Michael Coy
TODAY, 21 February, marks the day that Andres Segovia, one of the most influential guitar players ever, was born.
Andres, born in 1893, transformed the status of the guitar, particularly in the Spanish-speaking world.
Before him, the instrument was played casually in bars and cafes all over Andalucia, but it lacked serious respect.
Through Andres’ exquisite technique, and the many works that composers wrote for him, the guitar became a globally respected product, played in concert halls around the world.
There is no doubt that his greatness calls for remembrance.
Andres was born in Linares, Jaen, but he was sent to live with his uncle and aunt, Eduardo and Maria, from a very young age.
They quickly recognized the boy’s musical talent but Linares had inadequate musical resources.
In order to foster Andres’ talent, the uncle moved the family to Granada where there was better education.
Andres was introduced to flamenco in Granada but quickly came to reject it, and throughout his life was known for his criticism of the musical genre.
In the early 20th century, composers such as Manuel de Falla were looking to make flamenco mainstream, but Andres instead chose to pursue the classical repertoire.
He made his debut as a professional guitarist in Granada in 1909, at the age of 16.
Andres’ gifts were instantly recognized, leading to wider demand for his concerts in France and Italy.
This led to his eventual artistic conquest of America.
After the First World War, Andres spent lots of time touring South America, and found himself in the US at the end of the 1920s.
Here he met Heitor Villa-Lobos, one of Brazil’s greatest ever composers, who started writing pieces specifically for the Spaniard.
Andres’ fame rapidly spread throughout Europe and America, both north and south, as he entered the 1930s.
The unstable and dangerous nature of Spain in the latter part of this decade, however, saw the musician move to Montevideo, Uruguay.
He continued to establish himself in South America throughout the 1940s, performing regular concerts.
It was also in this continent that Andres found a successful formula for the second half of his career.
He would continue to maintain a schedule of touring the Americas and Europe, while frequently recording his music, for the next 40 years, until he died in 1987.
After his death, brought about by a heart attack in Madrid, he was buried on the grounds of his old home in Linares, which is now a museum dedicated to his greatness.
His obituary was published on the front page of the New York Times, something not even granted to US Presidents.
To witness his melodic playing, you need only type his name into YouTube.Here at the Olive Press, we recommend Andres’ cover of Francisco Tarrega’s ‘Memories of the Alhambra’, recorded more than a century ago.
