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| Francisco Tarrega |
Born - FRANCISCO DE ASSIS EIXEA TARREGA
Villareal De Los Infantes, Castellon, Spain
29th November 1854
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Died Barcelona, Spain
5th December 1909
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Francisco Tarrega was without doubt one of the greatest classical guitarists of all time. It was due to his enormous energy through the latter half of the 19th century that the way wasopened for the great guitarists of the 20th century, in particular Andres Segovia, to prove to the world the enormous musical potential of the classical guitar.
Tarrega's first teacher was a local player, Manuel Gonzalez. The young guitarist's talen was first recognised when he played in public, in Villareal, a guitar concerto by Julian Arcas. In October 1874 Tarrega entered the Madrid Conservatoire of Music as a Student of harmony and composition. In 1875 he was awarded the first prize for these subjects. It has been recorded that at one of Tarrega's early recitals he played half of the programme on the piano and the other half on the guitar, requesting the audience to choose which they preferred. They chose the guitar, so Tarrega decided to dedicate his life to that instrument.
Francisco Tarrega then began a highly successful career as a recitalist and teacher. He toured throughout Europe and audiencesin most of the continent's major cities were able to hear his virtuoso guitar playing. He became Professor to the Guitar at the Conservatoires of Madrid and Barcelona. Among his many pupils were Emilio Pujol, Miguel Llobet, Daniel Fortea and Alberto Obregon.
Tarrega's vast knowledge of music enabled him to do two major things for the guitar. He was able to improve the technique of playing by changing the usual position of sitting, chair, foootstool, legs, arms and hands, and above all the action of the fingers of each hand. The wider Torres guitar that he used also helped with the right hand position. There seems little doubt that Tarrega drew on his expert knowledge of piano playing techniques, adapting their principles to the guitar.
Francisco Tarrega's other great contribution to the classical guitar was the improvement of his repertoire. Almost all other professional guitarists at that time played nothing but their own compositions. Nopoleon Coste, one of Sor's pupils made a few arrangements for the guitar of music written for other instruments, but Tarrega went much further. He transcribed works by Schumann, Chopin, Beethoven, Bach and may other great composers. He arranged a Canzonetta written by mendelssohn for a string quartet, so that it could be played on one guitar. Tarrega also transcribed the works of several contemporary composers. He was especially successful with piano solos by Granados and Albeniz. It is said that Albeniz, on hearing Tarrega play one of his piano solos on the guitar, declare that he preferred the guitar version to his original piano version.
Francisco Tarrega has often been called the founder of the Modern Guitar School, a title well earned, although he did advocate the right hand 'no nail' technique, a techique which is today not advocated by most of the world's foremost guitarists. A man of great modesty and humbleness, Francisco Tarrega maintained his intense devotion to the guitar and music throughout his life. He died of apoplexy in 1909 at the age of 55.
Compositions Francisco Tarrega :
- Capricho árabe (Arab Capriccio)
- La alborada (Aubade)
- Gran jota (Great Jota)
- Tango
- El columpio (The Swing)
- María (Maria)
- Marieta (Marieta)
- Adelita (Adelita)
- Rosita (Rosita)
- Gran vals (Great Valse/Nokia Tune)
- Danza odalisca (Odalisque Dance)
- Pavana (Pavane)
- Paquito (Paquito)
- Pepita (Pepita)
- Danza mora (Moor Dance)
- Valse en re (Valse in D)
- Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories from La Alhambra)
- Mazurca en sol (Mazurka in G)
- Minueto (Minuet)
- Estudio sobre una sonatina de Alard (Study on a Sonatina by Alard)
- Isabel (Isabel)
- La mariposa (The Butterfly)
- Estudio sobre un estudio de Cramer (Study on a Study by Cramer)
- Sueño-mazurca (Dream-Mazurka)
- Las dos hermanas (The Two Sisters)
- Variaciones sobre El Carnaval de Venecia de Paganini (Variations on Paganini's The Carnival of Venice)
- Preludio en re (Prelude in D)
- Preludio en mi (Prelude in E)
- Preludio en la menor (Prelude in A minor)
- Preludio en sol (Prelude in G)
- Preludio en mi (Prelude in E)
- Preludio en re (Prelude in D)
- Preludio en sol (Prelude in G)
- Preludio en la menor (Prelude in A minor)
- Lágrima (Tear)
- Preludio en re menor (Prelude in D minor)
- Preludio en la (Prelude in A)
- Preludio en la (Prelude in A)
- Preludio en si menor (Prelude in B minor)
- Preludio en mi (Prelude in E)
- Preludio en fa sostenido menor (Prelude in F sharp minor)
- Preludio en re (Prelude in D)
- Endecha (Planh|Endecha)
- Oremus (Oremus)
- Preludio en la (Prelude in A)
- Preludio en do (Prelude in C)
- Preludio en mi menor (Prelude in E minor)
- Preludio en la (Prelude in A)
- Preludio en la menor (Prelude in A minor)
- Preludio en la (Prelude in A)
- Preludio en la menor sobre Tres piezas cortas, no. 2, de Schumann (Prelude in A minor about Three Short Pieces, no. 2, by Schumann)
- Estudio en forma de minueto (Study in the Shape of a Minuet)
- Estudio sobre un tema de damas (Study on a Feminine Issue)
- Sueño (trémolo) (Dream (Tremolo))
- Estudio en sol (Study in G)
- Estudio sobre una sonatina de Prudend (Study on a Sonatina by Prudend)
- Estudio de velocidad (Speed Study)
- La Etide (mi bemol) (La Etide (E flat))
- Mazurca sobre un tema anónimo español (Mazurka on an Anonymous Spanish Theme)
- Transcription of Barcarola veneziana, No. 1, de Mendelssohn (Transcription of Mendelssohn's Venetian Boat Song)
- Fantasía sobre La Traviata de Verdi (Fantasy on Verdi's La Traviata)
