From: wack@ariel.ncsl.nist.gov (John Wack)
Newsgroups: rec.music.classical.guitar
Subject: Re: Segovia (WAS Re: REQUEST: etc)
Date: 22 Jan 93 14:16:28 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: National Institute of Standards & Technology

In article <basinski-210193141617@lully.biosci.arizona.edu> basinski@biosci.arizona.edu (Mark Basinski) writes:
>In article <8197@dove.nist.gov>, wack@ariel.ncsl.nist.gov (John Wack)
>wrote:
>> ascension up to that final high D chord.  This student was doing it the
>> Segovia way, avoiding notes played on open strings and, if he could,
>> choosing a high fret on a lower string as opposed to a lower fret on a
>> higher string, to play a particular note.  Barrueco said, simply, "Just
>> use the open strings and the easier positions - it's a lot easier!"  My
> 
>   One must remember that Segovia came from a *Very* romantic tradition,
>and was always most interested in doing beautiful things with the guitar,
>which he always did very well. In particular, Segovia often favored playing
> ...
>Mark Basinski      Internet: basinski@biosci.arizona.edu
>

I would agree completely.  I should first state that I am strictly an
amateur and don't have the background to talk too intelligently about
music.  My first posting could be viewed as containing some criticism
of Segovia, which I didn't intend.  I do think that, with all famous
people, nasty stories and criticism does tend to surface posthumously --
Segovia, being human, doesn't appear to have been perfect.  While I
think that Barrueco's playing of Bach is more appropriate, Segovia's
real strong points were with pieces that are more appropriately played
in a romantic style, as Mark points out.  There is one recording in
particular that I remember, however since my turntable's been broken
for about two years I can't even remember the title, however he's
pictured on the cover in old age playing the guitar and the piece I'm
referring to takes up side 1 entirely - starts out with some slow,
romantic chords, some meandering around those chords, then into a 
series of other melodies, finally returning to the original chords - a
*very* nice piece of work, very romantic - I'll post the title if
anyone's interested.  I'd put performances like that up with the very
best of today's performers.  For some interesting viewpoints on 
Segovia, take a look at the issue of Guitar Player magazine that came
out several months after Segovia's death.  The issue contained small
"tributes" from many of his most popular students - some of the stories
were very funny, one in particular was when, at a master class, a father
kept pushing a clearly embarassed son to play for Segovia.  Segovia 
graciously assented to hearing the child, who played something that
apparantly was all wrong.  As the child played, Segovia's mouth slowly
turned downward from a smile to an intense scowl.  At the end, Segovia
ventured some light criticism.  The father took umbrage and said some-
thing like, "I'm sure you sounded like that once!"  Segovia lost it
and yelled, "If I played like that I'd cut off my head!!!"  The tributes
pointed out that Segovia, while being a "lovable grouch" about 
technique and interpretation, was clearly most interested in making
beautiful music on the guitar.

-Enough typing,
John Wack