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Rating: Historically, the classical guitar did not immediately find widespread use in classical music. It struggled much more than violins and pianos before being recognized as an instrument with great and varied possibilities, or in other terms, a complete instrument. In the 1700s, in particular, it was experiencing a true period of decline, although certainly, the past had not been the best. Fortunately, however, at the end of the century and into the next, there began a slow and important rise leading to the early 1900s with the works of the well-known Tarrega, Segovia, and Yepes (just to name the most famous), who brought new splendor to the guitar, reaching the point where it was considered an instrument fully capable of warranting entire compositions.
The story of all this begins with Fernado Sor, developer of a new style, capable of exploiting the possibilities of the guitar while simultaneously absorbing the principles of classical style and the instrumental discoveries derived from the development of piano technique.
"The Beethoven of the guitar" as he was defined by French music critic Fétis, former captain of the Spanish army, Sor accepted to work for the French government during the occupation of Spain, and when the Spanish drove away the invaders in 1813, he was forced to move to Paris, never returning to his country for fear of being punished for treason.
Here in France, he tried his luck more as a composer of music than as a guitarist, but with little success, prompting him to migrate once again: to London. During his stay in England, Sor evolved his technique and perfected his musical composition, but it was only after his return to Paris at the age of 49 that he began to gain fame and success, thanks to his total abandonment of opera and ballet in favor of intensely writing collections and compositions, including the famous "Method for guitar", always considered one of the cornerstones of six-string literature.
Sor represented (and represents) an infinite source of inspiration for guitarists, and even today his contribution to this instrument has not been equaled. His etudes, in particular, are a perfect blend of didactics and high musical composition. Not mere technical exercises, but true compositions that simultaneously allow for mastery and harmony while broadening compositional horizons.
The interpretation I propose here features the immense Narciso Yepes, of whom I have already spoken. 24 Studies, which in reality (as I mentioned before) are very respectable compositions, and there is no need to talk about or try to express in words the melodies and atmospheres created by the wonderful 10-string that Maestro Narciso loved to play. Also because it would be truly arduous to transcribe in a text what are in reality true emotions.
It's incredible how perspectives change over time. Sor's "Method for guitar" has been studied, praised, and always held in high regard by the academic world. In his preface to the method, Sor wrote: "An amateur devotes himself to the guitar to relax from his work; he has studied other things, dedicated himself to useful sciences, and has learned to think for himself, preferring reason to authoritarian constraints. And it is precisely for this reason that he can understand me better than someone who has dedicated his entire life to the study of music." Perhaps Sor thought he was appealing to the amateur sector of musicians, but time has given him much greater consideration.
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