Francisco Tárrega
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Francisco Tárrega
Francisco Tárrega (1904), by Vicente Castell
Background information
Birth name Francisco de Asís Tárrega Eixea
Born November 21, 1852
Villarreal, Castellón, Spain
Died December 15, 1909 (aged 57)
Barcelona, Spain
Genres Classical
Occupations guitarist, composer, pedagogue
Instruments Guitar, Piano
Francisco de Asís Tárrega y Eixea (21 November 1852 – 15 December 1909) was an influential Spanish composer and guitarist of the Romantic period.Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Musical style
3 Compositions
4 Tárrega's guitars
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links
7.1 Articles and Presentations
7.2 Scores
7.3 Photos
[edit]
Biography
Tárrega was born on 21 November 1852, in Villarreal, Province of Castellón, Spain. It is said that Francisco's father played flamenco and several other music styles on his guitar; when his father was away working as a watchman at the Convent of San Pascual the child would take his father's guitar and attempt to make the beautiful sounds he had heard. Francisco's nickname as a child was "Quiquet".
An infection permanently impaired his eyesight and when the family moved to Castelló the child was enrolled in music classes. Both his first music teachers, Eugeni Ruiz and Manuel González, were blind.
In 1862, concert guitarist Julián Arcas, on tour in Castellón, heard the young Tárrega play and advised Tárrega's father to allow Francisco to come to Barcelona to study with him. Tárrega's father agreed, but insisted that his son take piano lessons as well. The guitar was viewed as an instrument to accompany singers, while the piano was all the rage throughout Europe. However, Tárrega had to stop his lessons shortly after, when Arcas left for a concert tour abroad. Although Tárrega was only ten years old, he ran away and tried to start a musical career on his own by playing in coffee houses and restaurants in Barcelona. He was soon found and brought back to his father, who had to make great sacrifices to advance his son's musical education.
Three years later, in 1865, he ran away again, this time to Valencia where he joined a gang of gypsies. His father looked for him and brought him back home once more, but he ran away a third time, again to Valencia. By his early teens, Tárrega was proficient on both the piano and the guitar. For a time, he played with other musicians at local engagements to earn money, but eventually he returned home to help his family.
Tárrega entered the Madrid Conservatory in 1874, under the sponsorship of a wealthy merchant named Antonio Canesa. He had brought along with him a recently purchased guitar, made in Seville by Antonio de Torres. Its superior sonic qualities inspired him both in his playing and in his view of the instrument's compositional potential. At the conservatory, Tárrega studied composition under Emilio Arrieta who convinced him to focus on guitar and abandon the idea of a career with the piano.
By the end of the 1870s, Tárrega was teaching the guitar (Emilio Pujol and Miguel Llobet as well as Daniel Fortea (1878–1953) were pupils of his) and giving regular concerts. Tárrega received much acclaim for his playing and began traveling to other areas of Spain to perform. By this time he was composing his first works for guitar, which he played in addition to works of other composers.
During the winter of 1880, Tárrega replaced his friend Luis de Soria, in a concert in Novelda, Alicante, where, after the concert, an important man in town asked the artist to listen to his daughter, María José Rizo, who was learning to play guitar. Soon they were engaged.
Sheet music
In 1881, Tárrega played in the Opera Theatre in Lyon and then the Paris Odeon, in the bicentenary of the death of Pedro Calderón de la Barca. He also played in London, but he liked neither the language nor the weather. There is a story about his visit to England. After a concert, some people saw that the musician was in low spirits. "What is the matter, maestro?" they asked him. "Do you miss home? Your family, perhaps?" They advised him to capture that moment of sadness in his music. Thus he conceived the theme of one of his most memorable works, Lágrima (literally meaning teardrop). After playing in London he came back to Novelda for his wedding. At Christmas 1882, Tárrega married María José Rizo.
To enlarge his guitar repertory, he soon began transcribing piano works of Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelssohn and others, and, no doubt, to make use of his considerable knowledge of keyboard music. Tárrega and his wife moved to Madrid, gaining their living by teaching privately and playing concerts, but after the death of an infant daughter during the winter, Maria Josefa de los Angeles Tárrega Rizo, they settled permanently in Barcelona in 1885. Among his friends in Barcelona were Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados, Joaquín Turina and Pablo Casals.
Francisco Tárrega and María José (María Josefa) Rizo had three more children. Paquito (Francisco), Maria Rosatia (María Rosalia) (best known as Marieta) and Concepción. On a concert tour in Valencia shortly afterward, Tárrega met a wealthy widow, Conxa Martinez, who became a valuable patron to him. She allowed him and his family use of a house in Barcelona, where he would write the bulk of his most popular works. Later she took him to Granada, where the guitarist conceived the theme for his famous Recuerdos de la Alhambra, which he composed on his return and dedicated to his friend Alfred Cottin, a Frenchman who had arranged his Paris concerts.
From the latter 1880s up to 1903, Tárrega continued composing, but limited his concerts to Spain. In 1900 Tárrega visited Argel, where he heard a repetitive rhythm played on an Arabian drum. The following morning he composed his famous Danza Mora based on that rhythm. In about 1902, he cut his fingernails and created a sound that would become typical of those guitarists associated with his school. The following year he went on tour to Italy, giving highly successful concerts in Rome, Naples, and Milan.
In January 1906, he was afflicted with paralysis on his right side, and though he would eventually return to the concert stage, he never completely recovered. He finished his last work, Oremus, on 2 December 1909. He died in Barcelona thirteen days later, on 15 December, at the age of 57.
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Musical style
As a composer Tárrega was conservative, his style was similar to the general trends in the second half of the 19th century. A virtuoso on his instrument, he was known as the "Sarasate of the guitar".
Tárrega is considered to have laid the foundations for 20th century classical guitar and for increasing interest in the guitar as a recital instrument. Tárrega preferred small intimate performances over the concert stage. Some believe this was because he played without the nails needed for volume. Others say this was related to his childhood trauma.
Tárrega played with his nails until the last 9 years of his life. He had been playing with shorter nails, and at that point was using only flesh. Andrés Segovia, who established the use of both flesh and nail, when asked for his opinion on Tarrega's use of the right hand without nails, replied:
"It is absolutely stupid. You reduce the volume of the guitar, and the difference of timbre and colour.Tarrega has renounced the real nature of the guitar, which is the richness of its timbres, the different colours of the guitar."
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Compositions
Sheet music
See also: List of compositions by Francisco Tárrega
Francisco Tárrega's music and style of guitar playing became strongly influential in the twentieth century. He was central to reviving the guitar as a solo instrument in recital and concerts. His output was modest, having composed only 78 original scores and 120 transcriptions – mostly for his own use. Among his most popular works for the guitar are Recuerdos de la Alhambra, Capricho árabe and Danza Mora.
He is also the composer of what has been claimed to be "probably the world's most heard tune": the Nokia ringtone, Nokia tune, or simply Nokia, also used in advertising spots, is based on Tárrega's Gran Vals. His music also inspired Mike Oldfield to arrange Tárrega's tremolo study Recuerdos de la Alhambra for the soundtrack of the film The Killing Fields.
As with several of his Spanish contemporaries, such as his friend Isaac Albéniz, he had an interest in combining the prevailing Romantic trend in classical music with Spanish folk elements, and transcribed several of Albéniz's piano pieces. The noted contemporary guitarist and composer Angelo Gilardino has written that Tárrega's 9 Preludios are "... the deepest musical thought of Tárrega in the most concentrated form."
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Tárrega's guitars
The guitars used by Tárrega include:
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Torres, FE 17 (1864) – This is the guitar that was given to Tárrega by Torres personally after hearing him play.
Torres, SE 49 (1883)
Torres, SE 114 (1888)'; in the collection of Sheldon Urlik[1][2][3][4]
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Notes
^ Photo of a Torres guitar used by Tárrega
^ Photo: "Jeff Elliott (left) restored these important guitars by Gonzalez and Torres. They are owned by Shel Urlik (center) and were played by Kenton Youngstrom (right.)" (source)
^ Photo: Shel Urlik in front of his guitar collection
^ Fretwork From the Land of Flamenco – A Masterful Collection of Classical Guitars LA Times, February 17, 2002 (Article on Shel Urlik)
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References
Francisco Tárrega Biografía Oficial by Adrián Rius Espinós, published by Ayuntamiento de Vila-Real, ISBN 84-88331-82-7
Francisco Tárrega – Selección de Obras by Adrián Rius Espinós (includes CD with historical recordings by Josefina Robledo example: Capricho Arabe, ref.), published by Excmo. Ayuntamiento de Vila-Real and Instituto Valenciano de la Música
Francisco Tárrega, Werden und Wirkung by Wolf Moser, published by Edition Saint-Georges. ISBN 3-00-012750-X.
Memoria gráfica de Tárrega by Onofre Flores Sacristán and Salustiano López Orba
Francisco Tárrega, Complete Guitar Works by Michel Beauchamp, edited by Productions d'Oz. ISBN 978-2-89655-079-1
Francisco Tárrega y la guitarra en Espana entre 1830 y 1960] by Wolf Moser, published by Piles Editorial de Música S.A. ISBN 978-84-96814-34-9
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External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Francisco Tárrega
Complete work and biography (with midi music files, that are not at all reflective of Tárrega's performance style, but instead of sheetmusic)
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Articles and Presentations
(Spanish) Cronología de la vida de Tárrega (with photos) by Francisco Herrera
(Spanish) El frustrado monumento a Tárrega en Madrid by Ignacio Ramos Altamira (June 2007)
Tárrega / Walter Leckie Manuscripts (www.theguitarmuseum.com)
Francisco Tárrega y Música by Carmen Copovi Llop 1
Francisco Tárrega y su editor Ildefonso Alier by Dña. Nieves Iglesias Martínez and D. Vicente Gil
[edit]
Scores
Free scores by Francisco Tárrega at the International Music Score Library Project
Free scores by Francisco Tárrega in the Werner Icking Music Archive (WIMA)
The Mutopia Project has compositions by Francisco Tárrega
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Photos
Photo (www.theguitarmuseum.com)
Photos (Cronología de la vida de Tárrega) (Spanish)
Photos from Francisco Tárrega's room in the Vila-real City Museum
Monument in Vila-Real
Tárrega on a 1977 stamp (1, 2)
Estudio Temático Filatélico sobre Francisco Tárrega by Salvador Carracedo Benet[hide]
v · d · e
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Emilio Pujol
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Emili Pujol Vilarrubí (September 10, 1886 - November 21, 1980) was a composer and the leading twentieth century musicologist and classical guitar teacher.Contents [hide]
1 Biography
2 Prominent students
3 Selected list of compositions
4 Original compositions
4.1 ???
4.2 Solo guitar
4.3 Guitar duos
5 Transcriptions
5.1 Guitar duo
6 Discography
6.1 Recordings by Emilio Pujol
6.2 Compositions by Emilio Pujol
7 Bibliography
7.1 Musicologic works by Emilio Pujol
7.2 Early music editions
7.3 Poems
7.4 Guitar School by Emilio Pujol
7.5 Publications about Emilio Pujol
8 External links
[edit]
Biography
Emili Pujol was born in the little village of Granadella just outside Lleida, Spain. He began his studies with Francisco Tárrega at the Conservatory of Barcelona in 1901, when he was fifteen years of age. At this time, Miquel Llobet was making his debut as a concert artist outside Barcelona. Pujol fondly remembered his first encounter with Tárrega and in his biography of his teacher, he described his mestre in very endearing, romantic terms.
During the war years 1914-1918 he did not travel much and mainly remained in Catalonia. In 1918 he undertook his first tour of South America, starting in Buenos Aires. The only major interruptions in his concert travels were his marriage to Matilda Cuervas in Paris, an Andalusian singer and guitarist, and the period of time he devoted to historical research in Paris into the instrumental predecessors of the guitar. The beginning signs of World War II, also prevented him from continuing his concert career.
From 1935 through 1940, Pujol continued giving a few concerts and lectures as well as pursuing his research in Spain, London and Paris. By 1941, he was back in Spain until 1946, preparing the volume covering the composer for vihuela Luis de Narváez for the series Monumentos de la Musica Española (Vol. III). The volume was eventually followed by volumes covering Alonso Mudarra (1949) and Valderrábano (1963) in the series. Prior to his death, Pujol had begun work on the largest of vihuela music books, the Orphenica Lyra by Miguel Fuenllana, published in 1554. He considered this book to be the pinnacle of the vihuela school and regarded Fuenllana as the final spokesman for this brief courtly instrumental period in Spanish music.
In 1946, Pujol began his guitar classes at the Lisbon Conservatory of Music which continued through to 1969, perhaps the first instance of guitar instruction being included in an academic institution. During this period he was involved in giving master classes (in 1953 he was personally invited by Andrés Segovia to give classes at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana) and adjudicating guitar competitions. Also at this time, Pujol's first wife Matilde Cuervas died (1956) and seven years later he married Maria Adelaide Robert, a noted Portuguese pianist and singer who greatly assisted him in his final years.
Beginning in the summer of 1965, Pujol launched his International Courses of Guitar, Lute and Vihuela in the city of Lleida, Spain. This event became quite popular and was attended by students and teachers from throughout the world. It was repeated every summer over a ten year period, and in 1972 it was moved to the thirteenth-century village of Cervera.
His words on Tàrrega's School of Guitar are also applicable to his own spirit which constantly strived to “resolving in advance all the problems which can arise out of the diverse elements which contribute to the performance of a work: instrument, hands and spirit.”
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Prominent students
Alberto Ponce
Hopkinson Smith
Carles Trepat
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Selected list of compositions
Main article: List of compositions by Emilio Pujol
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Original compositions
124 original compositions (Joan Riera)
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???
Escuela Razonada de la Guitarra Vol I-IV
El Abejorro,
Ondinas,
Canción de Cuna,
Barcarolle,
Cubana,
Impromptu,
Piezas Españolas,
Pieza nº 2 (Guajira o Evocación Cubana),
Pieza nº 3 (Tango Español),
Preludios,
Scottish Madrileño,
Sevilla,
Danzas Españolas,
Tango,
Tonadilla
Guajira
La Libelula
Etude Romantico
Variations on a theme by Aguado
Etude Romantico
Festivola
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Solo guitar
ME 7899 Aquelarre (Danse des sorcières - 1969) Pujol n°1246,
ME 7028 Atardecer (Crépuscule) Pujol n°1229,
ME 7238 Barcarolle Pujol n°1235,
ME 7580 Becqueriana (Endecha) Pujol n°1240,
ME 3130 Cancion de Cuna (Berceuse) Pujol n°1203,
ME 7884 Canto de Otono (Chant d’automne) Pujol n°1245,
ME 7939 Cap i Cua (Variation désuète sur l’exercice 19 d’Aguado) Pujol n°1248,
ME 7848 Caprice varié sur un thème d’Aguado Pujol n°1242,
ME 7541 Endecha a la Amada Ausente Pujol n°1238,
ME 2186 Étude n°1 Pujol n°1200,
ME 2187 Étude n°2 Pujol n°1201,
ME 2188 Étude n°3 Pujol n°1202,
ME 3128 Exercices en formes d’études, 1. Cahier Pujol n°1221,
ME 7847 2. Cahier Pujol n°1243,
ME 2189 Impromptu Pujol n°1206,
ME 7579 La Libelula Pujol n°1239,
ME 2586-88 Trois Morceaux espagnols:
1. Tonadilla,
2. Tango,
3. Guajira Pujol n°1204,
ME 3129 Pequena Romanza Pujol n°1222,
ME 7885 Pizzicato Pujol n°1247,
ME 7236 Deux Préludes Pujol n°1233,
ME 7027 Rapsodie Valenciana Pujol n°1228,
ME 2190 Sevilla (Evocation) Pujol n°1205,
ME 7030 Triquilandia (Jugando al Escondite) Pujol n°1231,
ME 7237 2e Triquilandia:
1. Œdipe et le Sphinx,
2. Variation,
3. Jeu,
4. La Plume de perdreau,
5. Branle bourguignon Pujol n°1234,
ME 7533 3e Triquilandia,
1. Le Petit Grenadier,
2. Cantilène,
3. Valse Pujol n°1241,
ME 7991 Triptyque campagnard (1971):
1. Aube,
2. Bucolique,
3. Fête Pujol n°1249,
ME 7883 Variations sur un thème obsédant Pujol n°1244,
ME 7029 Veneciana Pujol n°1230,
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Guitar duos
ME 8046 Canaries (Canarios), air de danse populaire ancienne Pujol n°1415,
ME 8081-01 Duet (étude) Pujol n°1417a,
ME 6942 Manola del Avapies (Tonadilla) Pujol n°1403,
ME 7239 Ricercare Pujol n°1409,
ME 8081 Tyrolienne (Tirolesa) Pujol n°1417b,
(Verleger: Max Eschig Paris)
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Transcriptions
275 transcriptions (Juan Riera)
[edit]
Guitar duo
Francis Poulenc (1899–1963). Waltzes, arr from the piano Paris : Editions M. Eschig, c1970.
[edit]
Discography
[edit]
Recordings by Emilio Pujol
Musique instrumentale espagnole au 16e siècle; Paris, France [ca 1936] ref1 ref2
Romances et villancicos espagnols du 16e siècle; Paris, France [1935] ref1 ref2
Spanish Songs - Historical Live Recording Of The 1954 Madrid Recital (Rosa Barbany, soprano; Emilio Pujol vihuela) (EMEC Discos; E-050)
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Compositions by Emilio Pujol
3CD recording of Pujol compositions by students of Alberto Ponce
Claudio Marcotulli *(1958) Publisher: Genova, Italy : Dynamic, [2002 Program notes and biographical notes in Italian, English, and French and German (19 p. : portrs.) inserted in container. Contents: Seguidilla—Canción amatoria—Tango—Studio in si minore—Barcarolle—Romanza—Preludio romantico—Guajira—Homenaje a Tárrega—Ondinas—Canción de cuna—Manola del Avapies (tonadilla) -- El cant dels Ocels—Paisaje—Cubana—Studio romantico—Festivola—Scottish madrilène—Salve. Publisher Number: Dynamic CDS 395
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Bibliography
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Musicologic works by Emilio Pujol
Emilio Pujol: El Dilema Del Sonido en la Guitarra. 4 editions:
Hamburg : Trekel, c1975. 1975 German 28, iv, [i] p. ///Das Dilemma des Klanges bei der Gitarre / Emilio Pujol ; hrsg. u. mit e. Vorw. vers. von Wolf Moser ; [Dt. von Wolf Moser]. Publisher:Hamburg : Trekel, c1975. Edition Date:1975Language:GermanNotes:Translation of Dilema del sonido en la guitarra. Cover title. Physical Details:28, iv, [i] p. ; 21 cm. Other Authors:Moser, Wolf.
Buenos Aires, Ricordi Americana [1960] 1960 Spanish 84 p
Buenos Aires : Ricordi Americana, c1960. 1960 Spanish Ed. corr. y amp., con texto inglés y francés. 84 p.
Buenos Aires, Ricerdi Americana [1960] 1960 Spanish Edición corregida y ampliada. con texto inglés y francés. 84 p (?? 1960/1966. OCLC: 1061872 / 1960 OCLC: 58964343)
[1][dead link] El Dilema Del Sonido en la Guitarra, PDF.
Emilio Pujol: La guitare, in Encyclopédie de la Musique et Dictionnaire du Conservatoire, second part, vol. III, Delagrave. Paris 1926 - pp. 2011–12.
Emilio Pujol: La guitarra y su historia; conferencia. Publisher: Buenos Aires, Casa Romero y Fernandez [1932] Edition Date: 1932 Language: Spanish 47 p. illus. OCLC: 48131009
Emilio Pujol: Tárrega - Ensayo biográfico. Los Talleres Gráficos de Ramos, Afonso & Moita, Lda., Lisboa 1960. 1.100 Ejemplares. 2nd edition : Publisher: S.l. : s.n. (Valencia : Artes Gráficas Soler), 1978, Language:Spanish, Notes:"Obras de Tárrega para guitarra": p. 259-[267] Includes indexes. Physical Details:265, [2] p. : ill. ; 26 cm. ISBN 84-300-0090-9 OCLC 5287791
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Early music editions
Emilio Pujol - Tres libros de música en cifra para vihuela : (Sevilla, 1546) / Alonso Mudarra; transcripción y estudio por Emilio Pujol. (Spanish) : Book Edition:Reimpresión de la primera edición de 1949. Publisher: Barcelona : Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 1984 Physical Details:135 p., [4] p. de lám. : poco il., fot. ; 33 cm. Edited from a photocopy of an ed. in the Biblioteca del Escorial (15-VI-43). Modern notation. Physical Details:viii, 99 p., 135 p. of music, 4 p. of plates : facsims. ; 32 cm. Series:Monumentos de la música española ; Other Titles:Libros de música en cifra. ISBN 84-00-05680-9 OCLC: 39171049
Emilio Pujol - Los seys libros del Delphin, de música de cifra para tañer vihuela by Luis de Siglo XVI Nerváez; Type: Spanish Publisher: Barcelona : Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 1945. OCLC: 48310460
Emilio Pujol - Libro de música de vihuela, institulado Silva de sirenas (Valladolid, 1547) : transcripcíon y estudio por Emilio Pujol. by Enríquez Valderrábano; Emilio Pujol Publisher: Barcelona : C.S.I.C. Instituto español de musicología, 1965. OCLC: 67466655
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Poems
Emilio Pujol: Poemes Publisher: Lleida : Cátedra de Cultura Catalana Samuel Gili i Gaya, Institut d'Estudis Ilerdencs de l'Excma. Diputació Provincial, 1976. Language: Catalan Notes: On cover: Poemes d'Emili Pujol. Physical Details: 79 p. : ill. ; 24 cm. Series: Publicacions de l'Institut d'Estudis Ilerdencs de l'Excma. Diputació Provincial de Lleida Serie Càtedra Cultura Catalana Gili Gaya ; 29 ISBN 84-00-03504-6 OCLC: 4229333
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Guitar School by Emilio Pujol
A guitar method based on the principles of Francisco Tarrega consisting of four historical and technical volumes:
Emilio Pujol: Escuela razonada de la guitarra : basada en los principos de la técnica de Tárrega Type: Spanish : Book Publisher: Buenos Aires : Ricordi Americana, ©1954. OCLC 55156339
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Publications about Emilio Pujol
Renata Borgatti: Due aspetti del romanticismo: Schumann e Chopin;[e] Apporto italiano alla chitarra classica [di] Emilio Pujol. Publisher: Siena, Ticci, 1953. Language: Italian Notes: "Riassunto delle conferenze tenute, con illustrazioni musicali, all'Accademia chigiana il 3, 4 e 13 Settembre 1953." Physical Details: 59 p. 25 cm. Series: Siena. Accademia musicale chigiana, Quaderni, 29 Publisher: Siena, Ticci, 1953. OCLC: 1913194
Curtis Nunley: Emilio Pujol : the guitar pedagogue in Escuela razonada de la guitarra, book one and the right hand technique written in El dilemma del sonido en la guitarra; Type: English: Book : Thesis/dissertation/manuscript; Publisher: 1993; OCLC: 31333907
Daniela Polcher - The Emilio Pujol guitar method Bachelor thesis. University Paris Jussieu. (French) (La méthode de guitare d'Emilio Pujol)
Juan Riera: Emilio Pujol ... Type: Spanish : Book : Publisher: Lérida : Instituto de Estudios Ilerdenses de la Excma. Diputación Provincial de Lérida, Patronato de Estudios Locales José M.a Quadrado del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, [1974] ISBN 84-00-04029-5 OCLC: 2467063
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External links
10 Quotations by Emilio Pujol
[2] Biography
[3][dead link] Biography
[4] Biography
[5][dead link] Biography (Spanish)[hide]
v · d · e
Classical guitar portal
Andrés Segovia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andrés Segovia in 1963
Andrés Torres Segovia, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (pronounced: [anˈdɾes ˈtores seˈɣoβja]) (February 21, 1893 – June 2, 1987[1]), known as Andrés Segovia, was a virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist from Linares, Jaén, Andalucia, Spain. He is widely considered to be one of the best known and most influential classical guitar personalities of the 20th century,[2][3] having a considerable influence on later guitarists, particularly because of important guitar works that were dedicated to him by composers such as Federico Moreno Torroba.[4][5]
Segovia is credited for his modern-romantic repertoire, mainly through works dedicated to him by modern composers, but he also created his own transcriptions of classical works that were originally for other instruments. He is remembered for his expressive performances: his wide palette of tone, and his distinctive (often instantly recognizable) musical personality in tone, phrasing and style.Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
3 Technique
4 Repertoire
4.1 Teaching
4.2 Legacy
5 Awards
6 Personal life
7 See also
8 References
9 Bibliography
10 External links
[edit]
Early life
Segovia stated that he began to play the guitar at the age of six.[6] Angelo Gilardino, who has worked at the Fundación Andrés Segovia in Spain, noted: "Though it is not yet completely documented, it seems clear that, since his tender childhood, [Segovia] learnt playing as a flamenco guitarist. The first guitar he owned had formerly been played by Paco de Lucena who died when Segovia was five years old. Since then, Segovia was given some instruction by Agustinillo, an amateur flamenco player who was a fan of Paco de Lucena."[7] Nevertheless, Segovia did not really play flamenco. Instead he preferred expressive art-music such as that by Federico Moreno Torroba, and revived interest in the instrument as an expressive medium for the performance of classical art-music.
As a teenager, Segovia moved to the town of Granada, where he studied the guitar. However, his father had wanted him to become a lawyer.[8] After his time in Granada, he returned home and spent much time at the Alhambra palace, a Moorish relic overlooking the town which he regarded as his spiritual awakening.
[edit]
Career
Segovia's first public performance was in Spain at the age of 16 in 1909,[8] and a few years later he held his first professional concert in Madrid, playing works by Francisco Tárrega and some guitar transcriptions by J.S. Bach, which he had transcribed and arranged himself. Although he was always discouraged by his family who wanted him to become a lawyer and he was looked down on by some of Tárrega's pupils,[9] he continued to diligently pursue his studies of the guitar.
He played again in Madrid in 1912, at the Paris Conservatory in 1915, in Barcelona in 1916, and made a successful tour of South America in 1919.[1] The status of the classical guitar at the beginning of the twentieth century had declined, and only in Barcelona and in the Rio de la Plata region of South America could it have been said to be of any significance. When Segovia arrived on the scene, this situation was just beginning to change, largely through the efforts of Miguel Llobet[10]. It was in this changing milieu that Segovia, whose strength of personality and artistry coupled with new technological advances such as recording, radio, and air travel, succeeded in making the guitar more popular again.
In 1921, Segovia met Alexandre Tansman in Paris[11] who later wrote a number of guitar works for Segovia, among them Cavatina, which won a prize at the Siena International Composition contest in 1952.[12]
At Granada in 1922 he became associated with the Concurso de Cante Jondo promoted by the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla. The aim of the "classicizing" Concurso was to preserve flamenco in its purity from being distorted by modern popular music.[13] Already Segovia had developed as a fine tocador of flamenco guitar, yet his direction was now classical.[14] Invited to open the Concurso held at the Alhambra, he played Homenaje a Debussy para la guitarra by Falla.[15]
Guitar by Hermann Hauser, 1937, Munich, Germany. Concert guitar of Andrés Segovia's from 1937 until 1962. Gift of Emilita Segovia, Marquessa of Salobreña, 1986 (1986.353.1). Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In 1923 Segovia was in Mexico for the first time. There Manuel Ponce was so impressed with the concert, that he wrote a review in El Universal.[16] Later Ponce went on to write many works for Segovia, including numerous sonatas.
In 1924, Segovia visited the German luthier Hermann Hauser Sr. after hearing some of his instruments played in a concert in Munich. In 1928 Hauser provided Segovia with one of his personal guitars for use during his United States tour and in his concerts through to 1933. When Hauser delivered the new instrument Segovia had ordered, Segovia passed his 1928 Hauser to his U.S. representative and close friend Sophocles Papas, who gave it to his classical guitar student, the famous jazz and classical guitarist Charlie Byrd, who used it on several records.
Segovia's first American tour was arranged in 1928 when Fritz Kreisler, the Viennese violinist who privately played the guitar,[17] persuaded F. C. Coppicus from the Metropolitan Musical Bureau to present the guitarist in New York.[18][19]
After Segovia's debut tour in the U.S. in 1928, the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos composed his now well-known Twelve Études (Douze études) and later dedicated them to Segovia. Their relationship proved to be lasting as Villa-Lobos continued to write for Segovia. He also transcribed numerous classical pieces himself and revived the pieces transcribed by predecessors like Tárrega.
Andrés Segovia at a recital in the "Concerts Ysaye" in Brussels, 15 December 1932 (Hilda Wiener, 1877-1940)
In 1932, Segovia met and befriended composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco in Venice.[12] Since Castelnuovo-Tedesco did not play the guitar, Segovia provided him with guitar compositions (Ponce's Folias variations and Sor's Mozart Variations) which he could study. Castelnuovo-Tedesco composed a large number of works for the guitar, many of them dedicated to Segovia. The Concerto Op. 99 from 1939 was the first guitar concerto of the 20th century and Castelnuovo-Tedesco's last work in Italy, before he emigrated to the United States. It was premiered by Segovia in Uruguay in 1939.[12]
In 1935, he gave his first public performance of Bach's Chaconne, a difficult piece for any instrument. He moved to Montevideo, performing many concerts in South America in the thirties and early forties.
After World War II, Segovia began to record more frequently and perform regular tours of Europe and the U.S., a schedule he would maintain for the next thirty years. In 1954, Joaquín Rodrigo dedicated Fantasía para un gentilhombre (Fantasy for a Gentleman) to Segovia.[20] Segovia won the 1958 Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance, Instrumentalist for his recording Segovia Golden Jubilee.[21]
John W. Duarte dedicated his English Suite Op.31 to Segovia and his wife (Emilia Magdalena del Corral Sancho) on the occasion of their marriage in 1962.[22] Segovia told the composer "You will be astonished at the success it will have".[23][24]
In recognition of his contributions to music and the arts, Segovia was ennobled on 24 June 1981 by King Juan Carlos I, who gave Segovia the hereditary title of Marqués de Salobreña[25][26] (English: Marquis of Salobreña) in the nobility of Spain.
Andres Segovia continued performing into his old age, living in semi-retirement during his 70s and 80s on the Costa del Sol. Two films were made of his life and work—one when he was 75 and the other, 84. They are available on DVD called Andrés Segovia — in Portrait. His final RCA LP record (ARL1-1602), Reveries, was recorded in Madrid in June 1977.
In 1984, Segovia was the subject of a thirteen part series broadcast on National Public Radio, entitled Segovia! The series was recorded on location in Spain, France, and the United States. Hosted by Oscar Brand, the series was produced by Jim Anderson, Robert Malesky, and Larry Snitzler.
Segovia died in Madrid of a heart attack at the age of 94. He is buried at Casa Museo de Linares, in Andalusia.
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Technique
Segovia's technique differed from that of Tárrega and his followers, such as Emilio Pujol. Both Segovia and Miguel Llobet (who taught Segovia several of his transcriptions of Granados' piano works) plucked the strings with a combination of his fingernails and fingertips, producing a sharper sound than many of his contemporaries. With this technique, it was possible to create a wider range of timbres, than when using the fingertips or nails alone. Historically, classical guitarists have debated which of these techniques is the best approach. The vast majority of classical guitarists now play with a combination of the fingernails and fingertips.
After World War II, Segovia became among the first to endorse the use of nylon strings instead of gut strings.[27] This new advance allowed for greater stability in intonation, and was the final missing ingredient in the standardization of the instrument.
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Repertoire
Segovia's repertoire consisted of three principal pillars. Firstly, contemporary works, including concertos and sonatas, usually specifically written for Segovia himself by composers he forged working relationships with, notably Spaniards such as Federico Moreno Torroba, Federico Mompou, and Joaquín Rodrigo, the Mexican composer Manuel Ponce, the Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and the great Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. Secondly, transcriptions, usually made by Segovia himself, of classical works originally written for other instruments (e.g., lute, harpsichord, piano, violin, cello) by Johann Sebastian Bach, Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados, and many other prominent composers. Thirdly, traditional classical guitar works by composers such as Fernando Sor and Francisco Tarrega. Segovia's influence enlarged the repertoire, mainly as a commissioner or dedicatee of new works, as a transcriber, and to a far lesser extent as a composer[28] with such works as his Estudio sin luz.
Segovia's main musical aesthetic preferences were music of the early 20th century (and turn of the century) especially in the Spanish romantic-modern and nationalist style. This is perhaps best typified by Segovia's own work Estudio sin Luz. Many works of this and similar style were written especially for him and formed part of his core repertoire: particularly the guitar works of Federico Moreno Torroba (1891–1982), such as the Sonatina, which was first performed by Segovia in Paris in 1925.[29]
Segovia was selective and only performed works with which he identified personally. He was known to reject atonal works, or works which he considered too radical, even if they were dedicated to him; e.g. he rejected Frank Martin's Quatre pièces brèves, Darius Milhaud's Segoviana, etc.[12][30] Even though rejected by Segovia, the works are today all published and available.[31][32][33][34][35][36]
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Teaching
Segovia viewed teaching as vital to his mission of propagating the guitar and gave master classes throughout his career. His most famous master classes took place at Música en Compostela in the northern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela.[37]
Segovia also taught at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena for numerous years, where he was aided by Alirio Diaz.[38] Later it was Oscar Ghiglia who continued the Siena class.[39]
His teaching style is a source of controversy among some of today's players, who consider it to be dogmatically authoritarian.[40][41][42] John Williams for instance criticized his scope as a teacher and spoke of the atmosphere of fear in his classes.[43]
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Legacy
Segovia can be considered a catalytic figure in granting respectability to the guitar as a serious concert instrument capable of evocativeness and depth of interpretation. It was Federico Moreno Torroba who said: "The musical interpreter who fascinates me the most is Andrés Segovia".[44] He can be credited to have dignified the classical guitar as a legitimate concert instrument before the discerning music public, which had hitherto viewed the guitar merely as a limited, if sonorous, parlor instrument.
In Linares the Segovia Museum "Fundación Andrés Segovia" was established in May 1995[45] and this birth-town of Segovia, also has a bronze statue in his honour, created by Julio López Hernández and unveiled on 25 May 1984.[46][47][48]
Segovia influenced a generation of classical guitarists who built on his technique and musical sensibility, including such luminaries as Christopher Parkening, Julian Bream, and Oscar Ghiglia, all of whom have acknowledged their debt to him. Further, Segovia left behind a large body of edited works and transcriptions for classical guitar, including several transcriptions of J S Bach, in particular, an extraordinarily demanding classical guitar transcription of the Chaconne from the 2nd Partita for Violin (BWV 1004).
His editions of works originally written for guitar include newly fingered and occasionally revised versions of works from the standard repertoire (most famously, his edition of a selection of twenty estudios by Fernando Sor, as well as compositions written for him, including by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Federico Mompou, and Castelnuovo-Tedesco.[citation needed] Many of the latter were edited by Segovia, working in communication with the composer, before they were first published. Because of Segovia's predilection for altering the musical content of his editions to reflect his interpretive preferences, many of today's guitarists prefer to examine the original manuscripts, or newer publications based on the original manuscripts in order to compare them with Segovia's published versions, so as to accept or reject Segovia's editorial decisions.[citation needed]
There are guitar festivals and competitions that were named after Segovia.[49][50]
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Awards
Segovia was awarded many prizes and honours including Ph.D, honoris causa from ten universities.[51] On 24 June 1981, he was ennobled by King Juan Carlos I, who gave Segovia the hereditary title of Marqués de Salobreña[25][26] (English: Marquis of Salobreña) in the nobility of Spain in recognition of his contributions to music and the arts. He received the Danish Sonning Award in 1974, the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 1985, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986.
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Personal life
Segovia's first wife was Adelaida Portillo (marriage in 1918).[52] Segovia's second wife (marriage in 1935) was the pianist Paquita Madriguera, who also made some piano roll recordings.[53][54] From 1944, he maintained a relationship with Brazilian singer and guitarist Olga Praguer Coelho, which was to last for over a decade.[55] In 1962 Segovia married Emilia Magdalena del Corral Sancho.[56] They had one son, Carlos-Andrés de Segovia y del Corral. On his death the marquessate passed to his son.[57]
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See also
Michele Pittaluga International Classical Guitar Competition founded with his support
[edit]
References
^ a b Stevenson, Joseph. "Andrés Segovia Biography". Allmusic.
^ Tosone, Jim (October 2000). Classical guitarists: conversations. McFarland. p. 7. ISBN 9780786408139. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
^ Garno, Gerard (23 October 2002). Ancient Chant and Hymns for Guitar. Mel Bay Publications. p. 26. ISBN 9780786649525. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
^ Andrés Segovia; Naxos
^ Andrés Segovia - Twenty years after his passing (1987-2007); Tar
^ "This Day in History - January 4th". LikeTelevision.
^ Angelo Gilardino (2007-06-04). "Segovia's early years". rec.music.classical.guitar.
^ a b Castro, Iván A. (December 2006). 100 Hispanics you should know. Libraries Unlimited. p. 260. ISBN 9781591583271. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
^ In Memory of Andres Segovia; by Vasilios Avraam
^ Phillips, Robert Michael, "The influence of Miguel Llobet on the pedagogy, repertoire, and stature of the guitar in the twentieth century" (2002).
^ Naxos Guitar Recital: Kulikova, Irina
^ a b c d Hannu Annala; Heiki Mätlik (15 June 2008). Handbook of Guitar and Lute Composers. Mel Bay Publications. pp. 64–. ISBN 9780786658442. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
^ Carol A. Hess, Manuel de Falla and modernism in Spain, 1898-1936 (University of Chicago 2001) at 175.
^ D. E. Pohlen, Lives and Legends of Flamenco (Madrid 1964, revised 1988) at 73.
^ Eduardo Molina Fajardo, Manuel de Falla y El "Cante Jondo" (Universidad de Granada 1962; 2d ed. 1998) at 116.
^ Manuel M. Ponce and the guitar By Corazón Otero, J. D. Roberts; Bold Strummer, 1994; ISBN 0933224850
^ Music: Frets in MinneapolisJ; Time Magazine; June 29, 1936
^ Andres Segovia Is Dead At 94; His Crusade Elevated Guitar; by Donal Henahan; The New York Times; June 04, 1987
^ Andres Segovia, Spanish Guitarist; Biography; hosted at Cumpiano.com
^ Pablo Zinger (August 1999). "MUSIC; A Composer Who Found Strength in an Inner Vision". New York Times.
^ Segovia at Grammy.com
^ Jim Tosone (October 2000). Classical guitarists: conversations. McFarland. pp. 31–. ISBN 9780786408139. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
^ John W. Duarte (1998). Andrés Segovia, as I knew him. Mel Bay. ISBN 9780786633197. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
^ Few words from the composer, John Duarte; Goni website
^ a b "Marqueses de Salobreña". Geneall.es.
^ a b "An Armory of Famous Musicians". Heraldica.
^ Augustine Strings; see history
^ Andrés Segovia's compositions; Pocci Catalog (see also)
^ John W. Duarte. "Guitar Recital". Naxos.
^ Britishness and the classical guitar after 1950: composers, performers and identity in the contemporary British guitar repertoire by Mark Marrington
^ Frank Martin: Quatre pièces brèves; Universal Edition
^ Graham Wade (1 August 2001). A Concise History of the Classic Guitar. Mel Bay Publications. pp. 118–. ISBN 9780786649785. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
^ Darius Milhaud: Segoviana; Éditions Alphonse Leduc
^ Book Review: The Andres Segovia Archive, edited by Angelo Gilardino, Liugi Biscaldi by Silvio Jose dos Santos
^ Gilardino on the Andrés Segovia Archive
^ Andrés Segovia Archive at Bèrben
^ "John Mills: The Teaching of Andres Segovia".
^ The Guitar from the Renaissance to the Present Day by Harvey Turnbull; Bold Strummer, 1992; ISBN 0933224575
^ Oscar Ghiglia
^ "John Williams Interview with Austin Prichard-Levy". The Twang Box Dynasty.
^ "The infamous Chapdelaine Segovia incident". by Tony Morris (12 June 2007, rec.music.classical.guitar).
^ "Abel Carlevaro technique: Technique compendium". Renato Bellucci.
^ "John Williams—Into the New World". by Mark L. Small.
^ ABC Madrid; 1975/10/12; translated from the Spanish: "El intérprete musical que más me fascina es Andrés Segovia"
^ Fundación Andrés Segovia
^ statue A Concise History of the Classic Guitar by Graham Wade; Mel Bay Publications, 2001; ISBN 078664978X
^ Segovia Statue in Linares
^ Visita a la Fundación Andrés Segovia; Artepulsado
^ Certamen Internacional de Guitarra Clásica "Andrés Segovia"
^ International Competition for Young Guitarists «Andrés Segovia»
^ "Honores y Distinciones". Andrés Segovia. Síntesis biográfica. Honores y distinciones. by Alberto López Poveda. (Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Boletín de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Segundo semestre de 1986. Número 63.) [1].
^ Family image: Segovia with wife Adelaida Portillo and baby; Nuevo Mundo (Madrid), 05/05/1922
^ "The Great Female Pianists, Vol. 5 Paquita Madriguera". Dal Segno.
^ "Rollography". The Reproducing Piano Roll Foundation.
^ "Golden Era 74 Olga Coelho South American Folksongs 1944-1957".
^ "Cronología de la Vida y Obra de Andrés Segovia (1893-1987)".
^ Genealogía de los marqueses de Salobreña - Website GeneAll.net
[edit]
Bibliography
Alberto López Poveda: Andrés Segovia - Vida y Obra (2010; Tome1: 864 pages; Tome2: 408 pages) (1, 2), 2009
Alfredo Escande: Don Andrés y Paquita - La vida de Segovia en Montevideo
The Segovia-Ponce Letters
Andrés Segovia. Un secolo di storia nella musica del grande chitarrista spagnolo (2005)
Graham Wade: Traditions of the Classical Guitar(John Calder, London, 1980)
Graham Wade: Segovia - A Celebration of the Man and his Music (Allison & Busby, London, 1983)
Graham Wade: Maestro Segovia (Robson, London, 1986)
Graham Wade and Gerard Garno: A New Look at Segovia, His Life, His Music, Volumes 1 & 2 (Mel Bay Publications Inc., Pacific, Missouri, 1997)
Graham Wade: A Concise History of the Classic Guitar (Mel Bay Publications Inc., Pacific, Missouri,2001)
Machilis, Joseph. The Enjoyment of Music: An Introduction to Perceptive Listening. New York: W.W Norton and Company, 1977, Pages 107-109.
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External links
Andrés Segovia by Mark Small (Acoustic Guitar, November 2010)
(Spanish)Cronología de la Vida y Obra de Andrés Segovia (1893-1987)
Segovia's life before he left Spain for the first time (1920) info by Angelo Gilardino (3 June 2007, rec.music.classical.guitar)
(Spanish)Andrés Segovia. Síntesis biográfica. Honores y distinciones. by Alberto López Poveda (Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, Boletín de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Segundo semestre de 1986. Número 63.) ref.
(Spanish)Andrés Segovia y Federico Mompou ante el centenario de su nacimiento. by Antonio Iglesias (Boletín de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Segundo semestre de 1992. Número 75.) ref.
In Memory of Andres Segovia by Vasilios Avraam (www.guitarramagazine.com)
Biography by Joseph Stevenson (Allmusic)Spanish nobility
New title Marquess of Salobreña
24 June 1981–2 June 1987 Succeeded by
Carlos-Andrés de Segovia y del Corral
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