ETUDE
October 1942
volume LX
number 10
page 713-715

Guitar Music

By George C. Krick

JUDGING FROM THE MANY INQUIRIES that have come to this department in the past few months, there seems to be a decided increase in activity in connection with the classic guitar. A majority of our correspondents claim to have difficulty in procuring properly graded study material, also music for performance in the home or in public concerts. As in various other lines of business, the importers of guitar music are beginning to feel the pinch of the war; and when considering the fact that most of the music by Ferdinand Sor, Mauro Giuliani, J. Kaspar Merta [Mertz], Francisco Tarrega, Andres Segovia, Miguel Llobet and others was originally published in Europe, we can readily see why it is almost impossible to obtain any of these classic compositions. Publishers in Buenos Aires, the center of guitar activities in South America, have for some years put out a great deal of music by classic and modern Spanish composers and arrangers and now even this source seems to have dried up, let us hope only temporarily. All of this means that we now have to depend on our own resources; but we believe that after all the picture does not appear quite so dark as one might suppose.

Let us see what the American composers and publishers have done in behalf of the guitar. The “Guitar Method” in two volumes, by William Foden, is a most comprehensive work by a master guitarist. When seriously studied, these two books will keep one busy for almost two years. The same author has to his credit two volumes of original pieces, the first of easy and medium grade, the second more difficult, in the classic style, and ideally suited to prepare one for the later study of Bach. In volume two is also included a trio for three guitars, Petite Overture, which is quite interesting and well worth a public performance. For concert purposes there are the Minuet in F, Barcarolle, Grand Fantasie of American Songs, and ten other fine numbers arranged in the style of “Introduction, Theme and Variations” based on American folk songs.

The two books of “Chord Studies” by Foden are most complete and, while originally intended for classic guitar, are also excellent for plectrum players. There is also a volume of effective guitar arrangements of semiclassical pieces and well known ballads, by H. J. Clarke. The “Carcassi Guitar Method” is still a favorite with many teachers and can be had from any of the prominent publishers. The best of these editions is undoubtedly the original one by the publishers of THE ETUDE. Another “must” for guitar students is the book of “Twenty-five Etudes Op. 60, by Carcassi. There are also classic transcriptions by Vahdah Olcott Bickford and a guitar solo album of “Transcriptions of 21 Famous Masterpieces” by the same arranger; a collection of twelve “Guitar Studies,” by F Sor; a book of twelve compositions and arrangements, by L. T. Romero; and several other guitar albums containing pieces of medium difficulty by well known writers.

We add to the list a book of two hundred twenty-five pages containing original “Compositions and Arrangements,” by the eminent guitar virtuoso, Manuel Y. Ferrer; a volume of “Thirty Compositions and Arrangements,” by G. C. Santisteban; another of “Twenty-four Guitar Solos,” by C. de Janon, Walter Vreeland, Charles J. Dorn, and others; also a folio of instrumental guitar music by various writers.

There have recently been placed on the market three books of guitar music that should interest first year students: “Collection of American Songs,” “Collection of Popular Ballads” and “Collection of Operatic Melodies.” These are nicely arranged and can be used as solos or duets for two guitars.

A most interesting work is the modern “Method for Guitar, based on the School of Tarrega,” compiled by Pascual Roch. This method in three volumes is intended primarily for advanced students, who have sufficient time at their disposal to make a serious study of this modern Spanish system of playing the guitar. The first volume is almost entirely devoted to exercises of scales and arpeggios for development of right hand finger technic, ending with a series of easy arrangements by Roch. The second volume continues the study of arpeggios and chords in the higher positions, shows examples in the use of legato, staccato, harmonics, glissando, tremolo, grace notes, trill, pizzicato and other artistic effects used by the Spanish guitarists. Ten classical transcriptions by Tarrega conclude this volume. The third volume is especially valuable since it consists mainly of fine transcriptions by Tarrega, that are not obtainable in other editions, such as Granada, Albeniz; Nights in Spain, Massenet; Study on a Theme, Henselt; Valse, Chopin; Pilgrim’s Chorus, Wagner;: Romance from “Mefistofele,” by Boito; Waltz from “Damnation of Faust,” Berlioz; “Variations on a Theme by Paganini; ” Minuet, Beethoven; and the celebrated Fantaisie on Spanish national airs. This last mentioned number was recorded by Oyanguren. Another fruitful source for guitar music is the “American Guitar Society” of Los Angeles. All of the transcriptions and editions published by this society are by the well known guitarist, Vahdah Olcott Bickford, and appear mostly in the form of collections. There is an album of Beethoven numbers, a Schubert Album, several albums of Spanish and Mexican music, and others containing compositions by some of the classic guitar writers. We also find a concerto for guitar and piano by Myron Bickford, which should be in the repertoire of all ambitious guitarists. Several years ago the Spanish Music Center in New York began to publish the compositions and arrangements by Julio Martinez Oyanguren and to the best of our knowledge there are about ten of these numbers now available. From the repertoire of Vicente Gomez five excellent original compositions have been published with a promise of more in the near future. All of this guitar music enumerated may be procured from the publishers of THE ETUDE.

It seems to us that this is an opportune time for publishers to get in touch with American composers and arrangers of guitar music. It is possible that a great deal of talent is hidden away somewhere, waiting to be discovered. On a recent visit to the home of William Foden in St. Louis, we were surprised to note that in spite of his advanced years he is still composing and arranging with no expectation of pecuniary reward. Among more than one hundred compositions and arrangements still in manuscript there is a “Grand Sonata” in the classic style that is well worth the attention of some publisher. Let us hope that our publishers will take advantage of present conditions, and then perhaps the American composers and arrangers will come into their own.