Andrés Segovia (1962)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (21 February 1893 – 2 June 1987) was a Spanish virtuoso classical guitarist. Many professional classical guitarists were students of Segovia or their students. Segovia's contribution to the modern-romantic repertoire included not only commissions but also his own transcriptions of classical or baroque works. He is remembered for his expressive performances: his wide palette of tone, and his distinctive musical personality, phrasing and style.


Early life

Segovia was born on 21 February 1893 in
Linares, Jaén Linares (; ) is a city located in the Andalusian province of Jaén, Spain. It is considered the second-most important city in that province and had a population of 56,525 in the most recent census (2021). The altitude is and the total area of ...
. He was sent at a very young age to live with his uncle Eduardo and aunt María. Eduardo arranged for Segovia's first music lessons with a violin teacher after he had recognised that Segovia had an aptitude for music. That proved to be an unhappy introduction to music for the young Segovia because of the teacher's strict methods, and Eduardo stopped the lessons. His uncle decided to move to
Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...
to allow Segovia to obtain a better education. After arriving in Granada, Segovia recommenced his musical studies. Segovia was aware of
flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
during his formative years as a musician but stated that he "did not have a taste" for the form and chose instead the works of
Fernando Sor Fernando Sor (bapt. 14 Feb. 1778, died 10 July 1839) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer of the Romantic music, Early Romantic era. Best known for writing solo classical guitar music, he also composed an opera (at the age of 19), thr ...
,
Francisco Tárrega Francisco de Asís Tárrega Eixea (21 November 185215 December 1909) was a Spanish composer and classical guitarist of the late Romantic period. He is known for such pieces as Capricho Árabe and ''Recuerdos de la Alhambra''. He is often called ...
, and other classical composers. Tárrega agreed to give the self-taught Segovia some lessons but died before they could meet, and Segovia states that his early musical education involved the "double function of professor and pupil in the same body".


Career

Segovia's first public performance was in Granada at the age of 16 in 1909. A few years later he played his first professional concert in
Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
, which included works by
Francisco Tárrega Francisco de Asís Tárrega Eixea (21 November 185215 December 1909) was a Spanish composer and classical guitarist of the late Romantic period. He is known for such pieces as Capricho Árabe and ''Recuerdos de la Alhambra''. He is often called ...
and his own guitar transcriptions of
Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
. Despite the discouragement of his family, who wanted him to become a lawyer, and criticism by some of Tárrega's pupils for his idiosyncratic technique, he continued to pursue his studies of the guitar diligently. He played again in Madrid in 1912, at the
Paris Conservatory The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...
in 1915 and in
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
in 1916 and made a successful tour of South America in 1919. Segovia's arrival on the international stage coincided with a time when the guitar's fortunes as a concert instrument were being revived, largely through the efforts of
Miguel Llobet Miguel Llobet Solés (18 October 187822 February 1938) was a classical guitarist, born in Barcelona, Spain. Llobet was a renowned virtuoso who toured Europe and America extensively. He made well known arrangements of Catalan folk songs for the ...
. It was in that changing milieu that Segovia, thanks to his strength of personality and artistry, coupled with developments in recording and broadcasting, succeeded in making the guitar more popular again. In 1921 in Paris, Segovia met
Alexandre Tansman Alexander Tansman ( pl, Aleksander Tansman, link=no, French: Alexandre Tansman; 12 June 1897 – 15 November 1986) was a Polish composer, pianist and conductor who became a naturalized French citizen in 1938. One of the earliest representatives of ...
, who later wrote a number of guitar works for Segovia, among them Cavatina, which won a prize at the Siena International Composition contest in 1952. In 1921, he also met
Agustín Barrios Agustín Pío Barrios (also known as Agustín Barrios Mangoré and Nitsuga—Agustin spelled backward—Mangoré; May 5, 1885 – August 7, 1944) was a Paraguayan virtuoso classical guitarist and composer, largely regarded as one of the greatest p ...
in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Segovia was impressed by Barrios' Bach-inspired and arguably
magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...
''La Catedral''. At Granada in 1922, he became associated with the
Concurso de Cante Jondo El Concurso del Cante Jondo (Contest of the Deep Song) was a fiesta of flamenco arts, music, song, and dance, held in Granada in 1922. Conceived and initiated by composer Manuel de Falla, it enjoyed early and strong support from the poet Federico ...
, promoted by the Spanish composer
Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was an Andalusian Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first hal ...
. The aim of the "classicising" ''Concurso'' was to preserve
flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
in its purity from being distorted by modern popular music. Segovia had already developed as a fine ''tocador'' of
flamenco guitar A flamenco guitar is a guitar similar to a classical guitar but with thinner tops and less internal bracing. It usually has nylon strings, like the classical guitar, but it generally possesses a livelier, more gritty sound compared to the clas ...
, yet his direction was now classical. Invited to open the ''Concurso'' held at the
Alhambra The Alhambra (, ; ar, الْحَمْرَاء, Al-Ḥamrāʾ, , ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the ...
, he played ''Homenaje a Debussy'' by Falla. In 1923, Segovia visited Mexico for the first time. There
Manuel Ponce Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar (8 December 1882 – 24 April 1948) was a Mexican composer active in the 20th century. His work as a composer, music educator and scholar of Mexican music connected the concert scene with a mostly forgotten traditio ...
was so impressed with the concert that he wrote a review in '' El Universal''. Later Ponce went on to write many works for Segovia, including numerous sonatas. In 1924, Segovia, visited the German
luthier A luthier ( ; AmE also ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers o ...
Hermann Hauser Sr. Hermann Hauser Sr. (born in Erding, 28 December 1882–died Reisbach, 28 October 1952) was a German luthier. He worked in Munich and later in the Bavarian Reisbach. Guitar models by Hermann Hauser Sr. included the Vienna Model and the Munich Mode ...
after Segovia heard some of Hauser's instruments played in a concert in Munich. In 1928, Hauser provided Segovia with one of the guitars, which Segovia used during his tour of the United States and in other concerts up to 1933. Segovia ordered a further guitar from Hauser and after receiving it passed on the 1928 model to his American representative and close friend
Sophocles Papas Sophocles Papas (1893 or 1894 – 26 February 1986) was a Greek classical guitar pedagogue and music publisher. Early life Papas was born in Sopik, Ottoman Empire. He was exposed to classical music at an early age by his father, who was a church ...
, who in his turn gave it to his student, the famous jazz and classical guitarist
Charlie Byrd Charlie Lee Byrd (September 16, 1925 – December 2, 1999) was an American jazz guitarist. Byrd was best known for his association with Brazilian music, especially bossa nova. In 1962, he collaborated with Stan Getz on the album '' Jazz Samba' ...
, who used it on several records. Segovia's first American tour was arranged in 1928 when
Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, and regarded as one of the greatest violinists of all time, he was known ...
, the
Viennese Viennese may refer to: * Vienna, the capital of Austria * Viennese people, List of people from Vienna * Viennese German, the German dialect spoken in Vienna * Music of Vienna, musical styles in the city * Viennese Waltz, genre of ballroom dance * V ...
violinist who privately played the guitar, persuaded Francis Charles Coppicus from the Metropolitan Musical Bureau to present the guitarist in New York. After Segovia's debut tour in the US in 1928 the Brazilian composer
Heitor Villa-Lobos Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5, 1887November 17, 1959) was a Brazilian composer, conductor, cellist, and classical guitarist described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has become the ...
composed his now well-known Twelve Études (Portuguese: ''Doze estudos''; French: ''Douze études''; German: ''Zwölf Studien'') and later dedicated them to Segovia. Their relationship proved to be lasting, and Villa-Lobos continued to write for Segovia. He also transcribed numerous classical pieces himself and revived the pieces transcribed by predecessors like Tárrega. In 1932, Segovia met and befriended the composer
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (3 April 1895 – 16 March 1968) was an Italian composer, pianist and writer. He was known as one of the foremost guitar composers in the twentieth century with almost one hundred compositions for that instrument. In ...
in Venice. Since Castelnuovo-Tedesco did not play the guitar, Segovia provided him with guitar compositions (Ponce's ''Folias'' variations and Sor's ''Mozart Variations''), which he could study. Castelnuovo-Tedesco composed a large number of works for the guitar, many of them dedicated to Segovia. The Concerto Op. 99 of 1939 was the first guitar concerto of the 20th century and Castelnuovo-Tedesco's last work in Italy, before he emigrated to the United States. It was premiered by Segovia in Uruguay in 1939. In 1935, he gave his first public performance of Bach's ''
Chaconne A chaconne (; ; es, chacona, links=no; it, ciaccona, links=no, ; earlier English: ''chacony'') is a type of musical composition often used as a vehicle for variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short rep ...
'', a difficult piece for any instrument. He moved to
Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
and performed many concerts in South America in the 1930s and the early 1940s. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Segovia began to record more frequently and performed regular tours of Europe and America and would maintain that schedule for 30 years. In 1954,
Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez (; 22 November 1901 – 6 July 1999), was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist. He is best known for composing the ''Concierto de Aranjuez'', a cornerstone of the classical gui ...
dedicated ''
Fantasía para un gentilhombre ''Fantasía para un gentilhombre'' (''Fantasia for a Gentleman'') is a concerto for guitar and orchestra by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. The concerto is Rodrigo's most popular work after the famous ''Concierto de Aranjuez''. The four m ...
'' (''Fantasy for a Gentleman'') to Segovia. Segovia won the 1958
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for Best Classical Performance, Instrumentalist for his recording ''Segovia Golden Jubilee''.
John W. Duarte John William Duarte (2 October 1919 – 23 December 2004) was a British composer, guitarist and writer. Duarte was born in Sheffield, England, but lived in Manchester from the age of six months. Career Duarte was educated at Manchester Central ...
dedicated his English Suite Op. 31 to Segovia and his wife, Emilia Magdalena del Corral Sancho, on the occasion of their marriage in 1962. Segovia told the composer "You will be astonished at the success it will have". In recognition of his contributions to music and the arts, Segovia was ennobled on 24 June 1981 by King
Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...
, who gave Segovia the hereditary title of ''Marqués de
Salobreña Salobreña (, < Phoenician ''Salambina Salawbiniya'') is a town on the '''' in
'' (English: Marquis of Salobreña) in the nobility of Spain. Segovia continued performing into his old age, and lived in semi-retirement during his seventies and eighties on the
Costa del Sol The Costa del Sol (literally "Coast of the Sun" or "Sun Coast") is a region in the south of Spain in the autonomous community of Andalusia, comprising the coastal towns and communities along the coastline of the Province of Málaga and the easte ...
. Two films were made of his life and work, one when he was 75 and the other when he was 84. They are available on DVD under the titles ''Andrés Segovia—in Portrait''. His final RCA LP (ARL1-1602), ''Reveries'', was recorded in Madrid in June 1977. In 1984, Segovia was the subject of a 13-part series broadcast on
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
, ''Segovia!'' The series was recorded on location in Spain, France and the United States and was osted by Oscar Brand the series was produced by Jim Anderson, Robert Malesky and Larry Snitzler. Segovia died on 2 June 1987 in Madrid of a heart attack at the age of 94. He is buried at Casa Museo Andrés Segovia in Linares.


Technique

The right hand is responsible for the guitar's musical sound and so in examining the technique, the way the right hand is placed in relation to the strings is most important. For several years, it was thought among the guitar community that Segovia plucked the strings with a combination of fingertip and nail, as stated by
Christopher Parkening Christopher William Parkening (born December 14, 1947) is an American classical guitarist. He holds the Chair of Classical Guitar at Pepperdine University under the title Distinguished Professor of Music. Biography Parkening was born in Los Angel ...
, but Segovia plucked the strings only with the nails. When asked which technique he used, he replied that it was "the only one there is: nails. Because they bring timbre differences and colour variation and give sonorous volume to the guitar." His right hand was placed so that the nails were perpendicular to the strings. That way, the nail alone would press the string. At the same time, it was thought that was the only way to avoid unpleasant noise coming from the low strings (E, A and D) of the guitar when they were plucked. Segovia created a strong bass sound with his right thumb in spite of his technique, largely because of the flexibility that he had in his thumb, which helped to create a very strong and voluminous sound in the bass notes. Another innovation that separated Segovia from the Tarrega school was the search for the tension in the strings by placing his right hand further to the right side. That way, he could obtain colour variation but also an especially strong, round and voluminous sound, which was very helpful for giving concerts in big halls (the technique was later used by
Narciso Yepes Narciso Yepes (14 November 19273 May 1997) was a Spanish guitarist. He is considered one of the finest virtuoso classical guitarists of the twentieth century. Biography Yepes was born into a family of humble origin in Lorca, Region of Murcia. ...
). Before Segovia, guitarists from the Tarrega school played the guitar with the hand right over the soundhole and thus created a mellow sound but could not fill the whole space of a large concert hall. After World War II, Segovia became among the first to endorse nylon
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
, instead of
catgut Catgut (also known as gut) is a type of cord that is prepared from the natural fiber found in the walls of animal Gut (anatomy), intestines. Catgut makers usually use sheep or goat intestines, but occasionally use the intestines of cattle, Domest ...
strings. That advance allowed for greater tonal stability and was the final ingredient in the standardization of the instrument.


Repertoire

Segovia's repertoire consisted of three principal pillars: first, contemporary works, including concertos and sonatas, usually specifically written for Segovia himself by composers with whom he forged working relationships, notably
Federico Moreno Torroba Federico Moreno Torroba (3 March 189112 September 1982) was a Spanish composer, conductor, and theatrical impresario. He is especially remembered for his important contributions to the classical guitar repertoire, becoming one of the leading twen ...
,
Federico Mompou Frederic Mompou Dencausse (; alternatively Federico Mompou; 16 April 189330 June 1987) was a Spanish and Catalan composer and pianist. He is remembered for his solo piano music and songs. Life Early years Mompou was born in Barcelona to the ...
, and
Joaquín Rodrigo Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre, 1st Marquess of the Gardens of Aranjuez (; 22 November 1901 – 6 July 1999), was a Spanish composer and a virtuoso pianist. He is best known for composing the ''Concierto de Aranjuez'', a cornerstone of the classical gui ...
, the Mexican composer
Manuel Ponce Manuel María Ponce Cuéllar (8 December 1882 – 24 April 1948) was a Mexican composer active in the 20th century. His work as a composer, music educator and scholar of Mexican music connected the concert scene with a mostly forgotten traditio ...
, the Italian composer
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (3 April 1895 – 16 March 1968) was an Italian composer, pianist and writer. He was known as one of the foremost guitar composers in the twentieth century with almost one hundred compositions for that instrument. In ...
, and the great Brazilian composer
Heitor Villa-Lobos Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5, 1887November 17, 1959) was a Brazilian composer, conductor, cellist, and classical guitarist described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has become the ...
; second, transcriptions, usually made by Segovia himself, of classical works originally written for other instruments (e.g., lute, harpsichord, piano, violin, cello) by
Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
,
Isaac Albéniz Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual (; 29 May 1860 – 18 May 1909) was a Spanish virtuoso pianist, composer, and conductor. He is one of the foremost composers of the Post-Romantic era who also had a significant influence on his conte ...
,
Enrique Granados Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados y Campiña (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916), commonly known as Enric Granados in Catalan or Enrique Granados in Spanish, was a composer of classical music, and concert pianist from Catalonia, Spain. ...
, and many other prominent composers; third, traditional classical guitar works by composers such as
Fernando Sor Fernando Sor (bapt. 14 Feb. 1778, died 10 July 1839) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer of the Romantic music, Early Romantic era. Best known for writing solo classical guitar music, he also composed an opera (at the age of 19), thr ...
and
Francisco Tárrega Francisco de Asís Tárrega Eixea (21 November 185215 December 1909) was a Spanish composer and classical guitarist of the late Romantic period. He is known for such pieces as Capricho Árabe and ''Recuerdos de la Alhambra''. He is often called ...
. Segovia's influence enlarged the repertoire, mainly as a commissioner or dedicatee of new works, as a transcriber, and as a composer with such works as his ''Estudio sin luz''. Segovia's main musical aesthetic preferences were music of the early 20th century (and turn of the century) especially in the Spanish romantic-modern and nationalist style. That is perhaps best typified by Segovia's own work ''Estudio sin Luz''. Many works of that and similar styles were written especially for him and formed part of his core repertoire: particularly the guitar works of
Federico Moreno Torroba Federico Moreno Torroba (3 March 189112 September 1982) was a Spanish composer, conductor, and theatrical impresario. He is especially remembered for his important contributions to the classical guitar repertoire, becoming one of the leading twen ...
(1891–1982), such as the ''Sonatina'', which was first performed by Segovia in Paris in 1925. Segovia was selective and performed only works with which he identified personally. He was known to reject atonal works or those that he considered too radical even if they were dedicated to him; he rejected Frank Martin's ''Quatre pièces brèves'',
Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...
's ''Segoviana'', etc. Even though rejected by Segovia, all of those works are today published and available.


Teaching

Segovia viewed teaching as vital to his mission of propagating the guitar and gave master classes throughout his career. His most famous master classes took place at ''
Música en Compostela ''Música en Compostela'' (Music in Compostela) is an annual summer course in music performance and composition held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It was founded by the Spanish guitarist Andrés Segovia and the diplomat José Miguel Ruiz Morale ...
'', in the Spanish city of
Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...
. Segovia also taught at the
Accademia Musicale Chigiana The Accademia Musicale Chigiana (''English'': Chigiana Musical Academy) is a music institute in Siena, Italy. It was founded by Count Guido Chigi-Saracini in 1932 as an international centre for advanced musical studies. It organises Master Classe ...
in
Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...
for numerous years, where he was aided by
Alirio Díaz __NOTOC__ Alirio Díaz (12 November 19235 July 2016) was a Venezuelan classical guitarist and composer, considered one of the most prominent composer-guitarists of South America and an eminent musician. He studied with Andrés Segovia, and gave ...
. Later it was
Oscar Ghiglia Oscar Alberto Ghiglia (born 13 August 1938) is an Italian classical guitarist. Biography Early years Born in Livorno to an artistic family – his father and grandfather were both famed painters, his mother an accomplished pianist – Oscar Ghig ...
who continued the Siena class. His teaching style is a source of controversy among some of his former students, who considered it to be dogmatically authoritarian. One of Segovia's most celebrated former students of the classical guitar,
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
, has said that Segovia bullied students into playing only his style and stifled the development of their own styles. Williams has also said that Segovia was dismissive of music that did not have what Segovia considered the correct classical origins, such as South American music with popular roots. He was also critical of Williams' work with the group
Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...
for the same reasons.


Legacy

Segovia can be considered a catalytic figure in granting respectability to the guitar as a serious concert instrument capable of evocativeness and depth of interpretation.
Federico Moreno Torroba Federico Moreno Torroba (3 March 189112 September 1982) was a Spanish composer, conductor, and theatrical impresario. He is especially remembered for his important contributions to the classical guitar repertoire, becoming one of the leading twen ...
said, "The musical interpreter who fascinates me the most is Andrés Segovia." He can be credited to have dignified the classical guitar as a legitimate concert instrument before the discerning music public, which had hitherto viewed the guitar merely as a limited if sonorous parlour instrument. In Linares, the Segovia Museum "Fundación Andrés Segovia" was established in May 1995, and Linares (Segovia's birthplace) also has a bronze statue in his honour, created by Julio López Hernández and unveiled on 25 May 1984. Segovia influenced a generation of classical guitarists who built on his technique and musical sensibility, including
Christopher Parkening Christopher William Parkening (born December 14, 1947) is an American classical guitarist. He holds the Chair of Classical Guitar at Pepperdine University under the title Distinguished Professor of Music. Biography Parkening was born in Los Angel ...
,
Julian Bream Julian Alexander Bream (15 July 193314 August 2020) was an English classical guitarist and lutenist. Regarded as one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century, he played a significant role in improving the public per ...
,
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...
and
Oscar Ghiglia Oscar Alberto Ghiglia (born 13 August 1938) is an Italian classical guitarist. Biography Early years Born in Livorno to an artistic family – his father and grandfather were both famed painters, his mother an accomplished pianist – Oscar Ghig ...
, all of whom have acknowledged their debt to him. Further, Segovia left behind a large body of edited works and transcriptions for classical guitar, including several transcriptions of Bach, particularly an extraordinarily-demanding classical guitar transcription of the
Chaconne A chaconne (; ; es, chacona, links=no; it, ciaccona, links=no, ; earlier English: ''chacony'') is a type of musical composition often used as a vehicle for variation on a repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short rep ...
from the 2nd Partita for Violin (BWV 1004). During his lifetime, guitarists were eager to claim association with Segovia, who suggested that he had not actually taught as many students as has been claimed. He once said, "All over the world I have 'pupils' I have never met." His editions of works originally written for guitar include newly-fingered and occasionally-revised versions of works from the standard repertoire (most famously, his edition of a selection of twenty ''estudios'' by
Fernando Sor Fernando Sor (bapt. 14 Feb. 1778, died 10 July 1839) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer of the Romantic music, Early Romantic era. Best known for writing solo classical guitar music, he also composed an opera (at the age of 19), thr ...
, the "cornerstone" of every serious student's technique since its publication in 1945 although somewhat ironically, Segovia, in the preface to that work, disparaged Sor as "not among the vigorous talents") as well as compositions written for him, including by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Federico Mompou, and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Many of the latter had been edited by Segovia, working in collaboration with the composer, before they were first published. Because of Segovia's predilection for altering the musical content of his editions to reflect his interpretive preferences, many of today's guitarists prefer to examine the original manuscripts or newer publications based on the original manuscripts to compare them with Segovia's published versions to accept or reject Segovia's editorial decisions. Segovia was one of those to whom homage was paid in the 1978 song by
Ian Dury Ian Robins Dury (12 May 1942 27 March 2000) was a British singer, songwriter and actor who rose to fame during the late 1970s, during the punk and new wave era of rock music. He was the lead singer and lyricist of Ian Dury and the Blockheads an ...
and
The Blockheads The Blockheads are an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Originally fronted by lead singer Ian Dury as Ian Dury and the Blockheads or Ian and the Blockheads, the band has continued to perform since Dury's death in 2000. Current members ...
"There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards." Influential rock entertainer
Johnny Thunders John Anthony Genzale (July 15, 1952 – April 23, 1991), known professionally as Johnny Thunders, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence in the early 1970s as a member of the New York Dolls. He later played with ...
included a guitar instrumental titled "Illegitimate Son of Segovia" in his album '' Hurt me''.


Namings

* The main-belt asteroid 3822 Segovia was named in his memory in 1989. * A competition co-sponsored by the European Guitar Teachers Association is named after Segovia.


Awards

Segovia was awarded many prizes and honours, including doctorates ''
honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
'', from ten universities. On 24 June 1981, he was ennobled by King
Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...
, who gave Segovia the hereditary title of ''Marqués de
Salobreña Salobreña (, < Phoenician ''Salambina Salawbiniya'') is a town on the '''' in
'' (English: Marquis of Salobreña) in the nobility of Spain in recognition of his contributions to music and the arts. He received the Danish Sonning Award in 1974, the
Ernst von Siemens Music Prize The Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (short: Siemens Music Prize, german: link=no, Ernst von Siemens Musikpreis) is an annual music prize given by the Bayerische Akademie der Schönen Künste (Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts) on behalf of the Ernst v ...
in 1985, and a
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy to "performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording." ...
in 1986.


Personal life

Segovia's first wife was Adelaida Portillo (marriage in 1918). Segovia's second wife (marriage in 1935) was the pianist
Paquita Madriguera Francisca "Paquita" Madriguera Rodon (15 September 1900 — 2 November 1965) was a Catalan pianist and composer, based for much of her adult life in Uruguay. Early life Francisca Madriguera was born in Igualada, Barcelona, the daughter of Enric ...
, who also made some piano roll recordings. From 1944, he maintained a romantic relationship with Brazilian singer and guitarist Olga Praguer Coelho, which was to last for over a decade. In 1962 Segovia married Emilia Magdalena Corral Sancho. They had one son, Carlos Andrés Segovia, the current Marquis of Salobreña.


Partial discography

* ''Guitar Solos'' – Decca, 1949. * ''An Evening With Andres Segovia'' – Decca, 1954 (
Grammy Hall of Fame Award The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...
1999). * ''Golden Jubilee'', 2 volumi – Brunswick, 1958–60 (
Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra) The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra) was awarded from 1959 to 2011. From 1967 to 1971, and in 1987, the award was combined with the award for Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra) and aw ...
1958). * ''Ingterpreta: Granados, Albéniz, Scarlatti, Paganini'' – Deutsche Grammophon, 1961. * ''Segovia plays Bach'' – Saga, 1969. * ''Castles of Spain'' – Decca, 1970. * ''El arte de Andrés Segovia'' – MCA, 1970. * ''Fantasia para un Gentilhombre'' – MCA, 1972. * ''Recital intimo'' – Intercord, 1975. * ''The Segovia Collection'', 8 volumi – MCA, 1989–91 ** Vol. 1: ''The Legendary Andrés Segovia in an All-Bach Program'' ** Vol. 2: ''The Legendary Andrés Segovia plays "Fantasia para un Gentilhombre", "Concierto del Sur", "Castles of Spain"'' ** Vol. 3: ''The Legendary Andrés Segovia: my Favorite Works'' ** Vol. 4: ''The Legendary Andrés Segovia: The Baroque Guitar'' ** Vol. 5: ''The Legendary Andrés Segovia: five centuries of the Spanish Guitar'' ** Vol. 6: ''The Legendary Andrés Segovia: Ponce sonatas'' ** Vol. 7: ''The Legendary Andrés Segovia: Guitar etudes'' ** Vol. 8: ''The Legendary Andrés Segovia: Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco'' * ''The complete 1949 London Recordings'' – Testament, 1994. * ''The complete Early Recordings (1927–1939)'' – Fono Enterprise, 1997. * ''The Art of Segovia'' – Deutsche Grammophon, 2002. * ''The Segovia Collection'', 4 volumi – Deutsche Grammophon, 2003. ** Vol. 1: ''Rodrigo, Boccherini, Ponce'' ** Vol. 2: ''Rodrigo, Ponce, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Torroba, Mompou'' ** Vol. 3: ''Albeniz, Granados, Sanz, Sor'' ** Vol. 4: ''Johann Sebastian Bach'' * ''Andres Segovia: 1950s American Recordings'' – Naxos, 2007. * ''Ponce: "Concierto del Sur". Rodrigo: "Fantasia para un Gentilhombre"'' – Naxos, 2012. *'' Segovia – Guitar Music'', compositions by Segovia performed by Alberto La Rocca – CD Brilliant Classics, 2016. Contains: ''11 Preludios'', ''Estudio en mi mayor'', ''Estudio para Deli'', ''Recordando a Deli'', ''Estudios'', ''Estudio-Vals'', ''Estudio sin luz'', ''Improntu'', ''Two Pieces'', ''Veintitrés canciones populares de distintos paìses''.


Compositions

* ''Estudio en mi mayor'' (1921) * ''Estudio para Deli'' (1938) * ''Estudio sin luz'' (1954) * ''Estudio-Vals'' (1960) * ''Recordando a Deli - Estudio para sus deditos inteligentes'' (1960) * ''Impromptu'' * ''Estudios ("Daily Studies")'': ** I. Oraciòn ** II. Remembranza * ''Two Pieces'': ** I. Estudio ** II. Humorada (composed by Paquita Madriguera) * ''Preludios'' ** ''Preludio n. 1'' ** ''Preludio n. 2 - Fatiga'' ** ''Preludio n. 3 - Leòn'' ** ''Preludio n. 4'' ** ''Preludio n. 5 - Preludio a Deli'' ** ''Preludio n. 6 - Preludio en si menor'' (1959) ** ''Preludio n. 7 - Preludio madrileño'' (1936) ** ''Preludio n. 8 - Preludio sobre un tema de Aparicio Méndez'' (1962) ** ''Preludio n. 9'' ** ''Preludio n. 10'' ** ''Preludio n. 11 - Vara'' (1950) * ''3 Preludios'' * ''Prelude in Chords'' * ''Preludio (a Vladimir Bobri)'' * ''Veintitrés canciones populares de distintos paìses'' (1941): ** 1 - ''Inglesa'' ** 2 - ''Escocesa'' ** 3 - ''Irlandesa'' ** 4 - ''Rusa'' ** 5 - ''Rusa'' ** 6 - ''Tscheca'' ** 7 - ''Polaca'' ** 8 - ''Polaca'' ** 9 - ''Finlandesa'' ** 10 - ''Finlandesa'' ** 11 - ''Serbia'' ** 12 - ''Serbia'' ** 13 - ''Croata'' ** 14 - ''Croata'' ** 15 - ''Eslovania'' ** 16 - ''Sueca'' ** 17 - ''Bretona'' ** 18 - ''Vasca'' ** 19 - ''Catalana'' ** 20 - ''Catalana'' ** 21 - ''Catalana'' ** 22 - ''Francesa'' ** 23 - ''Catalana'' * ''5 Anécdotas'': ** 1. ''Allegretto'' ** 2. ''Allegro moderato con grazia'' ** 3. ''Lento malinconico'' ** 4. ''Molto tranquillo'' ** 5. ''Allegretto vivo'' * ''Neblina'' * ''Macarena'' * ''Fandango de la madrugada'' (1945) * ''For Carl Sandburg'' * ''Tonadilla'' * ''Allegro (Para Doña Paz Armesto di Quiroga)'' * ''Four Easy Lessons'' * ''Lessons Nos. 11 & 12'' * ''Divertimento'' (for two guitars)


Students

Segovia had several notable students throughout his career: *
Lily Afshar ''Lilium'' () is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. M ...
*
Liona Boyd Liona Maria Carolynne Boyd, (born 11 July 1949) is a classical guitarist often referred to as the First Lady of the Guitar. Music career Early years Boyd was born in London and grew up in Toronto. Her father grew up in Bilbao, Spain, and her ...
*
Julian Bream Julian Alexander Bream (15 July 193314 August 2020) was an English classical guitarist and lutenist. Regarded as one of the most distinguished classical guitarists of the 20th century, he played a significant role in improving the public per ...
*
Charlie Byrd Charlie Lee Byrd (September 16, 1925 – December 2, 1999) was an American jazz guitarist. Byrd was best known for his association with Brazilian music, especially bossa nova. In 1962, he collaborated with Stan Getz on the album '' Jazz Samba' ...
*
Abel Carlevaro Abel Carlevaro (16 December 1916 – 17 July 2001) was a classical guitar composer and teacher born in Montevideo, Uruguay. He established a new school of instrumental technique, incorporating a fresh approach to seating and playing the guitar, ...
* Michael Chapdelaine *
Charo María Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza, professionally known by her stage name Charo, is a Spanish-American actress, singer, comedian, and flamenco guitarist. Charo began playing guitar at the age of nine and trained under the famed A ...
*
Alirio Díaz __NOTOC__ Alirio Díaz (12 November 19235 July 2016) was a Venezuelan classical guitarist and composer, considered one of the most prominent composer-guitarists of South America and an eminent musician. He studied with Andrés Segovia, and gave ...
*
Eliot Fisk Eliot Hamilton Fisk (born August 10, 1954) is an American classical guitarist. Music career Education and teaching Fisk was born into a Quaker family in Philadelphia. He finished high school in DeWitt, New York, and then studied music at Yale Un ...
*
Oscar Ghiglia Oscar Alberto Ghiglia (born 13 August 1938) is an Italian classical guitarist. Biography Early years Born in Livorno to an artistic family – his father and grandfather were both famed painters, his mother an accomplished pianist – Oscar Ghig ...
*
Adam Holzman (guitarist) Adam Holzman (born 1960 in New York City) is a classical guitarist. He is Professor of Guitar at the University of Texas at Austin and is the Parker C. Fielder Regents Professor in Music. Formerly he was associate professor at the University of ...
*
Michael Laucke Michael Laucke (; 29 January 1947 – 2 December 2021) was a Canadian classical, new flamenco and flamenco guitarist and composer. Starting at the age of thirteen, Laucke gave professional snooker demonstrations and his winnings allowed him t ...
* Antonio Membrado *
Christopher Parkening Christopher William Parkening (born December 14, 1947) is an American classical guitarist. He holds the Chair of Classical Guitar at Pepperdine University under the title Distinguished Professor of Music. Biography Parkening was born in Los Angel ...
* George Sakellariou (guitarist) *
John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...


See also

*
Michele Pittaluga International Classical Guitar Competition The "Michele Pittaluga" International Classical Guitar Competition is an annual music competition for classical guitarists held in Alessandria, Italy. It was founded in 1968 and has earned an international reputation, entering membership of the ...
, founded with his support


Notes


References


Bibliography

* Alberto López Poveda
Andrés Segovia – Vida y Obra
(2010; Tome1: 864 pages; Tome2: 408 pages)
2
), 2009 * Alfredo Escande

– La vida de Segovia en Montevideo
The Segovia-Ponce Letters


(2005) * Graham Wade: Traditions of the Classical Guitar(John Calder, London, 1980) * Graham Wade: Segovia – A Celebration of the Man and his Music (Allison & Busby, London, 1983) * Graham Wade: Maestro Segovia (Robson, London, 1986) * Graham Wade and Gerard Garno: A New Look at Segovia, His Life, His Music, Volumes 1 & 2 (Mel Bay Publications Inc., Pacific, Missouri, 1997) * Graham Wade: A Concise History of the Classic Guitar (Mel Bay Publications Inc., Pacific, Missouri, 2001) * Machilis, Joseph. The Enjoyment of Music: An Introduction to Perceptive Listening. New York: W.W Norton and Company, 1977, Pages 107–109.


External links


Andrés Segovia Foundation

Andrés Segovia
by Mark Small (Acoustic Guitar, November 2010) *

*

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.

*

by Antonio Iglesias (Boletín de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Segundo semestre de 1992. Número 75.


In Memory of Andres Segovia
by Vasilios Avraam (Guitarramagazine.com) *
Biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...
by Joseph Stevenson (
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
) * (In Greek
A Tribute to Andres Segovia by TaR online magazine
(19 articles) {{DEFAULTSORT:Segovia, Andres 1893 births 1987 deaths 20th-century composers 20th-century Spanish musicians Musicians from Andalusia Composers for the classical guitar Ernst von Siemens Music Prize winners Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners Marquesses of Spain Recipients of the Léonie Sonning Music Prize Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medallists Spanish classical guitarists Spanish male guitarists 20th-century guitarists 20th-century Spanish male musicians Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in Uruguay