Masterworks for the Classical Guitar - Steven Saulls, Classical Guitarist
About the music and the composer...

During the revival of the classical guitar in the early 1900s, the forgotten music of the vihuela, lute and Baroque guitar began to be unearthed in Spain by composer Felipe Pedrell (1841–1922) and guitarist Emilio Pujol (1886–1980) and in Italy by musicologist Oscar Chilesotti (1848–1916). They resurrected these works by transcribing the various tablatures into modern notation for the classical guitar. The “excavating” of these works must have had the same effect of the Egyptologists opening the tombs of the pharoahs; in both cases, the treasures were numerous and impressive.
At the very beginning of his career, Andrés Segovia (1893–1987) included transcriptions of works by J.S. Bach in his recitals. It was not until much later that Segovia began to perform works from the Renaissance and the early Baroque. Little by little, selections originally composed for the vihuela by Luis Milán, Luis de Narváez, and Alonso Mudarra, along with works for the Baroque guitar by Gaspar Sanz and Robert de Visée, began to appear in his programs and on his recordings.

Segovia’s interest in Renaissance and early Baroque music was undoubtedly influenced by his friendship with the great Spanish composer Manuel de Falla (1876–1946) and Emilio Pujol. Beginning in 1927, Pujol began transcribing and publishing volumes of “early” music through the publishing house Max Eschig in Paris. These editions greatly enlarged the repertoire for the guitar and, according to Pujol, opened up “the possibility of hearing on the Spanish guitar works from the past which have stood the test of time and whose great value is now proven.” The music of the Renaissance vihuelistas and the Baroque guitarristas left a deep impression on Falla and was an inspiration for some of his own compositions.

However, even before Pujol’s scholarly activities, numerous lute pieces had already been transcribed into modern notation by Oscar Chilesotti. From Chilesotti’s numerous transcriptions, the Six Lute Pieces of the Renaissance emerged as standard repertoire for the modern-day guitarist. Guitar historian Graham Wade noted that “in the 1930s, the lute repertoire was practically unknown… Segovia found these pieces ideal for the opening of a recital.” How Segovia obtained the Chilesotti transcriptions is unknown. It is conceivable that Falla or Pujol, both of whom were familiar with Chilesotti’s work, made Segovia aware of the transcriptions.

Each of the Six Lute Pieces of the Renaissance has a title in Italian. More often than not, guitarists do not know the meaning of these titles, and this lack of knowledge can affect the interpretation of the pieces.

The third and fourth pieces are dances by anonymous composers. Danza has the feel of a county dance with its energetic use of chords and folk-like melody. Country dances in the Renaissance were not only popular with the common folk, but also with the nobility. Often carefully choreographed pageants featuring court dances were followed by country dances that required no instruction—everyone knew the steps. Gagliarda (Galliard) is a courtly dance that is both spirited yet graceful. Social dancing was immensely popular in the 16th century, and the galliard, usually danced by couples, was one of the most fashionable dances of that era.

Chilesotti, who played the lute and the guitar, faithfully transcribed these works from lute tablature to modern notation. Although he retained the original spirit and intent of the composers, his transcriptions were often not robust enough for the modern classical guitar and the concert stage. Because of this, Segovia made his own “versions,” highlighting the guitar’s poetic qualities, especially with the use of colors. (By John Patykula - from Classical Guitar magazine)

About the performer...

Steven began studying the guitar at age nine and has attended some of the finest music schools in the world including the Berklee College of Music (Boston), and the Mozarteum (Salzburg, Austria). He holds both a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Washington University (1980) and a Master of Music degree from the University of Arizona (1982).

Over the past 40 years, Steven has performed hundreds of concerts throughout the United States, Central & South America and Europe. His debut recordings ‘Espressivo’ and ‘Steven Saulls Plays Works by Ponce, Torroba & Bach’ have received wide acclaim both nationally and internationally. In addition to solo concerts, he has performed over 200 chamber works including guitar concerti (with orchestra) by Vivaldi, Ponce, and Rodrigo.

About the recording...

Recorded at The Steven Saulls Guitar Studio, Sahuarita, Arizona 2023/Guitar handcrafted by Martin Blackwell.

Copyright© 2023 Steven Saulls, Sahuarita, Arizona

For additional information please contact Steven Saulls at sdsaulls@gmail.com

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