Naples and the Anniversary of the Death of Giuliani

Today Robin is in Naples.
He has been a number of times before and always seems to have some sort of adventure, as you can read here on the post 'Navigating Naples and the Tale of the Mandolin.'

But today isn't as much an adventure but more a time of reflection.
181 years ago, this very day, Mauro Giuliani died in Naples at the age of 48.
The Italian guitarist and composer has played a huge part in Robin's life, and that of all classical guitarists world wide.
I have written about him before in the post, 'The Divine Giuliani - Beethoven'
It somehow seems fitting, that by coincidence, Robin is there today.

However, Naples has a strong musical history, Ferdinando Carulli was born there, Rossini spent some of his early career as musical director of the Teatro Del Fondo in Naples, where he was commissioned to compose one opera a year, and Paganini is known to have been at various points in his career.

It is somehow comforting to know these incredible musicians have walked these very streets:



Naples is also the location of one of the most active volcanoes, Mount Vesuvius. It last erupted in 1944, but is constantly monitored, so that anyone living in 'the red zone' can be moved to safety if any changes are detected.
Hopefully that won't be today as here is the enormous ship 'Eurodam' with the mighty Vesuvius in the background:



However it was this picture that really made me nervous:



As always on his travels Robin somehow manages to find a music shop.
This one specialises in mandolins plus the rather unusual Italian guitar.
I can relax though as I have been assured that it has remained firmly on the top shelf.

Tracks 9 & 10 - 'Arrival' - Lennon/McCartney & Carulli

Lennon and McCartney's song 'Eleanor Rigby', track 9 on 'Arrival', requires little introduction.
However you may be interested to know that in Woolton Parish Church's churchyard, the place where Lennon and McCartney first met, there is a tombstone bearing the name 'Eleanor Rigby'.........
This arrangement was made by Peter Wiltschinsky and has always been very popular in concert, often being played as an encore.

Track 10 is by Fernando Carulli, 'Nocturne de Salon Op.227:I.Allegro II.Largo III.Allegretto'.
Fernando Carulli, also sometimes referred to as Ferdinando Carulli, was born in Naples in 1770, and was to become one of the most popular classical guitar composers and players of his time.
Carulli initially started playing the cello, but at the age of 20 discovered the guitar, and fell in love with the instrument.
At that time there were no guitar teachers in his native Naples, so he taught himself, developing his own style of playing, which later enabled him to write an excellent tutor book.

By the age of 38 he moved to Paris, where he lived for the rest of his life, composing more than 400 works.
To learn more about Carulli you can visit here.

"The Divine Giuliani" - Beethoven

Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) was born near Bari and was an Italian guitar virtuoso and composer.
He studied the cello and counterpoint, but the six-string guitar became his principle instrument early in life.
Earlier the five string guitar, known as a 'French guitar' was popular, but the instrument lagged behind the more popular lute and mandora. Once the sixth string was added, bottom E, the 'modern' guitar could at last reach the rank that the mandora had held in the musical world.

There were many fine guitarists in Italy at the beginning of the 19th century (Agliati, Carulli, Gragnani, Nava, etc), but many moved north in order to make a living.
Public interest at the time lay with opera and the guitar was seen as an accompaniment instrument. Giuliani did in fact write many works for voice and guitar throughout his life.
At this stage Italy didn't reward the talented individuals who chose to play the guitar as a solo chamber instrument.
Also, the sound level of a classical guitar circa 1800 was diminutive compared to other contemporary instruments, therefore making it difficult to be heard in the typical Italian theatre.
There was also widespread political instability at the time causing many conservatories to close, and along with a lack of competent publishing houses, there were enough reasons for Giuliani, and many others, to leave.
He settled in Vienna in 1806 and quickly became famous as the greatest living guitarist and a notable composer.

In 1808 Giuliani gave the premiere of his guitar concerto, with full orchestra, to great public acclaim.
From then on he led the classical guitar movement in Vienna, teaching, performing and composing a huge number of works for the guitar.

Giuliani moved in elite circles, in 1813 he played the cello in the premiere of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, in the company of Hummel, Mayseder and Spohr.

Giuliani had two talented children, Michel, who became a 'professeur de chant' at the Paris Conservatoire, and Emilia, who was also a famous guitar virtuoso and composer.

'Esercizio' by Giuliani, track 20 on 'Virtuoso', is, as it says, an exercise, or study. But like all the best studies it has huge musical value and isn't purely concerned with the mechanical aspects of playing the guitar.

Concerto Primavera - Robin Hill

Robin has been locked away in the music room all day practicing hard on the guitar. Whilst he was doing that, I was searching through one of the many piles of paper around the house and came across this:




(You can click on the image to enlarge, but it's a bit of a fiddle I'm afraid, I will try to resolve the problem!)

It is the review for the premiere of 'Concerto Primavera', and as you can see, it went down rather well.
Since then, it has been re-written for guitar and orchestra, and is equally as exciting.
Robin worked very hard that evening, in the first half Hill/Wiltschinsky performed some of their own pieces, and then, Carulli, Sor, Mendelssohn and Petite, before Vivaldi's G Major Concerto with the orchestra.
After a well deserved interval, Robin went back on stage with Simone Rebello and the orchestra for the grand finale.
It was very exciting for me to be in the audience and hear the concerto come to life after months of composing and rehearsal, I think I know every note of 'Concerto Primavera' as well as Robin does.
Maybe I was meant to find it today, Spring, after all, has arrived.

Hyperion Records, Carulli and Lovejoy

We had an interesting 'phone call today from Hyperion records.
Back in 1984 Hill/Wiltschinsky Guitar Duo recorded 'Virtuoso Music for Two Guitars' at Pluto Studios in Manchester.
This was their first recording which launched their careers.
Today Hyperion contacted us as one piece from this album had been used in an episode of 'Lovejoy' on BBC1.
For those not familiar with this t.v. programme, it is a series starring Ian McShane, about the shady dealings of an antique expert called 'Lovejoy', based on the novels by former doctor, Jonathan Gash.
As far as I know at this stage the piece they used was Carulli - Nocturne de Salon Op.227.
That's good news.