ETUDE
November 1938
volume LVI
number 11
page762

Miguel Llobet 1878 – 1938

By George C. Krick

THE RECENTLY REPORTED death in Barcelona of Miguel Llobet will come as a great loss to the guitar fraternity.

The younger generation of guitarists will be interested to know that in his native land Miguel Llobet was considered the greatest guitar virtuoso and a worthy successor to his teacher Francisco Tarrega. Born in Barcelona, October 18, 1878, son of a celebrated wood carver, young Miguel quite early in life displayed exceptional talent for the fine arts. When ten years of age he entered the Municipal Conservatory, where he received a thorough training in all branches of music. One day his uncle, owner of a hostelry in Barcelona, came into possession of a guitar left with him in settlement of a debt, and he presented this instrument to his nephew. At once the youngster was attracted to the guitar and within a short time mastered its technic sufficiently to entertain his friends. Realizing the boy’s exceptional musical talent, his father placed him in the hands of the incomparable Francisco Tarrega, and now his studies were carried on in earnest. His concert activities began when he was about twenty years of age and were at first confined to the cities of his native land, where he scored great successes whenever he appeared. After the death of Tarrega, Llobet made his home in Paris, where he was received with the greatest admiration by the cultured musicians; and his recitals in the Schola Cantorum, as well as those with the Trompette Societe Nationale were veritable triumphs. In 1910 there followed a trip to the Argentine, where he gave over one hundred concerts and became quite the “Enfant Cherie” of the public. In 1912 and 1913 he toured France, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Spain creating a furore wherever he appeared and impressing the critics with his astonishing technic and musicianship. After the world war Llobet undertook several more concert tours to South America, Mexico, and Central Europe, after which he returned to his native city, where he spent his leisure hours amongst his vast collection of books and paintings gathered during his travels.

Miguel Llobet was the greatest exponent of the school of Tarrega, who regarded him as his favorite pupil; and it was Llobet who made the name of Francisco Tarrega immortal amongst guitarists throughout the world.

An extract from “Le Courier” of Paris (1910) makes interesting reading. “At his recent recital in Madrid, Miguel Llobet received a welcome never to be forgotten, and the entire royal family united in their felicitations to this exceptional virtuoso. He is the fortunate possessor of an admirable instrument made by the great master Torres. Upon this instrument he has done wonders in music – on this instrument, the guitar, which once we thought, and so wrongly, was capable only of rendering a serenade under a starry sky. The works of the great composer Ferdinand Sor give to this true magician an opportunity to make us feel and thrill in moments of artistic emotion. We must say in passing that many pages of Sor are true masterpieces; and has not this Ferdinand Sor been called the Beethoven of the Guitar? Mr. Llobet executes these works with a style and a rare charm such as he only can do. From Bach, Beethoven, Chopin to Albeniz, his talent has reached an extremely rare artistic perfection. We may compare him with Paderewski and Kubelik. In other words he is not a guitar player, he is a great artist.”

A Changing Attitude

IT IS AN INDISPUTABLE FACT that the Llobet recitals greatly influenced the guitaristic movement throughout Europe and South America and gave it an impetus that reached its culmination with the Segovia recitals in late years. Before Llobet came upon the scene the guitar was heard frequently in concert halls, but failed to attract the general musical public, neither did the music critics think it worth while to attend a guitar recital.

The remarkable technic and rare musicianship displayed by Llobet brought about a change in their attitude towards the guitar and it was his rendition of the classics that convinced everyone within his hearing that this instrument was capable of producing musical effects that equalled, and in some instances surpassed, those one is accustomed to associate with violin, piano or violoncello.

The writer was fortunate enough to attend the only recital given by Llobet in Philadelphia, on October 29, 1912. Stopping in New York for a few days on his way from South America to Paris, Llobet happened to meet the late Paul Eno, prominent guitar and banjo teacher, who persuaded him to come to Philadelphia for an afternoon concert. Having only a few hours we went to work with the telephone and managed to get together an audience of about two hundred fifty, in the Orpheus Club rooms.

To the best of the writer’s knowledge this was the first complete guitar recital ever given in Philadelphia, and it goes without saying that it proved a great artistic success. The late Camille Zeckwer, pianist and composer, who happened to be my guest of the afternoon, turned to me after Llobet played the Chopin Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2, and remarked: “This was the most artistic rendition of that beautiful Chopin classic I’ve been privileged to listen to.” His program consisted of:

1. Menuet, Sor
2. Etude de Concert, Coste
3. Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2, Chopin
4. Variations, on a theme by Mozart, Sor
5. Baurrée, Bach
6. Andante (“Sonata, No. 10”), Beethoven
7. Reve, Tarrega
8. Caprice Arabe, Tarrega
9. Fantaisie Espagnole, M. Llobet

As an artist Miguel Llobet has set a standard every ambitious guitarist should strive to reach.