Week 3: Italy in 19th !
Welcome to the Main Thread for the second week of the "Around the 19th Century Guitar World" challenge!
Italy was the birthplace of many great classical guitar virtuosos, although many of them found success outside of the Italian peninsula. Paganini was arguably one of the greatest violinists of all time, but was also a very talented guitarist and performed regularly with Legnani. Regondi, technically from Switzerland, followed in the Italian style of composition and was also a gifted multi-instrumentalist.
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Eric started his own Legnani challenge. Shy at first, because of the virtuosic look of the capriccios, I decided to join in.
I chose this capricious no. 28. It starts slowly in familiar harmonies and then continues with fast arpeggios and octave scales (my angst moment in any piece). Yet, it was by far not as difficult as I dreaded, so here we go.
I couldnāt decide on the ideal speed. I made a slower recording first, but that sounded a little dull in the basic 6/8 movements. This recording tempo is a bit fast for me, the arpeggio waves are not as clean as they should be. But the melody comes out better in this tempo.
some good advice anyone?-
joosje That was so wonderful to listen to, Joosje! I started playing this one, attracted by that very sweet melody, but once I saw those arpeggios and scales, I backed away. Youāre very close to conquering the technical challenges of this piece, and you are, as always, playing it so musically, with a clear sense of direction. Beautiful!
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joosje You play this very well, Joosje. This piece sounds very effective at your current tempo and I didn't detect any 'angst' in your performance.
Very impressive.
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Eric Phillips thank you Eric. Actually it is a fun piece to play and, starting a tiny bit slower makes the fast arpeggios playable. With some practice the tempo can go up. Although I still donāt know how muchā¦..
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Jack Stewart thank you Jack. These capriccios are actually quite nice (at least the tones that are playable)
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joosje this is beautiful! Your sense of rubato and phrasing is so nice. There were some missed notes which aren't concentrated in difficult spots, they seemed random. I would see if there is a tempo that is slow enough that you don't miss any notes, then build speed up from that point. Thanks for sharing this one!
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joosje This is coming along very nicely, Joosje. As you say, a few of the arpeggios need to be cleaned up, but this will come with practice. As for tempo, this does seem to be one of those pieces that can work at a variety of speeds. Personally, I like it a little slower, but that may be because thatās how Iām used to hearing it. I would, though, point out the tempo marking, which is ālargoā. To me, that suggests something less fast. (But as we know, these terms mean different things to different people.) I would note too the indication of āsotto voceā. Remember, Legnaniās first ācareerā was in opera. (He was a tenor; by the time of his debut as a guitarist at age 29 he had been singing professionally for a dozen years.) So a direction like that should probably given attention! It seems to me the whole piece can be interpreted operatically: the opening a sort of cavatina; the arpeggios an orchestral interlude (string section only!); the ending a wistful recitativo. Perhaps Iām taking the analogy too far - I hope itās in some way useful.
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Hannah Murphy thank you for your comments. Yes, I was too fast, for my level of control, as well as for the actual character of the piece I guess. Iāll keep working and hopefully record a second view . Itās a lovely piece.
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David Krupka thank you David. That makes sense. I wasnāt sure what the indication largo here means exactly. Refers to the quaver or to the dotted crochet. Thatās making a big difference for the interpretation. I guess itās more about the overall pulse. I started practicing the piece now and took a slower tempo. It seems to work better. And of course easier to control the arpeggio section - and the register changes.
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Some time ago I was working on Regondiās Etude no.1. Never ready to record. I felt I had to brush it up for this Italian week. Not enough time to improve much, but I did take the step to record the whole piece in one.
In the process of experimenting with the sound I prefer Reaper without video, for better understanding of sound quality, loudness and interpretation. Still no editing, because I am not yet satisfied with the basic settings. Mics to close (50cm)? Gain a too high (I hear that at some places, bas notes/chords. Iām still wandering in the dark in this field!)however, I wanted to share the first result, hoping for your tips. Then, with some luck I will submit a video later this week.
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joosje That was beautiful, Joosje. I have never played any Regondi, but that piece sounds quite challenging, technically and musically. You have a great command of it. I'm afraid I am all thumbs in regard to recording (perhaps not the best metaphor), so I am not of much value there.
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Jack Stewart thank you Jack. Yes, it is challenging,, even if itās the ābeginnersā piece in his repertoire ! Thanks for listening!
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joosje Really great, Joosje! The first section (and it's repeat at the end) are incredibly well-played. As it goes on, I'm guessing that you are less familiar with playing it, as it does lose a bit of the energy of the opening. I imagine that, with practice, you could get the whole piece at a very high level.
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Eric Phillips thank you Eric. Iām working on the middle part , itās in the plateau phase at the moment. Takes time.
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joosje I know nothing about recording and I learned all the things from Martin's recording course, so I have nothing to contribute regarding recording technique. Just want to say that your recording always sounds so warm and sweet, very comfortable to listen to.
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joosje very nice playing! As far as recording technique, there is only so much you can do before you edit. Mic placement in an untreated room can only go so far. What I would do for this recording is put an EQ on it and lower the low mids and turn up the higher register (1k and above)
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Hannah Murphy thank you Hannah. This editing stuff is a nightmare for me. But I appreciate the tips. Iāll see what I can make of it.
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Wai thank you Wai, you always have such kind words
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Se inclinassi a prender moglie - Rossini/Giuliani
This little piece was the only piece in my library that matched this week's 19th-century Italian theme. At first, I thought this one would be an easy one, but I was totally wrong! Those consecutive slurs were nightmares! No matter how I played them, I could not make them sing. I need to find more Tonebase lessons to practice my slur again!
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Wai What a charming little piece, Wai! And you already play it so well! I see what you mean about the slurs - definitely a workout for the left hand. Are you playing them ātirandoā - I.e. lifting the fingers rather than pulling them across the strings? This would be easier than an āapoyandoā approach, and appropriate (as far as I know) for early 19th c. music.
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Wai I enjoyed that very much, Wai! If you're interested, Bradford Werner has a lesson on this on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euvCviaFdjs&t=3s.
Oh, and by the way, I already have a wife, so this is too late.
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Eric Phillips Umm, doesnāt that put you in Mustafaās shoes then?
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David Krupka I'm not familiar with the opera, I just know Italian words of the title. I assume Mustafa is a character?
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Eric Phillips in this scene, Mustafa, the āBeyā of Algiers, is attempting to convince Lindoro, his slave, to marry his own (I.e. Mustafaās) wife, so he can be free to pursue an Italian girl. (His plans are foiled ā¦)
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Wai I liked that a lot, Wai. What a charming little piece and really nice playing. Thank you for sharing. Slurs are indeed more of a workout on our modern guitars with more tension on thinner strings, compared to those of the 18th century. Who is Mustafa?
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End of the Year Challenge: Finish Strong!
