Dear Jon,
Sorry I missed your words of praise for me on another thread. I should NOT
have yelled at you even if you had said nasty things about me.
But one keeps hearing the same story over and over. So much so that you can't
help shouting. That's because everyone looks in the logical place, Berlioz's
book on orchestration, where there is a brief discussion of the guitar. But no
mention about the miniature orchestra. So you get the oft told tale that it is
NOT by Berlioz but by Beethoven. ("Afterall, I looked and it ain't their.")
The comment is of interest, because Berlioz's major instrument was guitar (and
fife). And sometimes in his orchestral works you can almost hear the strumming
of guitar. The next time you hear a work by Berlioz, listen carefully and I
think you will recognize guitar figurations. He must have composed "at the
guitar."
----- Original Message -----
From: Jon Murphy
To: Arthur Ness ; LGS-Europe ; Lute Net ; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 5:17 PM
Subject: Re: OT: Mozart for guitar
Arthur,
If I may, and I did spend some typing time saying how much I respect your
opinion on another thread, may I ask you not to "shout" at me. I did say that
it was a vague memory that the quote was from Mozart, and that it was probably
apochryphal. You don't need the caps "NOT from Mozart", nor the "NOT from
Beethoven". You could simply say "I recognize the quote and it was from an
obscure Parisian journal and attributed to Berlioz". ]
When speculative answers are given to questions it is not a matter for
"correction" in the sense of a beating, merely for a gentle correction with the
facts. Should we deny the speculative answers then we would lose the threads of
consciousness that lead to real answers.
Best, Jon
----- Original Message -----
From: Arthur Ness
To: Jon Murphy ; LGS-Europe ; Lute Net ; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 4:04 AM
Subject: Re: OT: Mozart for guitar
The quotation that the guitar is like a miniature orchestra is NOT from
Mozart. The quotation is NOT from Beethoven. The quotation is in an essay
about the guitar that BERLIOZ wrote for an obscure Parisian journal of the
arts, _Debats_ (8 June 1855).
While we're on the subject, there is no evidence that Chopin declared that
the only sound lovelier than one guitar is two. That seems to be a paraphrase
of something Mozart also did NOT say, "The only thing worse than one flute, is
two."
Beethoven is sometimes said to have attended a guitar recital by Giuliani.
If he did, of course, he heard nothing! He even wrote a little note to one of
his Viennese publishers, asking "please give my regards to Giuliani." Of
course, the publisher's Giuliani might be the guy who polished up the brass on
the big front door. The guitarist Giuliani played 'cello in the first
performance of the Seventh Symphony, but I imagine Beethoven didn't hear him
that time, either. He wasn't asked back to play in the Eighth. The point?
There's no factual basis for the belief common in the guitar world that
Giuliani influenced Beethoven. They may never even have spoken to one another.
Oh yes, I also doubt that Schubert had a guitar hanging on the wall above
his bed.
This should end Guitar Mythology 101 for tonite.
----- Original Message -----
From: Jon Murphy
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [email protected] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2005 3:40 PM
Subject: Re: OT: Mozart for guitar
Also OT,
In my aging memory there is a quote from Mozart (probably apochryphal).
"The
guitar is an orchestra unto itself". I have no idea where I saw it, or
heard
it, but it was many years ago so I have lost the context. If the quote is
accurate then it might imply that Mozart might have had guitar sounds in
mind when writing for piano.
Best, Jon
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