| Next year, 2007, marks the 20th anniversary | | | | by Bach, Haydn and others.His recital at the |
| of the death of Andres Segovia, the father of | | | | Arlington ranged freely over the body of |
| the classical guitar for almost the entire | | | | music available for the guitar, from Luis de |
| 20th Century. This remembrance of what was to | | | | Narvaez' "Differencias on a Spanish Theme", |
| be one of his last concerts, a 1985 | | | | written around 1538 to "Danza Pomposa" by |
| performance at the Arlington Centre, Santa | | | | Alexandre Tansman, which was written at |
| Barbara, is a tribute to his extraordinary | | | | Segovia's request in the 1950s. The |
| and ground-breaking influence on the | | | | "differencias", or variations, utilising |
| classical guitar repertory.Segovia was born | | | | striking contrasts between the sonorous |
| in Linares, a village in southern Spain. | | | | chords and dazzling scale runs, are based on |
| Originally he was taught to play the violin, | | | | a popular folk song of the 16th century, |
| but after discovering a guitar at the home of | | | | known as "Guardame las Vacas" (Guard the |
| a friend he rebelled, determined to make the | | | | Cows).As was true of all the evening's music, |
| guitar a "respectable" instrument on the | | | | they displayed a master's command of dynamics |
| concert stage. Both his family and teachers | | | | and sheer musicality, but it would be foolish |
| at the Granada Institute of Music objected, | | | | to ignore the fact that Segovia had by then |
| but to no avail. Unable to find a teacher | | | | lost much of his technical skill. He was |
| capable of instructing him, the young Segovia | | | | after all, well over 90 years old, and a |
| became his own guide. "To this day," he has | | | | guitarist needs great strength and control in |
| commented wryly, "teacher and pupil have | | | | his hands. The repertoire he chose reflected |
| never had a serious quarrel."His first public | | | | an admission that he was growing old. Instead |
| appearance was in Granada at the age of 16, | | | | of exploiting mechanical virtuosity, his |
| where his performance was described as a | | | | concert celebrated the breadth of musical |
| revelation; his name was soon known | | | | dynamics which he displayed and the close |
| throughout Spain and the rest of Europe. In | | | | communion created between performer and |
| 1928 he played the first ever guitar recital | | | | audience, even in a theatre the size of the |
| in New York, at the Town Hall, which received | | | | Arlington.The ovation that Segovia received, |
| rapturous reviews. After that he played | | | | at the end of a recital which left the |
| repeatedly in the United States and attracted | | | | audience rapt, seemed to me a recognition of |
| a wide and loyal following. His influence was | | | | what he had been, not what he now was. But |
| threefold; he established the guitar as an | | | | that was only a fraction of what he deserved; |
| important concert instrument; many of the | | | | without his influence, the world of the |
| world's greatest contemporary composers wrote | | | | classical guitar would have been much |
| works for him (including Castelnuovo-Tedesco, | | | | poorer.You can read more of Tuppy Glossop's |
| Villa-Lobos and Rodrigo), and he uncovered a | | | | thoughts on music and popular culture at his |
| wealth of older literature, either original | | | | Web site, AtTheFamilyPlace. |
| works for guitar or transcriptions of works | | | | |