THE CLASSICAL GUITAR

8 Wednesday Evenings 7-9pm in Encino
January 13-March 2, 2016

Wednesday January 13th at 7:00 PM
Wednesday January 20th at 7:00 PM
Wednesday January 27th at 7:00 PM
Wednesday February 3rd at 7:00 PM
Wednesday February 10th at 7:00 PM
Wednesday February 17th at 7:00 PM
Wednesday February 24th at 7:00 PM
Wednesday March 2nd at 7:00 PM

During the 20th century, Andrés Segovia established the classical guitar as a solo concert instrument on par with the piano and violin. Guitar recitals and concertos became a regular feature on symphonic series. Names like Julian Bream, Narciso Yepes, Christopher Parkening, and Pepe and Angel Romero were as familiar to concert audiences as Isaac Stern, Alfred Brendel, Claudio Arrau, or Martha Argerich. Since Segovia’s death, that has changed. Now it is more novelty than norm to hear guitar in major concert halls. Most classical listeners cannot name the current guitar luminaries or recognize its standard repertoire. How could this happen?

In this series, we’ll discuss this mystery. We will explore the instrument itself, its unique acoustic properties and effects . Then we will rekindle knowledge of its music, beginning with Renaissance and Baroque transcriptions, moving forward to the 19th century Classic and golden Romantic eras, and then to the vast 20th century explosion of new works that established the guitar as a major solo, chamber, and concerto instrument. Finally, we will assess Segovia’s legacy and compare the current classical guitar culture with general classical audiences.

Each evening will combine my live performance of guitar music with recordings and spirited discussion. These evenings are open to all curious music lovers. No previous knowledge of classical guitar or technical musical understanding is required. The goal is simply to stimulate appreciation and a lifelong love for one of the world’s most important musical instruments and its repertoire.