Andrés Segovia

Segovia was born on 21 February 1893[2] in Linares, Jaén, Spain. 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 recognizing that Segovia had an aptitude for music. This 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 to allow Segovia to obtain a better education; after arriving in Granada, Segovia recommenced his musical studies. Segovia was aware of flamenco 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, Francisco Tárrega, and other classical composers.[3] 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".[4]

Segovia's first public performance was in Granada[5] at the age of 16 in 1909.[6] A few years later he played his first professional concert in Madrid, which included works by Francisco Tárrega and his own guitar transcriptions of Johann Sebastian Bach. 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,[7] he continued to pursue his studies of the guitar diligently.

He played again in Madrid in 1912, at the Paris Conservatory in 1915, in Barcelona in 1916, and made a successful tour of South America in 1919.[2] 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.[8] It was in this 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, 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.[9] In 1921, he also met Agustín Barrios in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Segovia was impressed by Barrios' Bach-inspired and arguably magnum opus La Catedral.[10]

At Granada in 1922 he became associated with the Concurso de Cante Jondo promoted by the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla. The aim of the "classicizing" Concurso was to preserve flamenco in its purity from being distorted by modern popular music.[11] Segovia had already developed as a fine tocador of flamenco guitar, yet his direction was now classical.[12] Invited to open the Concurso held at the Alhambra, he played Homenaje a Debussy by Falla.[13]

Guitar by Hermann Hauser, 1937, Munich, Germany. Concert guitar of Andrés Segovia's from 1937 until 1962. Gift of Emilita Segovia, Marquesa of Salobreña, 1986 (1986.353.1). Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In 1923 Segovia visited Mexico for the first time. There Manuel Ponce was so impressed with the concert that he wrote a review in El Universal.[14] Later Ponce went on to write many works for Segovia, including numerous sonatas.

In 1924, Segovia visited the German luthier Hermann Hauser Sr. after hearing some of his instruments played in a concert in Munich. In 1928 Hauser provided Segovia with one of the guitars which he 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 US representative and close friend Sophocles Papas, who in his turn gave it to his student, the famous jazz and classical guitarist Charlie Byrd, who used it on several records.

Segovia's first American tour was arranged in 1928 when Fritz Kreisler, the Viennese violinist who privately played the guitar,[15] persuaded Francis Charles Coppicus from the Metropolitan Musical Bureau to present the guitarist in New York.[16][17]

After Segovia's debut tour in the US in 1928 the Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos 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.

Segovia at a recital in the "Concerts Ysaye" in Brussels, 15 December 1932 (Hilda Wiener, 1877–1940)

In 1932, Segovia met and befriended composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco in Venice.[9] 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.[18]

In 1935, he gave his first public performance of Bach's Chaconne, a difficult piece for any instrument. He moved to Montevideo, performing many concerts in South America in the thirties and early forties.

After World War II, Segovia began to record more frequently and performed regular tours of Europe and the US, a schedule he would maintain for the next thirty years. In 1954, Joaquín Rodrigo dedicated Fantasía para un gentilhombre (Fantasy for a Gentleman) to Segovia.[19] Segovia won the 1958 Grammy Award for Best Classical Performance, Instrumentalist for his recording Segovia Golden Jubilee.[20]

John W. Duarte dedicated his English Suite Op. 31 to Segovia and his wife (Emilia Magdalena del Corral Sancho) on the occasion of their marriage in 1962.[21] Segovia told the composer "You will be astonished at the success it will have".[22][23]

In recognition of his contributions to music and the arts, Segovia was ennobled on 24 June 1981 by King Juan Carlos I, who gave Segovia the hereditary title of Marqués de Salobreña[24][25] (English: Marquis of Salobreña) in the nobility of Spain.

Segovia continued performing into his old age, living in semi-retirement during his 70s and 80s on the Costa del Sol. Two films were made of his life and work—one when he was 75 and the other 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, entitled Segovia! The series was recorded on location in Spain, France and the United States. Hosted by Oscar Brand the series was produced by Jim Anderson, Robert Malesky, and Larry Snitzler.

Segovia died on 2 June 1987[2] in Madrid of a heart attack at the age of 94. He is buried at Casa Museo Andrés Segovia, in Linares.

The right hand is responsible for the guitar's musical sound, so when examining 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), but Segovia plucked the strings only with the nails. When asked which technique he used, he replied: "the only one there is: nails. Because they bring timbre differences and colour variation and give sonorous volume to the guitar."[26] His right hand was placed so that the nails were perpendicular to the strings. In this way the nail alone would press the string. At the same time, it was thought that this was the only way to avoid unpleasant noise coming from the low strings (E, A and D) of the guitar when plucked. Segovia created a strong bass sound with his right thumb in spite of his technique. This was largely due to the flexibility 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. In this way, he could not only obtain colour variation but an especially strong, round and voluminous sound, something very helpful for giving concerts in big halls (this technique was later used by Narciso Yepes). Before Segovia, guitarists from the Tarrega school played the guitar with the hand right over the soundhole, thus creating a mellow sound, but not capable of filling the whole space of a large concert hall.

After World War II, Segovia became among the first to endorse nylon strings instead of catgut strings.[27] This advance allowed for greater tonal stability and was the final ingredient in the standardization of the instrument.

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 Spaniards such as Federico Moreno Torroba, Federico Mompou, and Joaquín Rodrigo, the Mexican composer Manuel Ponce, the Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and the great Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos; second, transcriptions, usually made by Segovia himself,[28] of classical works originally written for other instruments (e.g., lute, harpsichord, piano, violin, cello) by Johann Sebastian Bach, Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados, and many other prominent composers; third, traditional classical guitar works by composers such as Fernando Sor and Francisco Tárrega. Segovia's influence enlarged the repertoire, mainly as a commissioner or dedicatee of new works, as a transcriber, and to a far lesser extent as a composer[29] with such works as his Estudio sin luz.

Segovia (1962)

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. This is perhaps best typified by Segovia's own work Estudio sin Luz. Many works of this and similar style were written especially for him and formed part of his core repertoire: particularly the guitar works of Federico Moreno Torroba (1891–1982), such as the Sonatina, which was first performed by Segovia in Paris in 1925.[30]

Segovia was selective and only performed works with which he identified personally. He was known to reject atonal works, or works which he considered too radical, even if they were dedicated to him; e.g. he rejected Frank Martin's Quatre pièces brèves, Darius Milhaud's Segoviana, etc.[31][32] Even though rejected by Segovia, the works are today all published and available.[33][34][35][36][37][38]

Segovia was awarded many prizes and honours, including doctorates honoris causa, from ten universities.[54][55] On 24 June 1981, he was ennobled by King Juan Carlos I, who gave Segovia the hereditary title of Marqués de Salobreña[24][25] (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 in 1985, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986.

Segovia's first wife was Adelaida Portillo (marriage in 1918).[56] Segovia's second wife (marriage in 1935) was the pianist Paquita Madriguera, who also made some piano roll recordings.[57][58] From 1944, he maintained a relationship with Brazilian singer and guitarist Olga Praguer Coelho, which was to last for over a decade.[59] In 1962 Segovia married Emilia Magdalena Corral Sancho.[60] They had one son, Carlos Andrés Segovia,[61] the current Marquis of Salobreña.[62]

Segovia had several notable students throughout his career:

• Michele Pittaluga International Classical Guitar Competition, founded with his support

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Andrés Segovia.

• Andrés Segovia Foundation
• Andrés Segovia by Mark Small (Acoustic Guitar, November 2010)
• (in Spanish) Cronología de la Vida y Obra de Andrés Segovia (1893–1987)
• (in Spanish) Andrés Segovia. Síntesis biográfica. Honores y distinciones. 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.) ref.
• (in Spanish) Andrés Segovia y Federico Mompou ante el centenario de su nacimiento. by Antonio Iglesias (Boletín de la Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Segundo semestre de 1992. Número 75.) ref.
• In Memory of Andres Segovia by Vasilios Avraam (Guitarramagazine.com)
• Biography by Joseph Stevenson (AllMusic)