My Guitar 1

Posted by Illuci (Hurdegaryp, Netherlands) on 17 December 2007 in Lifestyle & Culture and Portfolio.

I produced it from its case in the attic, where it stood untouched for three years, after a friend of mine stimulated me to play with him pieces for flute and guitar. Oh, my guitar, forgive me for being so negligent!

Can she excuse my wrongs with virtue’s cloak?
shall I call her good when she proves unkind?
Are those clear fires which vanish into smoke?
must I praise the leaves where no fruit I find?
No, no: where shadows do for bodies stand,
thou may’st be abused if thy sight be dim.
Cold love is like to words written on sand,
or to bubbles which on the water swim.
John Dowland (1563 - 1626)

Listen to this ancient song played by a guitar trio (I used to play it on one) on YouTube.

The most beautiful piece of music I find the arrangement for guitar of J.S. Bach's "Chaconne", originally composed for violin, of which I possess a performance by Alirio Diaz. It's too difficult for me to play, but my guitar teacher told me 37 years ago that when he heard it played by Andres Segovia (listen to him playing the piece on YouTube), he decided to follow a guitar study at the Conservatory of Tilburg, and not rest until he could play it. Recently I heard a piano arrangement composed by Johannes Brahms, to be played only with the left hand, because Brahms (who loved Bach's music very much) wanted to feel the tensions in the left hand. This piece of music brought me temporarily in heaven again! I never heard music I found more beautiful, harmonious, rythmical, tale-telling, singing, contrasting, poetic etc.

The guitarist who inspired me most is JUlian Bream. Listen to how he plays Bach's violin sonata fugue on YouTube.

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