Week 2: Vienna in 19th !
Welcome to the Main Thread for the second week of the "Around the 19th Century Guitar World" challenge!
Vienna was a hub for all classical music in the 19th century. Home to Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, among others, the classical guitar was alive and well in the 19th century. In Vienna in the 19th century classical guitar composers were heavily influenced by orchestral composers and had relationships with them; Giuliani played cello in the premiere of Beethoven’s 7th symphony and Mertz arranged Schubert’s Songs for Piano and Voice on guitar.
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Giuliani - Allegro Minuetto Op 73 No 9
Just yesterday, I had said that Giuliani's music is not my usual cup of tea. Then I go and find a piece like this. No flash, nothing cliché, just really well-written music for the guitar. Actually, I could hear this being played by a string quartet, so it's just well-written music, period. Opus 73 is a set of ten bagatelles. I have attached a score if you are interested.
The biggest technical challenge for me comes close to the beginning, in the second phrase (measures 5-8). In order to prepare for the chord voicing in measure 7, some rather challenging fingerings need to be used in measures 5 and 6. Just look at my left hand and you'll see.
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Steve Pederson Yes, and I think I need to give it more dynamic direction and purpose.
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Romance - Francesco Molino
This one should have been posted in the week 1 thread, but since week 2 has started, please allow me to post it here (Next time, I will choose music from Austria
). This little piece has a memorable melody, not difficult technically and very enjoyable to play, but playing it beautifully is still challenging. -
Wai This is such a pleasure to listen to, Wai! Your excellent playing really lets the beauty of the music come through. I’ve heard of Francesco Molino, but I’ve never played anything by him. Did he have a career in Paris?
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Eric Phillips Thanks, Eric. TBH, I know nothing about him, and it's my first time playing his music, but I found his music is quite appealing to me. About his background, according to the wiki "In 1820 he settled in Paris, where he lived for the remainder of his life", so I think he did have a career in Paris, maybe, let me send him an email to ask him...
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Wai Very well performed, Wai. Your phrasing and tone are always so beautiful.
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Wai this is a beautiful piece. Beautiful, playing too. I wasn’t aware that Molino spent most of his career life in Paris.
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Wai Thank you for posting this Paris piece! This is beautiful with such a lyrical melody. Have you tried singing the melody (maybe with solfege?) away from your guitar? That is one of my favorite ways to learn a piece like this one!
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Wai Nicely played Wai. A lovely little piece
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Jack Stewart Thanks, Jack! I am waiting for your next piece, you are on my top listening list, mate.
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joosje Derek Thank you for listening. I would like to share 3 more little pieces this week, hope you guys would like them.
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Hannah Murphy Thank you for listening, Hannah. I did sing the melody while practicing it, but not with Solfege, just "Lalala" the whole piece. Let me try it with Solfege next time and hope that my wife won't kill me.
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Wai This is really beautiful Wai! This piece has a timeless feel to it. It sounds like it could've been written as early as Bach, but as recent as today.
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Giuliani - Le Romarin Op 46 No 5
Okay, now this is seriously beautiful music! I knew this opus as a great one before this week, but I had never played anything from it. After working on this, I am totally in love with it.
Opus 46 is called "Choix de mes fleurs chéries" or "Choice of my dearest flowers". Each piece is named after, and presumably inspired by, a different flower. This one is named after "Le Romarin" or Rosemary (see picture below). I honestly see no particular correspondence between the flower and the music, but both are beautiful.
Technically, there are some real finger-twisters in here. Some of it sounds almost like a "Pumping Nylon" style exercise, but really beautiful and cool-sounding all the same.
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Eric Phillips you really have this preference for dark, dramatic modes, Eric. You play this wonderfully. Thank you also for helping to discover the less superficial side of Giuliani. It’s great. Is there a parsley and basil piece, too?
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joosje Thank you, Joosje. I do gravitate toward darker music. I hope it’s not an indication that I have a dark, dramatic personality. Maybe it’s cathartic for me!
I don’t believe parsley and basil are in the collection, although my French is not good at all. Maybe you could write a set of pieces dedicated to cooking herbs.
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Eric Phillips Great job with this as well Eric! Way to find the saddest Giuliani piece!
It seems like toward the end of that piece there is material that is also in the introduction to the Grand Overture!
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Hannah Murphy Maybe Mauro was having a bad day when he wrote this. I just realized I've played three Giuliani pieces in a row in minor keys (four, if you count the intro to Op 61 I sight read). Speaking of the Grand Overture, you're right about the similarity. It's when it goes to the pedal point in the bass. It must be a musical texture he liked a lot.
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Eric Phillips I like that Eric. Thanks for discovering it for us. I need a piece to pair with the Giuliani Andante I played for the Romantic challenge. This piece could be it!
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Eric Phillips Impeccable performance, Eric! The flow and tone are all perfect, especially the dynamic change was so well done! It would be more than perfect if you could record this piece at night, turn off the light, and use only candles for lighting.
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Derek Glad to help. I love this piece!
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Wai Nice idea! I'm not very good at setting the mood in my videos.
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Eric Phillips Beautiful,Eric. I have noticed your affinity for the dark and moody - but then that is Romanticism in a nut(case) shell.
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Jack Stewart
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Eric Phillips I see you're starting to become not only a Giuliani fan, but a connoisseur! Pretty soon we'll be calling you Professor Phillips, Doctor and Director of Giuliani Studies at Tonebase! Get a vision man!
This piece has so much - dynamics, urgency, it uses the complete spectrum of the guitar...really great stuff!
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Steve Pederson I applied and they gave it to someone more qualified, like maybe a trained monkey.
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
