Week 4: Spain in 19th ! 
Welcome to the Main Thread for the second week of the "Around the 19th Century Guitar World" challenge!
In the beginning of the 19th century the prevailing compositional style in Spain was similar to other places in Southern Europe. Over the course of the next hundred years through influential figures such as Aguado, Ferrer, and Tarrega, Spanish classical guitar will develop it’s own unique voice that will become the dominant style of classical guitar in the 20th century.
↓ Happy Sharing! ↓
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Just another example of transcribing mastery of Tarrega coupled with genius of Mendelssohn. Not sure I gave this beautiful gem a performance it deserves.
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joosje Thanks for your kind words, Joosie! I intentionally exclude the harmonics in beginning because I want the sound to reach the back row of our huge concert hall audience, haha.
I believe your wonderful submission in the Tarrega challenge left a lasting impression (thank you!!) on me, and somehow reminded me now of this great piece I knew from decades ago.
Interesting comment about your history hearing the piece. I appreciate you sharing this story.
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks Blaise! I always value your opinion and advice. You are a great player and musician!
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Barney always my pleasure to listen to your performances as you're also a great player and musician!
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Blaise Laflamme Thanks again , man!
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Barney A little late Barney (I've not been as active on the platform as I would have liked this last few weeks) but that was wonderful, I really enjoyed listening to it. The balance was excellent.
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Derek Thanks Derek! I appreciate you listening to it. I have not been as active either , as I would like due to life stuff, but we do what we can. No worries...
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Okay, well, I'd better put SOMETHING out there for crying out loud!
This is a Prelude from Aguado. The book I'm using, World's Favorite Solos for Classical Guitar, does not have anything else than just the name "Prelude" for it.
I've never played Aguado before, and I think this piece is supposed to be played AT LEAST twice as fast as what I'm playing it, maybe much more.
This is as fast as I can play it - for now - without making too many mistakes. (Maybe I should've warmed up with those 4 "easy" pieces Eric posted earlier! ) However, I think there's also a sweetness and many interpretive possibilities by playing it this slow.
Enjoy!
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Steve Pederson Very well done Steve! I've never played Aguado either. This piece at slow speed looks like a good arpeggio study, where you can also focus on tone quality of free strokes. Yours sound great!
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Steve Pederson This is coming along nicely, Steve! Attention to detail and expression are far more important than speed, which will come with time. Your approach is, for me, the right one. There is, however, one small issue here, which has nothing to do with your playing - your source for this piece is not reliable. It was not written by Aguado, and it is not a prelude. (It is also not complete.) What you played is in fact the first section of the final exercise (or study) of Sor’s opus 35 collection. Here’s a link to the Boije archive copy, if you want have a look at the original:
https://boijefiles.musikverket.se/Boije_0482.pdf
On a completely unrelated note, I like the two paintings in the background!
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David Krupka I sure know how to pick 'em, don't I?
Wow, this is really amazing that this is actually a Sor piece! So, I STILL haven't played any Aguado?! 
Thanks for pointing that out. The paintings on the wall are creations of my wife and daughter. -
Steve Pederson I will NEVER complain about getting to hear more Sor! Especially when it is played too well - clean, accurate, and with really good tone quality. This is one you could easily revisit each day, bumping up the speed a small amount each time, while maintaining the quality. It’s length makes it a good exercise in stamina.
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Steve Pederson well done, Steve. You have given this beautiful arpeggio study the accuracy and care for detail that it deserves. Beautiful. And Sor’s friend Dionisio Aguado is patiently waiting for you to discover his own works. The short studies from his escuela (Eric played quite a few) are pleasant for the ear and very useful for our technical control. His more difficult studies are great too, but more challenging, especially on a modern guitar.
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Steve Pederson good work Steve. Like David said it's the final piece of Sor's Op 35 and you should definitely look at it, you'll like it for sure! As a side note I always practice and play pieces at different speed, from slower to faster, even when I know them for years. Like you noticed it's easier to exaggerate ideas at slower tempo and things are different when you speed it up, by practising/playing at multiple speed you ensure a broader range of mastery in your ideas and technical execution, at least it works that way for me
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Tárrega - Prelude No 1 update
I think I'll make this my final recording of this prelude for the challenge. I'm not sure if there is any noticeable difference from yesterday.
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Eric Phillips yes there is... not that much on the technical side, you've entered the long term work here, but a lot on the fluidity and the performance security, I definitely listen to the artist here... bravo Eric!
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Blaise Laflamme Thank you so much, Blaise!
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Eric Phillips I agree with Blaise, Eric. I do hear a more refined phrasing and articulation. The difference is subtle but noticeable. There are sections of the counterpoint (esp. the beginning and similar phrases) that remind me of Baroque, maybe Weiss, I can't quite place it. Then it moves on to more Tarrega-esque phrases. Really nice.
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Jack Stewart Thanks, Jack. I honestly think the counterpoint sounds baroque as well, so I'm glad I'm not the only one. Weiss sounds spot on. It obviously makes heavy use of the appogiatura.
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Eric Phillips getting there, absolutely. Very musical and ever more confidence in your interpretation. wonderful performance. Congratulations on what you did accomplish with this prelude.
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joosje Thank you, Joosje!
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Eric Phillips The music sounds more natural to me this time, beautiful!
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Wai Thank you, Wai.
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Aguado - Introduction to Fandango Op 16
I heard this virtuosic and very "Spanish" sounding piece from Aguado yesterday evening while walking the dog. The entire piece is far beyond my technical capacity, but the introduction alone seemed manageable. So ... here it is!
As a side note to anyone who knows Bugs Bunny (a classic American cartoon): Does the little bit around 1:05-1:10 sound familiar?
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Eric Phillips Nice work, Eric. Impressive sight reading. I think you are referring to Wagner / Bugs Bunny ("Kill the Rabbit, Kill the Rabbit")
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Jack Stewart Lindsay Wagner wrote that? I thought she was just the Bionic Woman!
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
