Mozart

[Sheila Lagrand]

https://youtu.be/yiu54fd6Pu0

[Louise NM]

Nice playing!

He certainly has a bunch of different techniques at his disposal, but it's the stained "wife-beater" and toothpick that really give it some flavor.

[M19]

For me this falls into the "just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD do something."

[Sheila Lagrand]

I probably wouldn't take souffle to a picnic . . . .

[Billy Packard]

Masterfully done with command of the instrument.

[journeybear]

This is a pretty remarkable reinvention of the piece, and also the instrument's capabilities. Obviously it's not a banjo, but a guitjo, but still their use in classical music is rare, if not virtually nonexistent (until now). His use of several techniques in order to achieve his vision was impressive. And overall, the performance was quite enjoyable.

However, I question his choice of clothing and including the toothpick. What's to be gained by presenting a sort of hayseed appearance? It's clear he's not; he's much too well-groomed. And his choice of a background is also a bit dubious. Yes, it's a barn. But how many barns have you seen with a terra cotta tile roof? That piqued my curiosity, so I went to his website. He's from Italy, and has many videos up, using various combinations of multiple instruments. One video includes five guitars. He's clearly talented, but his devotion to schtick is a bit off-putting. Even so, he's put a lot of effort into his craft, and it shows.

[BrianWilliam]

He got more views in the undershirt than he did in the sport coat (playing stairway).

[Billy Packard]

I'm past keeping up with fashions but I betcha that t-shirt is a very carefully crafted tie-dye to go with his distressed genes?!?

As far as the toothpick...he probably just finished his pasta lunch!

[journeybear]

Nah, it's all a put-on. Why, I dunno. Is he aiming at some imagined Amurican audience? Instrumentation, OK; material, not so much. Eh. Might be overthinking this, a bit ...

But it ain't no part of nothing, nohow. His skill with hammer-ons is extraordinary, exciting, and exemplary. And that mini-bow? Squisito! :mandosmiley

[maxr]

He may have started a movement of Italian classical guitarists playing banjo - is that good or bad, and why?

[JeffD]

However, I question his choice of clothing and including the toothpick. What's to be gained by presenting a sort of hayseed appearance? It's clear he's not; he's much too well-groomed.

I agree. He is likely a classical musician, trying to play the part of a banjo player, or his own internal stereotype of a banjo player. Infact its not even a banjo, its banjo shaped guitar thingie. I bet he can't even play banjo.


Here is Mozart on a banjo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsPrCC_rJ50

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od5opycK6MA

And some Bach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdEtwGWA658

[Hudmister]

Well no real mandolin content here but there's room for this. I peg him as a classical guitarist with a real talent, It inspired me to open up and try new things and have a little fun with it. I attended a wedding reception in South Carolina and the band was a 5 piece Dixie land style group. The banjo player was playing the same type guitar / banjo and he was fantastic, probably knew a thousand jazz chords. This instrument just adds to the guitar's pallet of colors. You've got to get tired of distortion, fuzz tone, over drive, crunch and shred eventually.

[sunburst]

A bit of mandolin content...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTjFHTiQY5M

[journeybear]

This instrument just adds to the guitar's pallet of colors.

I don't think of it that way. A guitjo enables a guitarist to add the banjo sound to his palette of colors - without having to learn to play the banjo. It's the same as a banjolin enabling a mandolinist to add the banjo sound to his or her palette of colors. It's the player, not the instrument, whose capabilities are being enhanced.

[Hudmister]

A bit of mandolin content...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTjFHTiQY5M

You nailed it there sunburst and my wife loved it also. Thanks for that one.

[mswilks]

I never understand the appeal of recording something in a home studio (or wherever) and then faking a live performance of it. If you're going to record it in studio, with all of the punch-ins, etc., that I'm sure this recording has to make it as clean as it is, why not just post an audio file? Do people actually think that what they're hearing is what he is playing "live" in the video?

Not knocking the guy's chops at all. I just don't get the lip-sync / air guitar appeal.

I guess maybe the distinction is that for people who actually are trying to make a living out of their craft, video is a marketing mechanism. For no-talent bums like me, it's a disciplining mechanism. I know that if I don't work on an arrangement hard enough to get it to where I can do a good one-shot video take, I'll never finish it off properly.