Segovia, Andrés

Segovia, Andrés (ändrās` sāgō`vyä), 1893–1987, Spanish guitarist. Segovia studied at the Granada Musical Institute. He is famous for his transcriptions of early contrapuntal music, which have shown the possibilities of the guitar as a concert instrument. Through concerts and recordings he was largely responsible for the 20th-century resurgence of interest in the guitar and its music. Composers who have written works for him include de Falla, Ponce, Rodrigo, Roussel, and Villa-Lobos.

Bibliography

See his autobiography (1920, tr. 1976); R. Galatt, Music Makers (1953); V. Bobri, The Segovia Technique (1972).

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Segovia, Andrés

Andrés Segovia.

(credit: AP)

(born Feb. 21, 1893, Linares, Spain—died June 2, 1987, Madrid) Spanish guitarist. Almost entirely self-taught, he made his debut in Grenada in 1909 and by the 1920s was touring internationally; he continued to perform into his 90s. He was by far the most important force in making the guitar a concert instrument. He commissioned works by Manuel de Falla, Albert Roussel, and Heitor Villa-Lobos, and he arranged music ranging from the Renaissance to the 19th century for solo guitar.

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Segovia, Andrés 

Born Feb. 21, 1893, at Linares, Jaén Province. Spanish guitarist. Now residing in Geneva.

A self-taught musician, Segovia began giving concerts in Europe and America at the age of 14. He first appeared in the USSR in 1926. His playing is distinguished by exceptional virtuosity and profound interpretations. By expanding the technical and expressive capacity of the guitar and incorporating into his repertoire both classical and contemporary works—many in his own adaptations—Segovia raised guitar playing to a high artistic level. Composers who wrote works for, and dedicated to, Segovia include J. Turina, J. Manén, A. Roussel, M. Castelnuovo-Tedesco, C. Scott, H. Villa-Lobos, and A. Tansman.

REFERENCES

Vaisbord, M. “Andres Segoviia v Moskve.” Muzykal’naia zhizn’, 1971, no. 20.
Gavoty, B. A. Segovia. Geneva-Monaco [1955].
Usillos, C. Segovia. [Bilbao, Spain, 1973.]