John Williams Fernando Sor - 20 Studies For Guitar

Review by Roman Friedricksen

Album Review: 20 Studies for Guitar by John Williams (Fernando Sor) Let’s talk about 20 Studies for Guitar, a gem from 1972 that feels like a warm cup of tea on a rainy afternoon. This album, performed by the legendary John Williams, dives deep into Fernando Sor’s classical guitar compositions. If you’re into genres like Classical, Folk, or even World music, this one’s got your name written all over it. It’s not flashy or loud—just pure, elegant guitar work that makes you stop scrolling and actually listen. The album was released in the US, France, and Australia under labels like Westminster and La Voix De Son Maître (fancy, right?). And let’s not forget the crew behind the scenes: Peter Curiel on engineering duties, Claude Rie mastering it to perfection, and Milton A. Waldman giving us that understated cover art. Liner notes by James Lyons add a nice touch too, like someone whispering cool trivia in your ear while you enjoy the tunes. Now, onto the tracks. With 20 studies to choose from, I’ll pick two that stuck with me. First up is No. 6. There’s something magical about how John Williams plays this one—it’s smooth but has these little twists that keep you hooked. You can almost picture Sor sitting in some candlelit room centuries ago, scribbling away at his manuscript. The melody feels like a conversation between two old friends; it’s simple yet so full of soul. Every time I hear it, I find myself zoning out, imagining stories I’ve never lived. Then there’s No. 19, which hits different. It starts off calm, almost meditative, but then builds into this intricate web of notes that just dances around your brain. It’s the kind of track that makes you realize why John Williams is considered a master of the guitar. His fingers glide across the strings like they’re weightless, making every note feel intentional yet effortless. Honestly, after hearing this, I felt the urge to learn guitar—even though I’d probably end up sounding like a cat walking on keys. What’s wild about this album is how timeless it feels. Released in ’72, yeah, but it could’ve been made yesterday—or 200 years ago. Sor’s compositions are classics for a reason, and John Williams brings them to life in a way that feels both respectful and fresh. Plus, knowing the credits—the engineers, the mastering, the liner notes—it’s clear everyone poured their heart into this project. Here’s the thing: listening to 20 Studies for Guitar isn’t just about enjoying music. It’s like stepping into another world where everything slows down, and you get to focus on the beauty of simplicity. And honestly? That’s rare these days. So do yourself a favor and give it a spin. Oh, and if anyone asks what you’re listening to, just say, “Oh, nothing much—just a guy named John shredding on a 200-year-old playlist.” They’ll either think you’re super cultured or totally weird. Either way, win-win!

Download John Williams Fernando Sor - 20 Studies For Guitar

Artist: John Williams Fernando Sor
Album: 20 Studies For Guitar

Classical

1972

Rating: 5.0

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Catalog Numbers
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Notes
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Interesting fact
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Related albums

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Filename: john-williams-fernando-sor-20-studies-for-guitar.zip

MP3 size: 80 mb
FLAC size: 814 mb

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Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
No. 15	1:38
No. 10	1:45
No. 5	2:37
No. 6	1:29
No. 1	1:41
No. 8	2:05
No. 9	1:22
No. 11	1:35
No. 12	2:44
No. 20	3:24
No. 3	1:06
No. 7	1:57
No. 14	4:40
No. 18	3:05
No. 4	1:45
No. 16	2:17
No. 17	3:04
No. 19	3:12
No. 2	0:48
No. 13	2:46

Video

John Williams plays Sor Studies 1 to 5

Images

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Catalog Numbers

C 065-93404
S/6415, S-6415
XWN 19039, XWN-19039
WST 17039

Labels

La Voix De Son Maître
The Record Society, World Record Club
Westminster , Westminster
Westminster

Listen online

ouvir online
online anhören
escuchar en línea
lytte på nettet
online luisteren
ascolta in linea
écouter en ligne
kuunnella verkossa
lyssna på nätet

Formats

Vinyl
LP
Album
Club Edition
Stereo
Mono

Companies

Role	Company
Recorded At	Wiener Konzerthaus
Record Company	The Record Society (Aust.) Pty. Ltd.
Licensed From	Westminster

Credits

Role	Credit
Composed By	Fernando Sor
Guitar	John Williams
Liner Notes	Philippe Andriot
Cover	Milton A. Waldman
Engineer	Peter Curiel
Mastered By	Claude Rie

Notes

Price code in oval for France is 'A'
Liner Notes (uncredited) consist of three sections:
1) The Artist
2) The Composer, and
3) The Music
It is noted that the choice of the 20 Etudes was made by Andres Segovia, who also edited them for performance on modern instruments.
[ref: 20 Studies for Guitar (Andres Segovia Edition). By Fernando Sor (1778-1839). Edited by Andres Segovia. For Guitar. Transcribed. Etudes, Studies and Classical Period. Etude book. Guitar notation, introductory text and fingerings. 32 pages. Edward B. Marks Music #M394. Published by Edward B. Marks Music (HL.6363). ISBN 0793504368.]
"A WESTMINSTER recording, released in Australia exclusively by The Record Society, a division of World Record Club."
Australian WRC pressing for the Record Society, sourced from original stampers and featuring unique sleeve art. WRC & Record Society logos on back of sleeve. "S-6415" on light brown 'herald' labels, "S/6415" on textured sleeve. The labels feature squat/square headers, with all text in bold non-italics - the WRC 1972 style.
The Record Society: Registered Office - 365 Camberwell Road, Hartwell, Vic.
First catalogue number on front sleeve, bottom left, and centre labels.
Second catalogue number on rear sleeve, top right.
ABC Paramount ® above Westminster logo.
Made in the USA.
Black centre labels with white Westminster logo and writing.
This is a MONOPHONIC recording.

Barcodes

Matrix / Runout (Side 1): WGS8137A
Matrix / Runout (Side 2): WGS8137B

About John Williams Fernando Sor

Classical guitarist born April 24, 1941 in Melbourne, Australia.

Real Name

John Christopher Williams

Name Vars

J. Williams
J.W.
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John
John Williams
T. Willams
Williams
Дж. Уильямс
Джон Уильямс
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Interesting fact about Album

Here’s something cool: The album *20 Studies for Guitar* by John Williams isn’t just a masterpiece of classical guitar music—it’s also a global collaboration. Released in 1972, it features compositions by Fernando Sor, a legendary Spanish guitarist from the 19th century. John Williams, one of the greatest guitarists of our time, brought these pieces to life. Interestingly, the album was released across several countries like the US, France, and Australia, with different labels involved, including Westminster and World Record Club. Even the mastering engineer, Claude Rie, added his touch to make it timeless. It’s wild to think about how this project connected so many people and places, all through the magic of music.

Comments

ordazz

2025-03-05

thank you

palacedubai

2025-03-05

I haven't seen anything about the transcriptions of these, hey are, of course Segovia's: renumbered, renamed, re-fingered and changed to suit Segovia.

bytatsu0302

2025-03-05

Check out the Maestro playing these pieces. Segovia plays No. 5 almost like a prelude. Total mastery of a simple etude. The Eric Henderson version is epic too. I wish there were a John Williams version for his later years. Williams has gone from very good , as a young man , to greatness in recent years.

pppeedrito07d2097ff0

2025-03-04

sad but beautiful, wonderful music, as how I love it!

alinaalak

2025-03-04

I play study 1 better

kctarrant

2025-03-04

Disliked because Williams is greasy and gross.

whohimanshu

2025-03-03

Here for number 5

lbrillhart

2025-03-03

the mozart of guitar.

gamb1e

2025-03-03

Beautiful

graduatedesigns

2025-03-02

So BEAUTIFUL ! ! ! Thank you for posting !

walleykool

2025-03-02

The video is titled "Studies from 1 to 5

indirababumysore2

2025-03-01

El Dios australiano de la guitarra ?

liemstevany

2025-02-28

I do not recognize the Williams touch, soft and VERY clean, are you sure about the performer?

norbertzapora7

2025-02-27

Por que tiene propagandas si no tiene derecho de autor?

arikslu

2025-02-27

alguien sabe el opus que es?

ahernandez647

2025-02-26

Really nice, I arranged Opus 60 for Low G uke here:http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/sor-25-progressive-etudes-for-low-g-ukulele-digital-sheet-music/20427564?ac=1&_requestid=8324960

amiladperera

2025-02-25

Many thanks for uploading this 'no longer available' recording. I haven't heard JW play these for years and I use to love this album when I was a student but I thought I might be a bit disappointed now but far from it, they are as well judged and inspiring as ever.