Andrés
Torres Segovia was a Spanish classical guitarist, born in Linares on February
21 1893. He is widely regarded as one of the most important figures for the
classical guitar in the beginning and mid 20th century – the man who "rescued
the guitar from the hands of flamenco gypsies" and built up a classical
repertoire to give it a place in concert halls.
In recognition of his contributions to music and the arts, Segovia was ennobled
June 24th, 1981 by the King of Spain (S.M. el rey Juan Carlos) who elevated
Segovia into the first hereditary marquess of Salobreña. He died on June
2nd 1987.
[Segovia is one of the two great heroes of Linares. The other is Manuel Laureano
Rodríguez Sánchez, a bull-fighter better known as Manolete, who
died in combat at the age of 30 and achieved mystical character. The Linares
bullring contains within its walls a shrine to his memory, and his death put
the remote town on the map. If you have the nerve you can watch this video
on Manolete's Death (in Spanish). For the 60th anniversary of his death
a film was made: Blood
of the Matador, with Adrien Brody and Penelope Cruz. We reported on Manolete
in a Linares
report in 2003.]
But back to the first great son of which Linares is so proud. A statue of Segovia
dominates the main prominade and a museum is maintained, the Centro de Documentación
Musical Museo Andrés Segovia, which our reporter in Linares, Nadja
Woisin, visited.
The famous statue of Andrés Segovia in Linares
The clock of the Ayuntamiento (City Council) of Linares is adorned with
the silhouette of a guitar and, on the hour, offers music fragments of Segovia's
work "Estudio sin luz" (Study without light).
Unassuming: the entrance to the Segovia Museum
Inside: the patio of the museum
The museum gardens with the obligatory fruit-bearing orange trees
The guitars of Andrés Segovia
The curator of the museum told Nadja a story about the time, in 1912, when
Segovia was not yet famous and did not have the money to buy the guitar he wanted.
So he went to the famous guitar manufacturer José
Ramírez and and said: "I am Andrés Segovia, a guitarist.
I've come to Madrid a few days ago to give a concert, but the guitar I have,
Sr. Ramirez, doesn't respond to what I demand of it. I would like you to provide
me with the best instrument you currently have. I can't afford to buy such an
instrument, but I would be willing to rent it just as music stores rent concert
pianos. Moreover, if the guitar serves me well, and I like it, I will propose
that you sell it to me."
Somewhat taken back by the proposition, Sr. Ramirez asked an assistant to
get a guitar they had produced for a musician who had complained that it lacked
volume and sustain; that some notes were duller than others; that the frets
were uneven -- trying with his criticism to reduce the price. Segovia began
to play the guitar and Ramirez, upon hearing him, said he could not rent it
to him but only give it to him as a gift. Segovia used the 1912 Ramirez for
the next 25 years of his career, and today it is in the Metropolitan Museum
of New York. The one in the picture above is a similar instrument made my Ramirez.
A cabinet with casts of the hands of the great magician of the guitar
The hands that musically enchanted the world
Awards, and pictures of those famous hands
Personal belongings: pipes, spectacles, passports
The golden cuff-links of a great guitarist
Countless plaques and certificates honoring the artist
Pictures, books, his rocking chair, his piano – memories of Andrés
Segovia
All pictures by Nadja Woisin in Linares
Listen to Segovia
Don't read our Linares reports, don't replay the games – watch the following
video with Andrés Segovia. Listen to him speak about his Andalusian homeland,
his musical development, in his charming Andalusian intonation ("I cannot
remember when I was born – I was told that it was in
Linares"). As background music you hear the famous guitar piece "Recuerdos
de la Alhambra". If you are not deeply moved by this video, seek medical
council. What a great man, what a great instrument, what a great musician! In
the second video he plays and recites the piece he speaks about at the end of
the first.
Segovia plucked the strings with a combination of his fingernails and fingertips,
producing a sharper sound than most of his contemporaries. With this technique,
it was possible to create a wider range of timbres, or tones, than when using
the fingertips or nails alone. Historically, classical guitarists have debated
which of these techniques is the best approach. While the majority now play
with a combination of the fingernails/tips, some still prefer the convenience
and mellower sound of flesh alone.
If you are lured by the above (as we were) into spending a few hours immersed
in the music of Andrés Segovia, you can find any number of pieces here
in YouTube.
