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Fernando Sor (1778-1839)
Biography
Blog Fernando Sor
Fernando Sor was born into a fairly well off and respected family, sometime in February of 1778. The exact date is not known, but it is known that he was baptized on February 14, 1778 in Barcelona, Spain as Jose Fernando Macarurio Sors. Although Sor wrote many other types of works for many mediums of performance including: piano, opera, and ballet, he is best remembered for his guitar studies, and other guitar works. They form an integral part in the study, and performance at concert level, of the guitar.
Besides being an excellent composer Sor was also a performer of the highest caliber and technical ability. His talent was so sought after that it took him throughout Europe and Asia to perform for some of the highest nobility of the day. He traveled to Russia and some of her sister countries playing in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Berlin, and Warsaw, in Moscow, he premiered his ballet Cendrillion, it turned out to be a success with both the public and the critics. Sor was also an accomplished singer and a prolific composer of opera and ballet music. His early training took place in the celebrated school of music of the Montserrat monastery near Barcelona and he was able to bring in his compositions for the guitar a degree of overall musicianship shared by few of his contemporaries and rivals. Sor published a quantity of music for guitar, some of it pedagogical in purpose and some of it for concert performance. Sor's output of didatic pieces was considerable, comprising in all 121 etudes of widely varying levels of difficulty. The first collections, Opus 6 and Opus 29, were unfortunately completely lacking in fingering. These were followed by the 24 lessons of Opus 31 which contained fingering and an occasional instructional note. Opus 35 and Opus 44, each containing 24 works directed to beginners, were fingered but without instructional comment; and the final publication, Opus 60 contained both fingering and comment and laid the groundwork for his method.
Sor's Methode pour la guitarre, published in 1830, is among the most important books on guitar technique. Sor wrote a number of boleros and seguidillas for voices and guitar, in addition to Spanish, Italian and English songs and duets for voice and piano. Sor's opera Telemaco nell'isola de Calipso (Telemachus on the Island of Calypso) was staged in Barcelona in 1797. Sor's other theatre music was principally for the ballet, including the successful Cendrillon (Cinderella).
Fernando Sor's last years were not happy ones. Both his wife and daughter died suddenly, one very shortly before the other. He himself suffered from cancer of the tongue and died in great pain on July 8th 1839. Buried in the cemetery of Montmartre, Paris, in the tomb of a friend, with no inscription, the last resting place of the greatest guitar composer of the nineteenth century was not identified until 1934.
List of Works (Opus No.): - 1. 6 Divertissements.
- 2. 6 Divertissements.
- 3. Varied Theme and Minuet.
- 4. Fantasy.
- 5. 6 Short Pieces.
- 6. 12 Studies.
- 7. Fantasy.
- 8. 6 Divertissements
- 9. Introduction and Variations on a Theme from "The Magic Flute" by Mozart.
- 10. Fantasy.
- 11. 2 Varied Themes and 12 Minuets.
- 12. Fantasy.
- 13. 6 Divertissements. 1819.
- 14. Grand Solo. 1822.
- 15a. Folies d'Espagne et un Menuet. 1822. (Meissonnier). 1810. (Castro).
- 15b. Sonata Seconda in C major. 1822. (Meissonnier). 1810. (Castro).
- 15c. Theme Varie in C major. 1822. (Meissonnier). 1810. (Castro).
- 16. Cinquieme Fantaise. (Introduction , Theme and Variations on "Nel Cor Piu" by Paisillo").
- 17. 6 Waltzes.
- 18. 6 Waltzes.
- 19. 6 Airs from the "Magic Flute".
- 20. Introduction and Varied Theme.
- 21. "Les Adieux".
- 22. Grand Sonata. 1825.
- 23. Divertissements. 1825. (Meissonnier).
- 24. 8 Short Pieces. 1825.
- 25. Grand Sonata. 1827.
- 26. Introduction and Variations on " Que Ne Suis-Je La Fougere!". 1827.
- 27. Introduction and Variations on " Gentil Housard". 1827.
- 28. Introduction and Variations on " Malbrough S'En-Va-t-En Guerre". 1827.
- 29. 12 Studies. (Continuation of op, 6.).
- 30. Fantasy and Brilliant Variations. 1828.
- 31. 24 Progressive Lessons for Beginners.
- 32. 6 Short Pieces.
- 33. 3 Society Pieces. 1828. ( Last Publication by Meissonnier).
- 34. L'Encouragement. (Duet). 1828. (Pacini).
- 35. 24 Exercises. 1828. ( First Publication by Pacini).
- 36. (In Simrock Edition this op, No. is given as 3 Society Pieces. But is the same composition as op, 34.).
- 37. Serenade.
- 38. Divertissements. ( Duet). 1829-30. ( Pacini).
- 39. 6 Waltzes. (Duet). 1829-30. ( Pacini).
- 40. Fantasy and Variations on a Scottish Air.
- 41. Les Deux Amis. (Duet). 1829-30. (Pacini).
- 42. 6 Short Pieces.
- 43. "Mes Ennius" - 6 Bagatelles.
- 44. 24 Studies.
- 44, bis. 6 Easy Waltzes. (Duet). 1831. (Pacini).
- 45. 6 Pieces.
- 46. "Souvenir of Friendship". 1831.
- 47. 6 Short Pieces. 1832.
- 48. "How do you like this ?" - Rondo. 1832.
- 49. Military Divertissement. (Duet). 1832. (Pacini).
- 50. "La Calm". 1832.
- 51. "À la Bonne Heure" - 6 Waltzes. 1832.
- 52. Fantasy Villagoise.
- 53. "The First Step". ( Duet). 1832. ( Pacini).
- 54. Concert Piece. 1832.
- 54. bis. Fantasy. (Duet)
- 55. 3 Easy Duets. (Duet).
- 56. "An Evening in Berlin".
- 57. 6 Waltzes and a Galop. 1834.
- 58. Easy Fantasy.
- 59. Elegiac Fantasy.
- 60. 25 Progressive Studies.
- 61. 3 Easy Duets. (Duet). 1836-7. ( Pacini).
- 62. Divertissements. (Duet). 1837-8. ( Pacini).
- 63. "Souvenir of Russia. (Duet).
[Adapted from Music on the Web and other sources].
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