Romantic Guitar

Description

During the 19th century, in Paris, there existed a large circle of guitar aficionados who were coming mainly from Spain or Italy. Among these, some distinguished themselves by the quality of their playing, the interest of their compositions and the seriousness of their teaching. Under the influence of the Spaniard Fernando Sor, the history of the guitar made a great leap: in Paris, London, Berlin and Moscow, this artist gave concerts that were noticed by many who were also amazed by a completely new way of writing for the guitar. Fernando Sor was advisor to the guitar-maker René Lacote. In 1830, he published his Méthode complète pour la guitare which was revised 15 years later by his French disciple Napoleon Coste.

In an “excellent style, pure, gracious and lively” (1), Coste soon succeeds Sor on the Parisian scene. His Grande Sérénade opus 30 wins the second prize of the composition competition organized in Brussels, in 1856, by Nikolai Makaroff, the first prize having been won by the three pieces opus 65 of Mertz. The complete and considerable output of Napleon Coste has been published by Edition Chanterelle. Some of his compositions foreshadow the tendency toward program music even though they are not written in a truly narrative style. Other works are written for the seven string guitar (tuned a fifth lower than the normal guitar) which Coste bequeathed to the Musée instrumental de Paris. As was the fashion of the time, other works are inspired by well known melodies such as the Caprice sur l’air espagnol La Cachucha opus 13 and the Romanesca, « famous dance aire from the end of the 16th century arranged for guitar by Nap. Coste ».

(1) Revue et gazette musicale de Paris, 1838.

Giulio Regondi’s contemporaries described him as an artist of great finesse and surprising virtuosity. As a child, this prodigy was forced to practice long hours. It is said that, for a child, his hands were surprisingly large in comparison to his body. A world traveler, Regondi led, in the last century, the life of a star of the guitar. His work, although less than prolific, reveals the sensitive nature of an extraordinarily talented musician.