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EspañolANDRéS SEGOVIA
'Andrés Torres Segovia, 1st Marquess of Salobreña' (21 February 1893 – 3 June 1987) was a Spanish classical guitarist born in Linares, Spain who is considered to be the father of the modern classical guitar movement by most modern music scholars. Segovia claimed that he "rescued the guitar from the hands of flamenco Gypsies", and he built up a classical repertoire to give it a place in concert halls.
In recognition of his contributions to music and the arts, Segovia was ennobled on 24 June 1981 by King Juan Carlos I, who elevated Segovia into the first hereditary Marquess of Salobreña, formally styled as "El señor don Andrés Torres Segovia, marqués de Salobreña" (the Most Illustrious Lord The Marquess of Salobreña). He was granted the following coat of arms: "en campo de azur sobre ondas de azur y plata, unas rocas de su color, sumadas de una torre donjonada de oro, aclarada de azur" (a field of azur on waves of azur and silver, rocks of the same color, plus a gold dungeon tower, with azur highlights)
Biography
Segovia has said that he began playing the guitar at the age of six.[1] 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, he [Segovia] learnt playing as a flamenco guitarist. In fact, the first guitar he owned had formerly been played by Paco de Lucena, the greatest flamenco guitarist of the epoque, 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."[2]
As a teenager, Segovia moved to the town of Granada, where he studied the guitar and soaked up the other-worldly atmosphere of the Palace at Alhambra, a Moorish relic overlooking the town which he regarded as his spiritual awakening.
Segovia's first public performance was in Spain at the age of sixteen, and a few years later he held his first professional concert in Madrid, playing guitar transcriptions by Francisco Tárrega and some works by J.S. Bach, which he had transcribed and arranged himself. Although he was always discouraged by his family, and looked down on by many of Tárrega's pupils, he always continued to diligently pursue his studies of the guitar.
Segovia's technique differed from that of Tárrega and his followers, such as Emilio Pujol. Like the great guitarist, Miguel Llobet (who may have been his teacher for a short time) Segovia plucked the strings with a combination of his fingernails and fingertips, producing a sharper sound than that of his contemporaries. With this technique, it was possible to create a wider range of timbres, or tones, than when using the fingertips or nails alone. Historically, classical guitarists have debated which of these techniques is the best approach. While most now play with a combination of the fingernails/tips, some still prefer the convenience and mellower sound of flesh alone. Some of these decisions are based on what types of performing venues the guitarist uses. Pupils of Tárrega tended to play in smaller halls and rooms, rather than the large concert halls in which Segovia later played.
Many prominent musicians believed that Segovia's guitar would not be accepted by the classical music community because in their mind, the guitar could not be used to play classical music. However, Segovia's excellent technique and unique touch astounded his audiences. Consequently, the guitar was no longer seen as a strictly popular instrument, but as one suitable for playing classical music, as well.
As Segovia progressed in his career and as he performed for bigger audiences, he found that existing guitars were not sufficient for playing large concert halls because they could not produce enough volume. This prompted Segovia to look into technological advances that would improve the guitar's natural amplification.
Working together with a luthier, Hermann Hauser, Sr., he helped design what is now known as the classical guitar, which featured better wood and nylon strings. The shape of the guitar was also changed to improve the acoustics. This new guitar could produce louder notes than previous guitar designs being used in Spain and other parts of the world, although still based on the basic design developed by Antonio Torres Jurado almost fifty years before Segovia was born.
After Segovia's debut tour in the United States in 1928, the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos composed his now well known Twelve Études (''Douze études'') and later dedicated them to Segovia. This proved to be a lasting relationship as Villa-Lobos continued to write for Segovia. He also transcribed numerous classical pieces himself and revived the pieces transcribed by men like Tárrega. Many guitarists in the Americas, however, had already been playing these same works before Segovia arrived.
In 1935, he gave a premiere 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 the war, Segovia began to record more frequently and perform regular tours of Europe and the USA, a schedule he would maintain for the next thirty years of his life.
In 1954, Joaquin Rodrigo composed ''Fantasía para un gentilhombre'' at the bequest of Segovia.
Segovia won the 1958 Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance, Instrumentalist for his recording, ''Segovia Golden Jubilee''.
In recognition of Segovia's cultural contribution, he was elevated to the Spanish nobility in 1981, with the title Marques de Salobreña.
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 "Andres Segovia - in Portrait".
In 1986, Segovia received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
When Segovia travelled by air internationally, he always purchased the seat next to him for his guitar, not wanting to trust it to baggage handlers.
Segovia died in Madrid of a heart attack at the age of 94.
Awards
★ Sonning Award (1974; Denmark)
See also
★ Michele Pittaluga International Classical Guitar Competition founded with his support
Critical acclaim and modern perspectives
Awards and bringing the guitar to the concert stage
Segovia was awarded many prizes and honours including Ph.D, honoris causa from ten universities, etc. [3]
He is recognized for bringing the guitar (as a solo instrument) to the concert stage... What can be said, is that in a time where the guitar was "out of fashion" (overshadowed by such instruments as the violin and piano - which were more attractive on the concert stage, because of their louder sound) he did indeed manage to draw people's attention to the guitar, through his concert activities. It was the time when Hermann Hauser Sr. and other great luthiers were improving the guitar and Segovia was the one who played these instruments in concert halls such as The Town Hall in New York, etc.
This has to be contrasted with today, where brilliant Flamenco guitarists such as Paco de Lucía and Tomatito are also invited to play in such exclusive venues as the Wiener Konzerthaus [4][5] Any arguments of Segovia having "rescued the guitar from the hands of flamenco Gypsies" thus lose their meaning today.
Overacceptance of Segovia - as "best guitarist" - in the later years of his life
From todays perspective, Segovia was rather overexposed in the later years of his life, as "best classical guitarist" or similar titles (Example from Encyclopædia Britannica), with the result that many people reading those publications or hearing these statements today, still accepted this as truth and think that technique and performance have reached a point with Segovia, where improvement is no longer possible.
But many now acknowledge that his performance and interpretations are not up to today's standards[6][7]. Also, today performers try to play music in an authentic style of the specific period, thus "tread[ing] a different stylistic path [than Segovia]" [8].
(Segovia's main contribution/achievement was making the guitar known (esp. in the first and early second half of the 20th century) to a wider audience working and expanding its repertoire through arrangements and the contact with some composers.)
Segovia's interpretations/recordings
Today Segovia's interpretations are largely rejected, both technically 6 and in terms of style8:
he uses excessive rubato where it is inappropriate, or rhythmic inflections in technically challenging parts - perhaps disguised as "interpretation"; sforzando accents where they are inappropriate, staccato (especially in chords)... (Evidence of this can be heard in some works of his recordings, the Chaconne of Bach for example).
[9]: "By today's musicological standards, his rolled chords, quick vibrato and slurred phrases may seem antique; yet they carry Andres Segovia's unmistakable interpretive thumbprint, and they are classics of their kind."
On the other hand there are some works, where there are distant echos back to Segovia, even if they are played by todays guitarists (who will probably play with greater refinement and still somewhat differently).
These are especially the works that where written for Segovia (where Segovia had a contact with the composer - Manuel Maria Ponce for example).
New guitar works due to Segovia (and differences from manuscripts)
Even though many new works for the guitar are due to Segovia, some of the original musical material was changed by Segovia, when these works were published under his supervision.
These differences are revealed when the published versions (under Segovia's supervision) are compared with the original manuscripts: Many of todays serious guitarists prefer to examine the original manuscripts (or newer publications based on the original manuscripts) and compare that with (and often reject) Segovia's published versions, where Segovia and the publishing companies did not take the care, to mark any differences with original manuscripts.
Segovia did not consider Agustín Barrios to be a great composer [10][11][12][13]
Teaching
Segovia's teaching is also very different from that of todays leading guitarists and pedagogues, who often re-reflect and re-learn things themselves, when they are teaching; and enjoy learning from their students. [14]
Segovia had a very different (dated) teaching method where students were expected to imitate his playing, as John Williams has explained.[15][16][17]
References
1. This Day in History - January 4th
2. ''Segovia was a genius...'' Angelo Gilardino
3. Honores y Distinciones
4. Paco de Lucía performs in Wiener Konzerthaus (2006)
5. Michel Camilo & Tomatito perform in Wiener Konzerthaus (2007)
6. "Bach, Britten, Martin" Michael Nicolella
7. OK, so Segovia was a pioneer, but he doesn't top today's guitarists
8. Articulation and Authenticity in Nineteenth-Century Guitar Music
9. Segovia's Legacy: Half a century of guitar disks
10. Guitar (section: Agustín Barrios Mangoré)
11. A converstation with Andrés Segovia
12. Segovia and Barrios
13. segovia & barrios
14. What makes a Good Guitarist, by Alvaro Pierri
15. John Williams Interview with Austin Prichard-Levy
16. The infamous Chapdelaine Segovia incident
17. Abel Carlevaro technique: Technique compendium
External links
Biographical information
★ Segovia's life before he left Spain for the first time (1920) info by Angelo Gilardino (3 June 2007, rec.music.classical.guitar)
★ 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.) [3]
★ Andrés Segovia page also includes early U.S. performance reviews (www.cumpiano.com)
★ Biography by Joseph Stevenson (All Music Guide)
★ Alberto López Poveda may publish a detailed biography of Andrés Segovia info by Angelo Gilardino (4 June 2007, rec.music.classical.guitar)
Performance reviews and newspaper articles
★ Early U.S. performance reviews (www.cumpiano.com)
★ Articles from NY Times (1951-1980)
★ Articles from NY Times (since 1981)
Publications
★ The Andrés Segovia Archive by Angelo Gilardino (13 May 2004, rec.music.classical.guitar) Published by Bèrben (scroll down)
Videos
★ Google Video Video of Segovia from 1976, almost 17 mins. Both him playing and narrating about himself
★ Google Video Video of Segovia playing Fernando Sor's "Variations on a theme by Mozart"
★ Segovia Video Clip
★ Video of Segovia at Asturias
★ "Farewell to Segovia" a 1980s documentary
Other
★ The Segovia Museum Fundación Andrés Segovia [4]
★ The Metropolitan Museum of Art Pictures of Segovia's first concert guitar
★
★
★ Heraldica.org - Armory of Famous Musicians: Andres Segovia, el marqués de Salobreña
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