! His coloring and attack was always searching for just the most ambitious note articulation! Will we ever the this kind of magic again in the Classical Guitar World???
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR JULIAN AND MAY YOU HAVE MANY MORE! CAN I STOP BY AND HAVE LUNCH WITH YOU SOME DAY?
Your Most Devoted Fan,
Don Witter,Jr.
P.S. I was the young African American man at your Manhattan Music School two day Masterclass in New York. I also mentioned to you that Jeffrey Elliott and Cindy passed on their hello.
Note: Bream toured for a year with a magnificent Jeffrey Elliot instrument. Bream and I both met Jeffrey in 1975. More on that in another post!
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