Miguel Llobet Mini Challenge
Hey fellow toneBuddies!! 
We're thrilled to introduce the Llobet Mini Challenge, an opportunity for all of us to dive into the enchanting world of guitar music composed by the legendary Miguel Llobet! Get ready to share your passion and skill as we explore and celebrate the works of this remarkable composer together.
The Challenge:
We invite you to record and upload a video of yourself playing a piece by Miguel Llobet or share your favorite recording of a piece by Miguel Llobet! Let's showcase the beauty of his music and inspire each other to appreciate his captivating compositions.
How to participate:
- Record a video of yourself performing a piece by Miguel Llobet.
- Upload your video to your preferred platform (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, etc.).
- Share the link to your video in the comments section below.
- Feel free to add a brief description of the piece you chose and what makes it special to you.
Interact and engage:
Make sure to check out the performances of your fellow toneBuddies! Show your support by leaving comments, constructive feedback, and appreciation for their efforts. Let's encourage each other to grow and relish the magic of Llobet's music.
Reward:
There's no specific prize for this challenge, but it's an opportunity to showcase your talent, receive feedback, and connect with fellow guitar enthusiasts. Who knows? You might even make some new friends along the way!
Need inspiration?
If you're not familiar with Miguel Llobet's works, don't worry! You can explore his compositions online or even look for performances by other guitarists to get inspired. Make sure to check out Antigoni Goni's live stream on "Exploring Llobet's Catalan Folk Songs" on April 17th! (click) and other courses on Llobet's Music (click).
Ready, set, play!
We can't wait to see your amazing performances of Llobet's music. Let's unite as a community to appreciate and celebrate the artistry of this incredible composer!
Happy playing, everyone! 
-
Leonesa
Here is one that we don't hear too often from Llobet. It definitely has a somewhat exotic sound to it. I think it's one of the Catalan folk songs that he arranged. I tried finding the lyrics, but I was not able. Does anybody know more about it than I do?
-
Eric Phillips very nicely done. Beautiful little pieceI and you give it such delicate and moving feel.
I don’t know much about the specific music of the region of Leon.. It seems there was a contemporary composer who edited a set of those pieces. I found this on the Delcamp Forum <The original composition comes from a collection of piano pieces called "Canciones Leonesas", by Rogelio Villar. This particular piece is the first piece in the collection (there are 25 pieces total in the collection). The title of the piece is "Berceuse" … > I don’t know if there were lyrics, couldn’t find any reference.
-
joosje Thanks for the information, Joosje. It still seems a little murky, but the music is straightforward, and definitely sounds like a lullaby.
-
Eric Phillips Gorgeous music Eric! You've got me interested in this whole Llobet challenge now!
-
Steve Pederson Thanks, Steve. Join in!
-
Eric Phillips It's tempting. I've got a lot going on right now, but I'm always up for a challenge - especially when it comes to playing guitar! I did a search for the easiest Llobet song there is, and the result that I got was "El Noi de la Mare". Are you familiar with this piece? Do you know of anything easier? I've got my hands full with Cadiz for the other challenge, so I need some real low-hanging fruit.
-
Steve Pederson 'El Noi de la Mare' is a lovely piece, Steve, well worth learning. I wouldn't call it easy (what by Llobet is?) but at least it's fairly short (eighteen measures). It's one of Llobet's thirteen Catalan folksong arrangements. 'Plany' and 'Lo Fill del Rei' are of similar length and difficulty. If you're comfortable with artificial harmonics, 'La Preco de Lleida' is probably the least problematic of the set, but it's less interesting musically. And then of course there's the beautiful 'Canco del LLadre' - more challenging than the afore-mentioned, but quite playable, and a crowd pleaser every guitarist should know!
-
Eric Phillips Very hypnotic piece, well done Eric. I guess the old saying: 'how do you get a guitar player to stop playing' doesn't apply for you.
-
Michael Shirk Thanks, Michael. I’m not familiar with the saying, but the only thing that will get me to stop playing is a bunch of technique exercises. Those are my kryptonite!
-
Steve Pederson I agree with David Krupka these Catalan folk songs are such inspiring pieces, full of harmonic beauty and colour, so well arranged by Llobet, but none of them are easy, they demand good preparation, and thinking… where does the melody go, how to bring out the different harmonies … Eric Phillips did a great job with Leonesa, also not an easy piece. (though he makes it sound easy)
I would say the words “mini challenge” and “Llobet“ are a a bit of a contradiction in terms ….
but it inspired me to work on two pieces: El Mestre and Canco del Lladre. I started to learn them a few years back, but never really mastered. Antigoni’s live stream and video were so inspiring. Don’t know if I will have time to practice enough and record anything decent… there’s also the other challenge…
-
Eric Phillips I just struck a little gold in figuring out where this music comes from. Apparently it is not from a song, but from a piece for piano by Rogelio Villar. Below is a video of it being played by a YT friend of mine named Tate Harmann. If you go to the video in YT, you can read what he writes about the piece.
I have also included a video with a recording of the piece played by Llobet himself! What he plays does not match the arrangement I have, so either I have an arrangement by someone else, or Llobet changed his arrangement over time. He also plays it quite a bit faster than I did (not surprisingly, as I play almost everything very slowly).
Enjoy!
-
-
Eric Phillips
Well done Eric. It is always wonderful to watch you playing. Thanks for sharing.
-
Andre Bernier Thanks, Andre!
-
-
So beautiful Eric!
-
Paul Kennedy Thanks, Paul!
-
-
Plany
Hey! Anybody else out there playing some Llobet?
I thought I'd give this seldom-heard piece a try. According to my score (attached below), it is part of the Canciones Populares Catalanas. I guess the title means "Lament", which is fitting (perhaps "Dirge" would be even more fitting). Very somber and mysterious, but beautiful.
In case you're following the score, I decided to skip the first repeat, but to play the second one.
-
Leonesa and Plany (Apr 22 update)
I thought I would give these two another attempt. I tried using more vibrato and change of tone color and dynamics. In other words, I am trying to play them more expressively.
-
Eric Phillips These are both very good, Eric! 'Plany' in particular is really beginning to grow on me. (I'm afraid I didn't get it at all on first reading - I'm not talking about your performance, I mean the piece itself.) Rob MacKillop provides some interesting background in a comment on YouTube: apparently, Llobet's version is based on a choral arrangement that had been published in 1897; the text is a sort of lament ('plany' seems to mean 'cry'; I suppose 'plaintive' might be a related word) on the loss of Catalonian independence. (They're still lamenting that!) Thanks for posting - and for being the sole contributor to this 'mini' challenge! (For what it's worth, I have at least read through a lot of Llobet this past week, even if, as usual, I have failed to post anything.)
-
David Krupka Thanks so much, David, for listening and for the background info on this piece. Musically, it is a bit odd, and I'm not sure I am effectively communicating what Llobet had intended. I do love the dissonances in it.
Yes, I do seem to be the only one posting Llobet here. I'd love to have you jump in! The water is great.
-
Eric Phillips great work on these Eric! Llobet transcriptions are well done but at the same time filled with tricky passages
For sure doing a bit of colors and dynamics helps communicate musical ideas, you're doing great! 
-
Blaise Laflamme Thanks, Blaise! You should try El Mestre.
-
Eric Phillips haha... you want to break me! Just read through the piece and...
... so much work in that little piece!! You want a simple work with an easy legato... Welcome to El Mestre! -
Blaise Laflamme I am certain you would solve all the problems and play it beautifully. On YT, there is a masterclass on the piece, with Lily Afshar playing it for Segovia. Segovia called it the best piece Llobet had written.
Vladimir Gorbach has an outstanding performance of it on YT, but I bet you could do even better!
-
Eric Phillips Thank you for trusting me!
It's not out of reach but it would requires a lot of work to make it sound legato as I hear it. I think Segovia is right by saying it's the best, or at least one of the best, Llobet arranged. The harmony and voicing are refined and all done in an orchestral approach, very well constructed... simply beautiful. I'll take a look at the masterclass, should be interesting.
-
-
L’Hereu Riera
I just thought it’s not nice to leave Eric alone in this challenge. Unfortunately I’ve little time to practice and Llobet’s arrangements and compositions are never easy, but I give a try at this little piece, that is not so familiar. I’ve never heard it in concert. L’Hereu Riera, said to be a folk tale about the son of a rich/noble Catalan family (hereu, apparently, means heir).
its not very lyrical or fragile. The rhythm is straightforward. I like the harmonic structure.
I’m struggling with the pizzicato part. It feels tense and I don’t know if I can make it sound good enough. In the last phrase, keeping the melody on the 5th and 6th string fluent is also tricky.a first rough version…
