Fernando Sor was a famous classical guitarist and composer; he was born in Spain 1778 to 1839. Fernando Sor was a contemporary of Beethoven and is often regarded to as the “Beethoven of the Guitar.” He has recorded many works covering his loved and great 20 Studies for the Classical Guitar. All of these works are still used today. It was at that time in Paris that he gained a significant amount of recognition as a composer, a performer, and a teacher, and he spent several years touring the great capitals of Europe.
Interesting Facts About Fernando Sor, Classical Guitar:
– In Spain, he is at times referred to as the “Beethoven of the Guitar.”
– Sor’s Method for the Spanish Guitar was initially published in French under the title Méthode pour la Guitare in 1830 and then translated into English under the title “Method for the Spanish Guitar” in 1832.
– It was at this retirement that he composed numerous of his excellent works.
-Fernando Sor’s guitar sonatas rate among the most outstanding compositions in the guitar repertory, harmonically exquisite, at times full of melancholy and yearning, but also lively and also virtuosity.
As a Performer
In Spain throughout his younger years and prime adulthood, he gained an amount of fame that started with a performance of his show “Telemachus on the Calypso’s Isle” and this seasoned to a temporary support by the Duchess of Alba. While he was still living in Europe, he attained the height of his popularity as both a composer and a great performer, and he performed shows all over Europe covering Russia and also London.
As a Composer
As a composer of songs, he had an exceptionally wide variety of pieces that classified from instructional in nature to duets, songs, vocal music for voice and also guitar, and even a libretto. His style of music extended from sheer classical to very Spanish in harmony.
Some of his more famous work
A much of his work is today not played, but he has some pieces that have endured the test of time and are yet regularly performed to date. Of course, there is his way for guitar and his 20 studies, and while these are instructional works, they are also composed of many pieces and arrangements that stand solely on their right. Some of his more popular pieces incorporate his Opus 35 number 22 in B minor that is often called “The Moonlight Etude.” Young Julian Bream played this piece at the London Philharmonic Society for Guitarist in 1945. If you are looking for a piece to listen to, you can easily find recordings of this eerie piece which is presumably his most famous. Another renowned work would be Introduction and Variations on a Theme by Mozart (Opus 9). This is a known piece and a perennial love of guitarists.
Recordings
Some of the contemporary classical guitarists have included Sor’s compositions into their repertoire, and you can easily find works. There are also numerous CDs by current performers that are dedicated solely to the work of Sor.
There is another magnificent guitarist during the 19th century, Mauro Giuliani. Here is an article about his life; “Inspiration from the Life of Mauro Giuliani”