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Date January 8, 2024

Draft # 1 ________

1. Gonzalo Noel Misa, Purok Bayanihan, Banilad, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental

ginomisa@gmail.com

Doctor of Philosophy, Music Performance

PhD Dissertation.

I have read this proposal and believe it is ready for consideration by the Graduate Committee.

Dissertation Adviser ________________ Dr. Rolan Ambrocio ____________

signature print name Date

Committee Member ________________ Dr. ____________ ____________

signature print name Date

Committee Member ________________ Dr. ____________ ____________

signature print name Date

Committee Member ________________ Dr. ____________ ____________

signature print name Date

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2. Proposed Title

A Survey of 19th Guitar and Keyboard Duets: A performance guide on the works of Molino,

Carulli, Carcassi, Hummel, and Mertz.

3. Intent and Scope of Study

One of the most overlooked or avoided combinations in guitar related chamber music today is

that of the piano and the guitar. Though issues like volume disparity and repertoire awareness have been

discussed.i Simple solutions such as amplification and a considerably vast repertoire by leading guitar

composers exist to address these issues.

The guitar during the guitaromanie in the first half of 19th century Central Europe was also

closely associated with vocal accompaniment and chamber music. It was also a considerably popular

concert as well as outdoor instrument; popular with the public but criticized by the press.ii This period too

marked the heyday of the piano-guitar duo, which was followed by a sudden decline of performances of

this type towards the end of the nineteenth century, usually attributed to the evolution of both

instruments.iii

The average pianist, guitarist, or even music listener today is likely aware of only a small fraction

of all published music for piano-guitar duo from the guitaromanie until the 21st century, and also likely

has no idea on the sonic properties of 19th century instruments.iv The apparent lack of interest today for

piano-guitar duos may be linked to the evolution of the characteristics of the piano and guitar, which may

have in turn impacted the characteristics of the pianist and guitarist themselves, potentially creating a

disconnect.v Pianists have continued their long chamber music within the mainstream circle of classical

musicians, while guitarists have tended to drift towards solo music, impairing their sight reading skills

and in some, their musicianship.vi

The changes of the piano and the guitar since the biedermeier period were significant enough to

be among the main contributing factors that led to the disconnect of the piano and guitar as a duo.vii Such
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were the changes that these early 19th-century instruments are identified today by different names from

their modern counterparts, such as the early nineteenth century guitar, early romantic guitar, or romantic

guitar, and the Viennese fortepiano or the fortepiano. I will refer to them as the early nineteenth century

guitar, and Viennese fortepiano. For the purpose of this study, I will refer to them as the early nineteenth-

century guitar and Viennese fortepiano.

With this research, I will attempt to discuss and identify factors contributing to the modern-day

incompatibility of the piano-guitar duo, as well as demonstrate that the often neglected 19th century

repertoire of piano-guitar duets can be musically relevant within the context of today’s guitaristic idioms.

This will be achieved by conducting a survey of piano-guitar duo literature with compositions from

leading composers such as Molino, Carulli, Carcassi, Hummel, and Mertz, with the pieces that I had

performed in my Recital 803 subject.

4. Statement of Primary Thesis

Piano-guitar duets are neglected because of the disconnect created by the evolution of the sonic

characteristics of the duo’s instruments. However, through exploring technical and idiomatic adjustments

while challenging accepted techniques, theories, and philosophies, it is possible to make the combination

more musically relevant with renewed idiomatic understanding for piano-guitar duet performance,

arrangement, and composition.

5. Review of Scholarly Literature

Theses and dissertations

One of the pioneering doctoral dissertations on piano-guitar duos, Sam Desmet’s A

Practical Guide for Composing and Performing Guitar-Piano Chamber Music, Desmet talks

about many aspects that have to do with guitar and piano ensemble playing. Besides writing a

performance guide, Desmet also discusses the history of the guitar and piano including its
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construction, the practical side of playing chamber music like its benefits and how to promote,

and composing for piano and guitar duet. Desmet states that guitarists nowadays focus on solo

music and much less on chamber music compared to other instrumentalists or even than the

guitarists of the 19th century. He also points out that during the Biedermeier period in Central

Europe, the guitar and piano had its heyday as a duo, and also questions why the trend stopped

there. Desmet also mentions the “Solo Virtuoso Syndrome”, and claims that guitarists are

dealing with a “serious” image problem. Desmet implies that the isolation of the guitar as a solo

instrument is the problem as to why it is not as accepted today as much as in the past by

musicians and the general public as a serious concert instrument. Desmet writes that the guitar’s

involvement in chamber music would be good for its popularity, and that the interest of

composers has been growing since the second half of the twentieth century. He warns however

that the guitar has no place in the orchestra due to its lower volume compared to other

instruments, but there is no mention of the use of amplification, which is often used in concerts.

Desmet also mentions that the guitar is in its early stages of development, implying that its

direction now is towards merging into the circle of standard classical music instruments. Desmet

goes on in length about the benefits of playing chamber music as a guitarist and gives insights on

financial considerations and repertoire selection which definitely pertain to the modern guitar

and piano. He also suggests that guitarists should have musical and technical skills at par with

other musicians. Desmet also discusses a brief history of piano and guitar music and states that

the evolution of both instruments clearly shows why there aren’t as many duets anymore. He also

mentions that composers later like Schoenberg began to use guitar in their chamber music

compositions because of its color palette, and that other composers successfully followed suit.

Desmet also give a brief account on the evolution from the baroque guitar to the early romantic
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guitar, and suggests that the general desire among all musicians to produce louder instruments

was instrumental in the formation of the romantic guitar. He also enumerates some innovations

on the instrument during the 19th century, and mentions that Fernando Sor preferred the fan

bracing and that he gave directions to Jose Panormo for some of his guitars. Desmet also

suggests that virtuosos had a hand at influencing the evolution of the guitar, since they were the

ones who played in large concert halls, while the amateurs played mostly in houses. Desmet also

narrates how Torres innovated the guitar, and how the new design is more efficient in concert

halls but can be too thick in small rooms, all to which I disagree with. He also gives a somewhat

linear and elementary narration on the development of the piano, and states that the most number

of works for piano and guitar duet were written in the Biedermeier period due to their matching

timbre and volume. Desmet also gives a general summary on the history of guitar and piano

duets by geography and era, as well as a catalog of works for piano and guitar duo. He also gives

tips on piano and guitar duo composition and performance. The article is relevant to my topic,

since it discusses piano and guitar duets.

Stephen Mattingly discusses in his PhD treatise Franz Schubert's Chamber Music with

Guitar: A Study of the Guitar's Role in Biedermeier Vienna Franz Schubert’s guitar music, as

well as the instrument’s role during the Biedermeier period in Vienna. He discusses the

Biedermeier period in general, but focuses more on Schubert as an individual during the said

period, including his family, education, circle of friends, social status, and his contributions to

the guitar. Mattingly also discusses musical recreational activities with the guitar and its cultural

significance, providing images of paintings depicting Schubert with a group of musicians in

outdoor settings. He also mentions that amateur concerts and house and salon performances, as

well as professional events were common, and all these included the guitar. Mattingly also
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mentions Schubert’s contemporaries whose compositions with guitar were consumed by the

general public, namely Diabelli, Giuliani, Hummel, Rossini, Verdi, Paganini, Boccherini, Spohr,

Berlioz, and Carl Maria von Weber. Mattingly also mentions several professional guitarists

during this time, such as Leonhard von Call, Simon Molitor, Wenzeslaus Matiegka, Joseph

Wanczura, Anton Diabelli, Mauro Giuliani, Luigi Legnani, Friedrich Pfeifer, and Wilhelm

Klingenbrunner. He also identifies common musical aspects of the Biedermeier period, such as

simple harmonic structure, concise phrases, and optimistic subject matter. Mattingly also gives

examples of piano accompaniment following the guitar’s idiom, attesting to the guitar’s

popularity. He then discusses performance practices of guitar technique and accompaniment.

Other topics he discusses are guitar methods and studies. He also discusses examples of works

by Giuliani, Aguado, and Schubert, including guitar transcriptions. This article is relevant to my

topic, as it shows how popular the guitar was during the biedermeier era, which may be the basis

of considering that guitar and piano duets were also very common among amateurs.

Matthew Mazanek discusses guitar improvisation from 1760-1860 in his doctoral

dissertation Implicit Curriculum: Improvisation Pedagogy in Guitar Methods 1760-1860 . He

has five chapters in his dissertation. In Chapter 1, he discusses methodology and provides an

overview of the improvisation practices and method books. He discusses perspectives that we

must be made aware of, emphasizing that improvisation frameworks should be time and period-

based so as to not homogenize classical music. He gives examples of improvisation teachings of

keyboard performance practices that disregard fretboard harmony and tendencies that jazz

musicians are skilled at. Chapter 2 discusses the early methods (1760-1800), which predates the

period to be discussed in my dissertation, Mazanek discusses French methods pre and during the

French revolution, plucked string in the German confederation, and methods in the Iberian
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peninsula. Mazanek states that during the pre-French revolution, students usually learned

improvisation through improvised preludes, dance forms, as well as full quarter-note chords in

song accompaniment, where the guitar was used the most. During the French revolution, he

states that guitarists used preluding as a means to familiarize themselves with the fretboards. He

also states that folies d‘Espagne was a popular medium for teaching improvisation. Mazanek

mentions a guitarist, Pierre-Jean Porro, and quotes him on giving some instruction on how to

play a prelude. He also states that modulation was not just a musical idea, but an instrumental

technique. Mazanek states that Spanish methods were less detailed, since rhythms and patterns

were common knowledge in Spain compared to France. Chapter 3 discusses the middle period

methods (1800-1860), which covers the early romantic period. Mazanek paints an interesting

picture of events during the French revolution with Paris as the most important center for guitar

music publication, later on being joined by German-speaking cities. He also states that Vienna

developed a strong guitar community with Giuliani at the forefront. He also suggests that anti-

monarchical sentiments may have contributed to the popularity of the guitar. He also states that

the guitar found its ideal home in more intimate salons, and not in the concert hall. Mazanek

discusses preluding, and reveals that its purpose was versatile depending on the guitarist and era,

from practicing arpeggios, to left hand chords. He discusses Molino’s methods, praising how

well made the preludes are from a pedagogical perspective in improvisation. He also discusses

and provides important information about Mauro and Emilia Giuliani, Carulli and Aguado.

Mazanek then discusses the pedagogy of modulation, as well as vocal accompaniment pedagogy.

In Chapter 4 he gives an analytical commentary and discusses “templates” of chords in different

functions and in different positions taught in various methods. In Chapter 5 where he discusses

today’s practice, the pedagogy of interpretation, Mazanek states that the mechanist pedagogy,
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which focuses almost entirely on physical movements, is a clear departure from the previous

methods. He states that in order to expand the canon, one must commission new works, or play

extant works. Mazanek elaborates on the differences between the two main paradigms of

pedagogy. In his conclusion, he states that the older guitar methods developed mastery of

musical idioms, rather than physical control. He also states that preluding was replaced by the

study of technical etudes. Finally, Mazanek suggests that it is possible to reincorporate

improvisation to our practice, but it must be institutionalized. I partially agree, as it is possible to

introduce newer practices in improvisation that are more appropriate with current practices. This

dissertation is relevant to my topic, as it gives a clear idea on how the guitar behaved in piano-

guitar duets, and that the decline of this behavior may have been a factor in the decline of duets

composed and played.

In his Master of Music dissertation The Development of Right Hand Guitar Technique

with Reference to Sound Production, Gerrit Lukas Roos discusses the development of right hand

guitar technique, with reference to sound production. He states that misinformation on right hand

technique prompted him to write his dissertation, and claims that once the reader understands,

they can adjust their technique accordingly to achieve the desired sound. Roos discusses the right

hand techniques and their theoretical aspect in the methods through given periods, starting from

the Renaissance period. He also discusses other issues, like the use of nails. In his discussion of

the development of the guitar, he states that Torres standardized the guitar, in terms of

measurements and sound. He also states that the quality of tone of the Torres was “better”, but

his point being that right hand positions now could change to make use of the newfound tonal

palette. Roos also states that the longer string allowed more sustain, and the bigger body

produced more overtones, as if those are good things. I find this statement representative of most
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guitarists, but Malcolm Bilson did a good demonstration on why short sustain is appropriate in

Mozart’s idioms. The same seems true for the guitar, as the romantic guitar can bring out slurred

sections with more clarity compared to the modern guitar. In content related to the piano, Roos

mentions that Giuliani used natural harmonics in his compositions where the guitar plays with

other instruments such as the piano. He also states that Sor disliked playing with nails and

likened the naily sound to the harpsichord, and the nailless sound to the fortepiano. Roose writes

a short scientific section relating nails and harmonics. He also discusses partials in relation to the

nail ramp. This article is relevant to my topic as it explores the sound of the guitar in terms of

partials and clarity, and not in brute force volume, in which I think may be one of the important

approaches to making the piano and guitar work as a duo and not cancel out each other’s sound.

Books

Andrew Bowie in his book Aesthetics and Subjectivity discusses in depth the evolution of

aesthetics and subjectivity from Kant to Nietzsche. This source provides important connections

and implications between perspectives on aesthetics and subjectivity and the evolution of the

piano and guitar from the biedermeier to the contemporary period.

The Great Vogue of the Guitar is a book with several chapters by various authors. In the

overview, Christopher Page discusses the “great vogue” of guitar in the early 1800’s. This

occurrence does not have any standard term, as some know it as “guitar mania”, and some,

especially students, just refer to it as the “classical period” in terms of their repertory. Page gives

a good narration on how the six-string classical guitar at the turn of the century became a trend,

citing publications and statements by some people during the time on how quick the guitar was

gaining popularity. He also states that method books for guitar flooded the market, outnumbering
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other instruments. Page also states that the guitar, which became extremely popular in a short

period of time, was also “uniquely contested”. He also briefly discusses some popular names

during the vogue, such as Moretti, Sor, and Aguado. Page discusses the “fashion” factor in the

vogue of the guitar as a product, as it was undeniably present. He also noted the sharp shift in

taste in its transition to a single course instrument, but states that there 1780 guitars built for

single courses. Page refers to “octave ambiguity”, which has a connection to Thomas

Christensen’s The Spanish Baroque Guitar and Seventeenth-Century Triadic Theory. He also

states that guitar strings used to be thinner for a more thin and brilliant sound, as mentioned by

Carulli in 1812. He then discusses the use of nails, and simplified perspectives from both schools

of thought. He also discusses how other players referred to the practices of other instruments,

including the concept of the “intention of the composer”. He also states also that the guitar had a

tremendous effect on the encouragement of amateur composition. Page also discusses the decline

of the guitar trend and its contributing factors. He states that the decline at least in Vienna was

evident in 1819, based on the decrease in publications. He also quotes Berlioz in stating that in

1843, the guitar was rarely heard. He also states that Berlioz attributed it to the rise of the piano,

but does not agree fully with Berlioz. Page also uses the term “silver age” with Mertz and

Legnani, stating that they did not compose chamber music for groups with guitar. He also states

that aging and dying luthiers may have been a factor. Page brings up an interesting concept- the

real guitar, which always has deficiencies; and the ideal guitar, the romanticized and idealized

version we are all familiar with. He suggests that only a few people, like Giuliani, have brought

out the highest potential of the guitar. This implies that the dying out of such artists was also a

major contribution to the guitar’s decline, at least in the concert halls. The article is relevant to
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my topic because it provides important information on the guitar’s history and development of

qualities.

Journal articles

In Schubert’s Piano Music and the Pianos of His Time, Malcolm Bilson gives examples

of Haydn and Beethoven works that have textures of clumped chords and running melodies far

apart, whether high or low and says that the texture implies that they were written for the early

piano and cannot work well for a modern Steinway grand piano. Bilson predicts that the time

will come when musicians and audiences will embrace pianos with wooden frames, thinner

strings and buckskin covered hammers for their “tone colors and clarity and alertness”. Bilson

also quoted another critic, Andrew Porter for the New Yorker, who commented on baroque to

early romantic performances on the modern piano as “great interpretations superbly executed on

the wrong instrument”. He also questions the prevailing attitude that early pianos are mere

stepping stones to the modern piano. Bilson mentions that the music of Schubert, Schumann, and

post-opus. 31 Beethoven would work better on a larger Viennese fortepiano, more so than

Mozart or Haydn. Bilson writes about Schubert’s music and the pianos during his time, and he

starts by describing the two pianos that were being simultaneously developed around 1790, the

Viennese fortepiano and the English pianoforte. According to Bilson, the difference between the

advantages of the two is that the fortepiano was light, responsive and sensitive, while the

pianoforte was more powerful with a fuller tone. Bilson states that the English piano became the

norm in France and later on in the United States, while the Viennese piano was still preferred in

all other places. Streicher, the famous piano maker who was also mentioned, said in a letter that

he personally prefers English pianos, but knows that the Germans would not approve for its lack
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of sensitivity. Bilson in his own words tries to make sense of the preferences and begins by

saying that the most important characteristic of an instrument is its sound, and discusses tone

decay, which was a major issue and resolved by tightening the string tension. Bilson illustrates

what Schubert’s piano might have been like: less tension, little or no iron reinforcement, smaller

wooden hammers with at least one layer of soft leather, Viennese action, leather covered

dampers. The descriptions for the sound were, “more attack, less tone”, “quicker release, more

decay”, lighter and more direct feel, less “juicy” than a modern piano. Bilson also points out that

this also came with greater articulation, and a certain “sweetness” that was absent in the English

piano, and even in today’s modern piano. He then discusses how decay time and tension

threshold are related to “expressive considerations' ', and uses Schubert passages to point out and

explains why those passages would be more effective on a fortepiano. Bilson does a good job of

vividly explaining what sections of Schubert’s pieces would have sounded like on the fortepiano

instead of the modern piano. This article may be relevant to my research because it seems to put

on view a lot of parallelisms with some of my personal observations on the romantic versus

modern guitar.

In another of his articles, Malcolm Bilson discusses the issue of music interpretation in

The Future of Schubert Interpretation: What Is Really Needed? when playing Schubert, but gives

an example of Rachmaninov’s performance of Mozart, whose interpretation was shunned by

some audience members for not following the “text”, but is argued to have been as flexible as

Mozart would have been. Bilson expresses his dismay on David Montgomery’s article on

Schubert interpretation, which according to him, takes us to the opposite direction in terms of

performance practice. He expresses dismay again at mainstream performers who play without

creativity and imagination for the sake of scholarliness, and argues that the concept of musicians
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playing with passion and emotion as rich and deep as possible is not just a concept of

romanticism, but also a very important point of 19th century treatises. Bilson states that historical

performance practices have become all about thou shalt not and seems to be somewhat triggered

with Susan Kagan’s suggestion of putting a “Warning!” label on a Schubert recording for taking

liberties, and likens it to those who criticize players just for having liberties at all. Bilson also

goes on about a mainstream classical pianist who is supposedly a noted Schubert player but does

not meet the bare minimum of Schubert playing in Bilson’s book. Bilson also points out the

importance of sacrosanctity versus context. He discusses performance philosophies between

composers such as Hummel, Beethoven, Czerny. He then again compares the different schools of

thought to today’s “regularization” in playing. This article is relevant to my topic because it

gives important insights on performance practices that no doubt the guitar was part of since it

was commonly matched with the fortepiano in duets.

In The Viennese Fortepiano of the Late 18th Century, Bilson writes in the first person

perspective. He states that he has been playing pre-19th century Viennese fortepianos with 5

octaves, which he later on refers to as the “Mozart piano”. He also includes subjective insights

such as the sound of the fortepiano being “so light and thin” compared to the “big sound” of the

romantic piano. Bilson recalled that he always thought an old piano would be warmer and more

mellow, but was surprised at the brightness and clarity, as well as its being difficult to control

because of its light action. He also mentioned that it had more character and tonal variety than

the tonal piano. He seemed especially fond of the effect of Mozart’s slurs on the fortepiano,

which apparently brought out “lightness, clarity, and elegance” rather than “richness of sound”.

He also revealed that it was the first time he heard Mozart’s music that way, which changed his

perspective. Bilson mentions that the music of composers that came after Mozart is more crucial
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to play with the respective instruments of their period since the compositional styles and

performance practices became more interrelated with the instrument development. Bilson states

that by 1830, the English-type pianos outclassed the Viennese fortepiano in volume, and the two

types of keyboards had staunch followers with the Viennese fortepiano aficionados preferring the

light action, clarity and intimacy of sound. For the rest of the article, Bilson discusses the

“Mozart piano” in relation to today’s common repertoire during its time and gives insights on the

qualities we should look for in the instrument. Among Bilson’s insights are that in a “light

framework”, playing slow light staccatos on the Viennese fortepiano will come out more

effective than in the modern piano, which will give a “choppy” sound. Bilson compared the

differences of the two pianos to a Despina soprano and a Isolde soprano, where the heavy sound

makes a continuous legato necessary. Bilson notes that when the modern piano was developed

during Liszt’s time, the bass notes had more power, richness and stronger fundamental tones

which influenced playing and composing styles to follow. He also mentioned that the modern

piano now depends on “large” tone production, which is validated by the playing style and sound

production ability of the list of known “greatest” pianists (Bilson did not mention Glenn Gould

as an exemption). Bilson compares this to the Viennese fortepiano’s bass, which according to

him does not have overpowering fundamentals. He also mentions that the English piano had

already been going into the direction of the modern piano, and adds that most players and

members of the general public have a false notion of how Beethoven’s (and presumably more

composers’) music sounds on the lower range. Bilson also points out that while the harpsichord

and modern piano strive for sustain, the Viennese fortepiano is the only keyboard instrument that

“induces silence most effectively, and is the only one that seems to strive for it. Bilson’s insights
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were helpful in realizing the parallelism between the sounds of the early romantic guitar and

Viennese fortepiano compared to their modern counterparts and is relevant to my topic.

Thomas Christensen’s article The Spanish Baroque Guitar and Seventeenth-Century

Triadic Theory is a bit difficult for a layman to understand due to the excessive use of

uncommon words. He states that early music practices are interpreted by musicians through

modern music theory understanding, and suggests that it is not difficult to learn how harmony

was treated in the 17th century. He also states that guitarists then processed music the same way

even as today’s folk and rock guitarists, which is through chords. Christensen also suggests that

the 17th guitarists, through their chord mentality, were able to explore different harmonic

movements than keyboardists doing counterpoint. He states that chordal ideas were also used in

treatises in harmony and composition for keyboardists, strongly implying that the knowledge

developed from the guitarist’s chord mentality helped shape musical practices then. He also

discusses rasgueado in music, that it was deemed as low-class, but the Italians soon adopted the

technique to their family of lute instruments as well. Christensen also points out that the Italians

have also developed Spanish guitar playing to a high level and have in turn contributed to the

development of rasgueado playing. He also mentioned that Gaspar Sanz went to Italy to further

study guitar. He also mentions that the guitar was so popular as an accompaniment instrument

that lute makers felt that their livelihood was threatened by guitar makers. Christensen states that

the guitar was one of the most popular continuo instruments in the 17th century, and could

outplay the harpsichord at times in terms of volume. He states that there were treatises aimed at

thorough-bass exclusively for guitar, attesting to its popularity. He also claims that it “usurped”

the lute in Italy as a vocal accompaniment instrument. Christensen also mentions that the guitar

had an unsophisticated texture, but with clearer harmonic function. He suggests that the Spanish
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Baroque guitar theory deserves to be studied more today. This article is relevant to my topic

because it shows parallels in several aspects of the guitar through time.

The short journal article 19th-Century Guitar by Mary Criswick discusses repertoire of

the 19th-century guitar. Criswick opens the article by stating that programme music is rare in

guitar music, but the guitar seems to be the ideal instrument for programme music, and uses the

“guitar is a miniature orchestra” a quote attributed to Beethoven to support it. She gives one

example, a sonata by Ferdinando Carulli (1770-1841) but says that “even rarity cannot redeem

this trite work”. Criswick’s next issue is a sonata by Anton Diabelli that was “revised” by Karl

Scheit. She complained that Scheit claimed the sonata was revised for “acoustic and musical”

reasons, that Scheit’s track record is “not impeccable”, and that it is not indicated which part is

Diabelli’s or Scheit’s. Another work Criswick commented on is a trio by Diabelli, written for

two terz guitars and one standard guitar, but with an “revision”- an optional transposition of one

terz guitar part to the standard guitar, probably due to the rarity of terz guitars during the time of

publication. Criswick notes that this is a “substantial work well worth performing”. She then

writes about the uneven distribution of guitar and violin parts in an edition of Paganini’s Moto

Perpetuo arranged for violin and guitar, and recommended the Grand Sonata for more

“energetic” guitarists. Criswick mentions a guitar and violin or flute duet of Küffner’s, calling it

“playable”, and describes the piano part of his serenade for guitar and piano as “lightly scored”,

that even a modern piano would not obscure the guitar part. The rest of the article mentions other

publications and editions of works by Giuliani and Sor, and which editors are better. Criswick

lastly mentions that Giuliani’s Six Songs Op. 89 “have more than a touch of Schubert” on them.

The article has some relevance to my topic because of the information it provided about a few

19th century guitar works and the instrument itself.

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Giuseppe Cuzzucoli and Vicenzo Lombardo attempt to concretize classical guitar tone

according to the player’s technique and touch. The aim of the study is to help players be more

aware of their technique in terms of movement, to give them more knowledge and insight for

more “physically” informed playing. The authors also aim for physicists to be more informed

with the dynamic properties of the guitar. The factors included in the study were the string, the

body, the finger action, and the interaction between these factors. Also included are other factors

that can influence the tone, such as the body, string characteristics, and the “finger’s static and

dynamic parameters”. The output was in the form of sound files with visual representations of

sound waves. The authors, who are scientists, include calculations and equations in the article, as

well as mathematical and physics jargon. The authors are aware that their measurements will not

accurately represent real-world application, and they enumerate the factors such as those

resulting in energy loss. In their discussion of string damping, they state that higher partials

decay faster, which affects the wave in the course of a single note. This information is

particularly useful in differentiating between the sound of a Spanish guitar and early romantic

guitar, where the latter has more dominant higher partials. In discussing the resonator, the

authors were able to give a good explanation on how the instrument works. In the conclusion of

the article, the authors admit limitations and state that many aspects of the study can be

improved. They also state that string stiffness should be considered a factor. This article is

relevant to my topic because it helps differentiate the characteristics of the Spanish guitar and

early romantic guitar, which may have been a factor on why the number of new published piano

and guitar work dwindled.

Giuseppe Cuzzucoli in Analysis of Ancient and Modern Guitars examines the different

sound qualities of different guitars using software specifically developed for analyzing guitar
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sound, as well as standard acoustic lab tools such as an acoustic hammer, a good quality

microphone, and apparatuses to hold the items in place for consistency. Graphs and diagrams

represented the resonances of different parts of the instrument, as well as spaces. Cuzzocoli also

explains that the guitar did not follow a linear path during its development in the last two

centuries. He names the 19th century guitar the “ancient” guitar, and the guitars that developed

from the Torres design, the “modern” guitar. It is also mentioned that the “ancient” and

“modern” guitars co-existed up until the 1930’s or 1940’s. This may imply that unlike today,

more people then probably had a great deal of exposure to both designs, and preferred the

“modern” design. Going back to sound analysis, a table showing the Helmholtz resonance

(resonance in a cavity) side by side with the body volume of sixteen guitars made between 1821

to 2011: five “ancient” guitars, one Italian parlor guitar, and ten “modern” guitars. Another table

is shown, measuring basic resonances, soundboard natural frequency, air volume, effective

vibrating mass, vibrating surface, soundboard stiffness, surface/mass ratio, coupling coefficient

soundboard/air, resonances due to the back, back natural frequency, and mean sound level.

However, only seven guitars (six “modern”, and one “ancient”) are present in the table. The

evolution of the guitar is reflected on the value of the Helmholtz resonance and body volume.

The purpose of the adjustment was to increase the response of the instrument to its lower notes.

In the conclusion, Cuzzolli admits that the data provided is not sufficient to fully understand why

some instruments are built in different ways, especially in shape. This article may have a little

relevance to my topic by pointing out that the evolution of the guitar may have taken the clarity

of the upper registers of the 19th century guitars for granted.

James R. Hughes, in his article Applications of Fourier Series in Classical Guitar

Technique, attempts to relate the Fourier series to classical guitar technique. Hughes writes in a
 19

mathematician's language more than anything, making it difficult for a musician to understand.

His mention of classical guitar technique is limited to harmonics, sul tasto, and ponticello. The

mathematical language is extremely difficult to comprehend for the layman, although he

mentions that the equations are a simple way to explain the timbre produced by the technique.

Hughes explains harmonics in a mathematical language, using the xy-plane (figure 2) with

three waves occurring at the same time which are labeled, n = 1, n = 2, and n = 3. The lowest

pitch produced by the string is n = 1, which represents the fundamental tone. The wave of n =

1 starts from 0,0 on the plane and lands on 0,pi. The n = 2 and n = 3 waves represent

overtones, which are 2 and 3 times shorter than n = 1 respectively. Hughes explains that the

audible strength of individual partials, or overtone pattern, is what creates the timbre. He also

points out that to play harmonics, the player gently touches the part of the string as if that part

is the node that intersects the zero of the x-axis, and the string is the zero x-axis. He adds that if

the player gently touches the string, the partials lower than the node damped will not be

present. Hughes then proceeds to discuss the differences between sul tasto and ponticello in

mathematical language. The first of two equations he shows computes the shape of a sound

wave with variables such as the initial maximum vertical displacement of the string when

plucked, and the horizontal location where the string is plucked. The other equation computes

the strength of the partial based on the first equation. Hughes points out that his equation

explains that sul tasto is more mellow because the lower partials are stronger, while ponticello

is more “biting” because the higher partials are stronger. Hughes did not put his equations to

test, as he suggests that a good project would be to do an actual test with sound analysis

equipment and a guitar. This article is not directly aligned with my topic, but pieces of

information might be useful, such as how timbre is defined, particularly the involvement of
 20

overtones. This indicates that overtone makeup may be one of the keys to the guitar being apt

for ensemble playing in the 19th century and possibly today.

John Latartara and Michael Gardiner discuss issues in the relationship between music

analysis and performance in Analysis, Performance, and Images of Musical Sound:

Surfaces, Cyclical Relationships and the Musical Work. The authors discuss the spectrograph,

and emphasize its usefulness in ethnomusicology, as well as in bridging the gap between music

analysis and performance. They propose a cyclical relationship between the score,

performance, and the spectrograph, which challenges the dominance of the “Urtext” or

authoritative score. The authors demonstrate how spectrographs highlight diversity in

performances by providing a visual representation of the changes in dynamics, rhythm, timbre,

and overtones. The cyclical relationship the authors propose would involve taking sonic

characteristics into account when interpreting or analyzing musical works. The authors also

warn against accepting all interpretations, and still encourage careful selection based on a

criteria. The authors also briefly discuss the evolution of the perspective of a shift in

perspective from emphasis on genre to composer during the 19th century. Finally, in the

conclusion, they suggest the concept of “metastability” of a musical work, which may be

applicable to interpretation issues of 19th century piano-guitar duets on modern instruments.

In From Scarlatti to ‘Guantanamera’: Dual Tonicity in Spanish and Latin

American Musics, Peter Manuel discusses the concept of “dual tonicity” in Spanish and Latin

American genres, spanning from 17th century Spanish dances played on the keyboard and

vihuela, as well as the folk genres of Latin America. He provides a real life story where Cubans

called ending on the tonic the “Gringo way”. Manuel calls for the recognition of a distinct form

of tonicity. He discusses Andalusian harmony, 18th century court Fandangos, especially the
 21

music of Domenico Scarlatti and some contemporaries. He also states that several scholars

misinterpreted the scores as errors or unfinished, and “improved” them in editions. Manuel

quotes Spanish musicologist Fernandez and agrees with him that we cannot analyze the

endings as “dominant”, since they don’t follow the same functions. He also quotes Torner on

stating that these cadences are felt naturally to Andalusians, with no need to “resolve”. He also

states that because of the dual tonality, the “tonic” is also treated differently. Manuel explains

that instead of seeing the I-V as “tonic-dominant”, we should see them as swinging between

two competing tonics, with the “dominant” being slightly more stable. He refers to this term as

“pendular harmony”, which he states is common in Western and non-Western vernacular

music. Manuel also briefly discusses JS Bach’s use of this in a chorale, and speculates whether

Bach was using Andalusian modal harmony (rather than Gregorian), or reversing the roles or

tonic and dominant. He also suggests that the evolution of this harmonic practice in Spain may

have been influenced by the use of the Mixolydian modes, which had died out earlier. Manuel

also discusses in length the Latin American counterparts. In his conclusion, Manuel suggests

ways to perceive this occurrence in Spanish and Latin American music, but states that the

terms “tonic” and “dominant” are not applicable. This article is relevant to my topic because it

provides insights that will help understand the Spanish guitar’s function and construction.

In Equal Temperament, Overtones, and the Ear, Robert McGarry writes about the

basics of overtones, or partials. He immediately addresses the issue of the discrepancy between

the different notes of the equal temperament scale and the overtones of other notes that of course

follow natural tuning, but mentions that the fundamental note is fortunately most of what we

hear. He mentions Hermann Helmholtz, the scientist and amateur violinist who is associated with

the “Helmholtz resonance” who advocated for an overtone based tuning system. McGarry also
 22

presents the overtone series in terms of standard notation, as well as a table that shows

discrepancies in hertz between a natural scale and a well-tempered scale. He points out, however,

that whatever the mathematical formulas are, what is most important is how our brains perceive

the sound. He also points out a dilemma in measurement of acoustics, which is that outside the

machines that measure sounds, our middle ear vibrates in and produces partials upon hearing

fundamental tones. McGarry suggests that humans may have learned to ignore the discrepancies

between the tempered fundamental tones against the natural overtones that do not resonate at the

exact frequency of the fundamental tones. This may be relevant to my topic, if it could be proven

that overtones played a significant role in the 19th century guitar’s qualities, since overtones in

guitars also heavily influence our perception on the quality and preference of the instrument.

Cedar guitars typically bring out the more dissonant overtones, hence its “darker”, “fuller” or

“heavier” sound. Though this is a very popular preference for concert and amateur guitarists

today, cedar was not used for guitars during the 19th century. Overtones may play a part in the

sensitivity of any instrument, just like in the Viennese and English pianos, where the Viennese

piano was initially preferred for its sensitivity. This may be a factor of why piano and guitar

duets were more prevalent in the 19th century.

Aleksandra Popiołek-Walicki discusses the historical aspect of the development of guitar

and piano works from the 18th century until 2020 in her article Review of Repertoire for Guitar

and Piano Duo from the 18th to the 21st Century in Historical Perspective. She also discusses

sound perspectives coming from a performer and pianist with a piano-guitar duo standpoint.

Popiołek-Walicki states that piano and guitar duets are not common in chamber music, which

she attributes to the reason for the lack of scholarly output. She cites Desmet’s PhD dissertation

A Practical Guide for Composing and Performing Guitar-Piano Chamber Music as an important
 23

source. She also cites Mario Sicca’s 1974 article The Guitar and the Keyboard Instruments

where he states that any piano-guitar duet has an inadequacy of sound. Popiołek-Walicki states

that this was a typical opinion of the 1970’s to the later 1990’s, which she attributes to

insufficient data for luthiery and composition output. Another dissertation she cites is Ann

Abbot’s , Arranging Music for the Classical Guitar/Piano Duo, Including Three Arrangements

by the Author, in which she states that the author achieved a good balance in volume for the

piano and guitar and states that she (Popiołek-Walicki) has developed a sound based on pianistic

expressive articulation and not volume that works with her piano-guitar duo. Popiołek-Walicki

blames pianists for their lack of interest in a low output of performances and works, which she

implies is partly due to arrangements where the pianist has to play barely audibly. She

categorizes the historical eras of guitar and piano based on their sounds, and groups them into

three categories: from 1780s to 1870s, 1940s to 1970s, and 2000s. In the 1780’s to 1870s

category, she states that the tone of the Viennese piano and its consonance with the guitar may

have led to the collaboration of the two. In this same period, Popiołek-Walicki groups works into

four categories and gives specific examples of works. The first being pieces based on folk

material, and the second being pieces based on opera tunes (which she describes as containing

errors as they were probably done for money in a rush to chase the trend), “duo”. The third and

fourth groups are more serious duets; “duos”, potpourris, serenades, followed by more virtuosic

sonatas, concertos, and rondos. Popiołek-Walicki chooses Diabelli Sonata Op. 71 as a point of

discussion for the factors that made it work. In the 1940s to 1970s era, in which she is most

critical of, she discusses Anton Rebay’s Sonata in C, c.1950, which she states is the only piece

available that follows the early romantic piano-guitar composition style. She also mentions and

briefly discusses works by Guido Santorsola, Radames Gnattali, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco,

 24

Hans Haug, and Franco Margola. She also mentions several other composers and their works.

Popiołek-Walicki characterizes the 2000s category by its use of contrasting registers, jazz

articulation techniques, and use of harmonic contrastiveness to distinguish the two instruments

from each other. She is obviously biased towards this period. She mentions and briefly discusses

Québra-Queixo by Clarice Assad, Sonate Printaniere by Dusan Bogdanovic, and a cycle of six

sonatas by William Bland. She also mentions two pieces, Folklore II by Bronisław Przybylski

and Les images du Mouvement by Jerzy Bauer. Popiołek-Walicki’s discussion of the 21st century

repertoire composition techniques gave the impression that the guitaromanie piano-guitar

compositions were not done with so much care, but with a natural understanding of how the

sound works. This article is relevant to my topic, because it is very much related, but provides

another perspective.

Panagiotis Poulopoulos opens his article The Guitar as an 'Open-Air' Instrument in the Early

Romantic Era with a quote by German luthier Johann Gottlob Thielemann in 1810 talking about

the guitar as a favorite among the ladies, the ability to carry it everywhere increasing social

pleasures, in the room, garden, or countryside. In his introduction, Poulopoulos points out that

the “al fresco” presence of the guitar is one aspect that is barely talked about, as most literature

mentioning the guitar only considers its domestic and concert stage presence. He expounds that

the guitar has been an outdoor instrument way before, and mentions artworks dated back during

the baroque period depicting a guitar outdoors, and claims that outdoor music making reached a

peak in the 19th century due to the Romantic ideal of getting closer to nature, as well as being in

a period of peace and prosperity where the middle class had more time and money to take part in

such leisure activities. Poulopoulos also claims that such activities were common, and that some

musical instruments, including the six-string guitar were altered and developed for such
 25

activities. He explains the development of the guitar as an instrument, but from the point of view

of an everyday life instrument more than a concert instrument- practicality, portability, and

fashion with the latter also playing a big factor for its popularity along with fashionable straps

and cases. Poulopoulos then provides photos of artworks with a guitar, and says that it was

commonly brought in boat trips, and that it was an instrument for recreation more than for

concerts. He also provides substantial information about Franz Schubert and Hector Berlioz and

their interaction with the guitar. He also touches on the harp guitar and includes samples of

advertisements to show how the guitar was advertised- as an affordable instrument for

recreation. Poulopoulos also reveals that despite its weak volume, the guitar was suited during

the 19th century to play in small ensembles, even woodwind instruments including the

Hungarian csakan. He reveals that the guitar and csakan were paired because the csakan doubled

as a walking stick and woodwind instrument, and that it was also affordable, fashionable,

portable and taken out into nature trips. He also points out that there were some music teachers

who taught both instruments, then talks about other new instruments at that time that were

inspired by the potability of the guitar. Poulopoulos, in the conclusion of his article, recaps that

in 19th century Europe, the guitar was an accepted concert and novel instrument, affordable,

fashionable, portable, associated with nature trips, criticized in the press but enjoyed by the

public. He then suggests that perhaps it is time to recreate the 19th century guitar’s sound,

preferably outdoors. This article is relevant to my topic, as it discusses a different perspective

about 19th century music.

Erik Stenstadvold discusses an interesting perspective in the history of the guitar in 'We

Hate the Guitar': Prejudice and Polemic in the Music Press in Early 19th-century Europe. He

immediately states the obvious that the guitar is strongly linked to popular music, and that its
 26

reputation has always seesawed in society’s high circles. This rise in popularity during the 19th

century brought guitarist-composers such as Sor, Giuliani, Carulli, Regondi, and others. It was

during this time that the guitar enjoyed new heights in its popularity. However, there was also a

strong resistance against the guitar, which Stenstadvold examines in press articles in France,

Germany, and England during the early 19th century. According to him, the two main factors

behind the frequent negative assessments of the guitar were the rise of music idealism, and the

notion of gender-specific instruments. The guitar, along with the harp and keyboard, were

considered to be instruments for women, and concert instruments were for the men. At the end of

18th century Germany, the idea of “musical idealism” began to surface. The idea was that

instrumental music was “pure”, without the “extra musical” associations of the text in vocal

music. Concerts were announced in Germany as “evening entertainment”, which were like

variety shows. This was slowly replaced with chamber music or orchestral music, where the

guitar had difficulty fitting in. Critics also started appearing as musical authorities in journals and

newspapers. Most critics agreed with the ideas of musical idealism, which was eventually

adopted by Germany, France, and England. The author ponders on how much influence the

negative reviews on the guitar had and says it is a relevant question, but difficult to answer. He

also reveals that even in the early 1800’s, the guitar was also thought of as a romantic

instrument, associated with Italian canzonettas, and Spanish boleros and seguidillas. He ends by

quoting a critic’s concert review, who said that Schulz’s playing is unrivaled, and that if

everyone could play like him, the guitar might become part of the class of musical instruments

that they could not legitimately think it belongs to. This article may be of importance, since very

few have talked about the prejudice against the guitar during its popularity in the 19th century. It
 27

also reflects the guitar’s position today: unpopular to high society circles in classical music, but

very popular as a romantic instrument among the masses.

The Spanish Guitar in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries by Terence Usher begins with

an immediate disclaimer that it is not meant to serve as a historical account of the instrument, but

an outline of the changes that guitars have undergone by the end of the eighteenth century. This

point in time was chosen, since this was also the time when a sixth string was added, increase in

body size, and internal construction. Usher mentions that the guitar's development during that

time was parallel to other instruments in terms of their objective to increase its sonority, carrying

power, while maintaining good volume and tone. Usher claims that these developments led to the

popularity of the guitar as a concert instrument in the 19th century. He also describes that a

simple fan bracing of the guitar ideal for homes is not ideal for concert halls, as the sound clarity

deteriorates quickly due to absorption of the lower overtone partials, especially in large spaces.

Usher warns that development in volume and depth may not be synonymous with improvement

in an artistic point of view. He also claims that instrument development comes from the demand

of virtuoso players as well as revolutionary composers, and gives Beethoven’s deafness as an

example of indirectly influencing the development of the pianoforte’s iron frame. Usher presents

both sides of the argument of how to interpret works from earlier eras, which is to play according

to how the prototype or original instrument sounded, or to imagine if the composer would

approve if the modern instrument existed during their time. He weighs in by saying that we

should use the lute if we want to sound like a lute. The first category of the article presents the

general characteristics of the guitar, such as body, neck and head dimensions and gives several

examples, along with an image to compare a 1690 Stradivarius with a 1929 Hauser. The

following categories are woods and thickness, scale length, fingerboard and neck where he
 28

provides some illustrations, fretting with illustrations, attachment of neck to body and head with

illustrations, bridges with illustrations, ornaments, strings, varnish, means of tuning, belly design,

internal supporting bars with illustrations. Usher does a general explanation of each category, but

goes more in depth with the internal supporting bars. The next part is Usher’s prediction on the

future of the design of the Spanish guitar. He did not predict anything in particular, but

mentioned that his acquaintance builds or reconstructs guitars with different designs and

concepts, and claims that no superior results were produced, but were found to be suited for

particular purposes, such as for accompaniment, recording, home playing, lute music repertoire.

He also talks about a design and concept that he has been pushing, which is a design based on the

construction of the cello. In the last category, Usher talks about amplification, and mentions that

there is little objection, as is with the amplified harpsichord. He points out however that

unamplified tone is always “subtly more pleasing”. This article may be useful for my topic, since

volume is always an issue with guitar and piano duos, and information found here can help

explain why the composition rate of piano and guitar duets dropped in the late 19th century.

6. Organization

I. Historical Context of 19th-Century Guitar and Keyboard Duets

A. Historical overview of the 19th-century guitar.

B. Historical overview of the Viennese fortepiano.

C. The role of the 19th-century guitar and fortepiano in 19th-century chamber

music settings.

D. Construction, materials, and playing techniques of the 19th-century guitar.

E. Construction, materials, and playing techniques of the Viennese fortepiano.

 29

F. Overview of tonal characteristics of the 19th-century guitar and Viennese

fortepiano.

G. Contrasting subcultures of the guitarist and keyboardist.

H. The “boom” in guitar composition publications during the Guitaromanie,

including piano-guitar duets

I. Evolution of idiomatic writing for the 19th-century guitar and Viennese

fortepiano in duet compositions.

J. Repertoire of 19th century piano-guitar duets (compositions, arrangements,

transcriptions).

II. Implications of Timbre on Performance Practices and Compatibility of the Viennese

Fortepiano and 19th-Century Guitar.

A. Idiom and sonic properties of 19th-century guitars.

B. Compatibility and parallelism of 19th-century guitars and Viennese

fortepianos.

C. The guitar as an outdoor, leisure, accompaniment and ensemble instrument.

D. The rise of the Spanish guitar

E. Resistance against the Spanish guitar

F. The guitar as a primarily solo instrument.

G. Idiom and sonic properties of Viennese fortepianos.

H. The rise of the English piano

I. Resistance against the English piano

J. Musical idioms and aesthetics of the early 19th century.

III. Duo pour Piano et Guitare, Op. 134 by Ferdinando Carulli (1770-1841)

A. The composer’s biography, and musical output

 30

B. The composer’s methods, pedagogical and performance philosophies

C. Music composition style of the composer

D. Luthier of the composer, and the fortepiano’s developments during the time

E. Genre and information on the piece

F. Analysis of the selected work

1. Textural analysis between the interaction of the piano and guitar parts

2. Idiom and sonic characteristics of the guitar and fortepiano as observed in

the piece

G. Considerations when playing with modern instruments

IV. Nocturne Op. 36 by Francesco Molino (1775-1847)

A. The composer’s biography, and musical output

B. The composer’s methods, pedagogical and performance philosophies

C. Music composition style of the composer

D. Luthier of the composer, and the fortepiano’s developments during the time

E. Genre and information on the piece

F. Analysis of the selected work

3. Textural analysis between the interaction of the piano and guitar parts

4. Idiom and sonic characteristics of the guitar and fortepiano as observed in

the piece

G. Considerations when playing with modern instruments

V. Potpourri Op. 53 by Johann Nemopuk Hummel (1778-1837)

A. The composer’s biography, and musical output

B. The composer’s methods, pedagogical and performance philosophies

 31

C. Music composition style of the composer

D. Luthier of the composer, and the fortepiano’s developments during the time

E. Genre and information on the piece

F. Analysis of the selected work

5. Textural analysis between the interaction of the piano and guitar parts

6. Idiom and sonic characteristics of the guitar and fortepiano as observed in

the piece

G. Considerations when playing with modern instruments

VI. 2 Ballet Airs from Rossini's 'Mosè in Egitto', Op.28 by Matteo Carcassi (1782-

1853)

A. The composer’s biography, and musical output

B. The composer’s methods, pedagogical and performance philosophies

C. Music composition style of the composer

D. Luthier of the composer, and the fortepiano’s developments during the time

E. Genre and information on the piece

F. Analysis of the selected work

7. Textural analysis between the interaction of the piano and guitar parts

8. Idiom and sonic characteristics of the guitar and fortepiano as observed in

the piece

G. Considerations when playing with modern instruments

VII. Wasserfahrt am Traunsee by J.K. Mertz (1806-1856)

A. The composer’s biography, and musical output

B. The composer’s methods, pedagogical and performance philosophies

 32

C. Music composition style of the composer

D. Luthier of the composer, and the fortepiano’s developments during the time

E. Genre and information on the piece

F. Analysis of the selected work

9. Textural analysis between the interaction of the piano and guitar parts

10. Idiom and sonic characteristics of the guitar and fortepiano as observed in

the piece

G. Considerations when playing with modern instruments

VIII. The Shift in the Guitar’s Performance Practices due to Its Evolved Sonic

Characteristics

A. The evolution to individualism of composers from the 19th century to the 20th

century

B. Shifts from Kant to Nietzsche perspectives that reflect on the evolution of

piano and guitar practices

C. The need to contribute to the “repertory”

D. From the guitar’s dynamic sensitivity and clarity to timbre sensitivity; from

the ideal bright to the ideal dark sound

E. Simple textural analysis of sections of works for modern piano and guitar:

Fantasia, Op. 145 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco

F. Simple textural analysis of sections of works for modern piano and guitar:

Fantasia para un gentilhombre by Joaquin Rodrigo

G. Simple textural analysis of sections of works for modern piano and guitar:

Introduction and Fandango by Luigi Boccherini (arr. Bream)

 33

H. Simple textural analysis of sections of works for modern piano and guitar:

Dreamchild by Kazu Sato

I. Simple textural analysis of sections of works for modern piano and guitar:

Concerto Barocco, Op. 70 by Mark Houghton

J. The guitar’s value according to contemporary composers

IX. Conclusion

A. Overview on the separate paths of modern pianists and guitarists

B. Cultural drift and isolation of guitarists

C. Mismatch between 19th century composition and modern guitar playing

idioms

D. Mismatch between 19th century composition and modern piano playing

idioms

E. Effect of tension and overtones on musical idiom

F. The guitar as a “versatile” instrument

G. Importance of timbre for guitarists

H. Insights on technique

I. Possible approaches to 19th century piano-guitar duets using modern

instruments

J. Further research

X. Bibliography

7. Methodology:
 34

My research will involve an analysis of 19th century piano-guitar duets, particularly

those included in my Recital 803 repertoire through the following:

1. Literature Review:

I will conduct a review of scholarly works, historical documents, and publications

relevant to the early Romantic era piano-guitar duo, possible factors of its decline, and

reinforcement of its musical relevance. A simple textural analysis on selected piano-guitar duets

focusing on the duetting aspect, with consideration on the sonic properties of the period and

modern instruments and its relationship with accepted and dominant performance practices.

Angles like ineffectiveness due to imposed performance practices and aesthetics will also be

explored. This will be supplemented with research on published scholarly articles, theses and

dissertations, which will be centered on data that point towards the identifying the problem and

possible solutions on the compatibility of the piano-guitar duo relating to the sonic

characteristics of the instruments. Though most literature will be related to the guitar, the articles

of Malcolm Bilson are among the most important, as parallelisms on the contrast of sonic

properties of the early romantic and modern piano can be drawn. This is especially important due

to the scarcity or absence of guitar literature about the said topic

2. Repertoire Selection:

I will identify and compile a comprehensive list of guitar and keyboard duets, while

focusing on selected 19th century works: Duo pour Piano et Guitare, Op. 134 by Ferdinando

Carulli (1770-1841), Nocturne, Op. 36 by Francesco Molino (1775-1847), Potpourri, Op. 53 by

Johann Nemopuk Hummel (1778-1837), 2 Ballet Airs from Rossini's 'Mosè in Egitto', Op.28 by

Matteo Carcassi (1782-1853), and Wasserfahrt am Traunsee by J.K. Mertz (1806-1856). The
 35

selection is based on the program that I performed for my Recital 803 subject, which was

selected according to my dissertation topic.

3. Analysis:

An analysis of the musical scores of the selected works will highlight technical and

idiomatic challenges encountered during performances, identifying aspects that contribute to the

perceived incompatibility of the piano-guitar duo. Adjustments made for the sake of musical

relevance according to the sonic characteristics of the instruments will be documented.

4. Comparative Analysis:

The selected 19th-century repertoire will be compared and contrasted with more

contemporary guitaristic idioms, exploring relevance and disconnections in musical language.

The impact of technical and idiomatic adjustments on the overall musicality and relevance of

piano-guitar duets in today's context will be examined.

6. Presentation:

Prepare a comprehensive report that outlines the factors contributing to the modern-day

incompatibility of piano-guitar duets and proposes solutions to enhance their musical relevance.

Present findings through written documentation, musical examples, and potentially through a

public lecture or presentation.

7. Limitations:

The study will be limited to the selected works previously mentioned, which will not include in-

depth theoretical analysis of the selected works, discussions outside 19th-century guitar and

piano music, and in-depth discussions of music history. There will be no attempt to use

spectrographs or other visual representations of sound other than standard music notation.
 36

8. Ethical Considerations:

Proper citation of sources and respect for intellectual property rights will be ensured.

Necessary permissions for the use of musical excerpts, recordings, or any copyrighted material

will be obtained.

8. Sources

Books:
Bowie, A. (2003). Aesthetics and Subjectivity. Manchester University Press.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt155jcnj

Page, C. (2023). The Great Vogue for the Guitar: An Overview. In The Great Vogue for the
Guitar in Western Europe: 1800-1840 (pp. 29–40). Christopher Page, Paul Sparks, and James
Westbrook (Eds.). Boydell & Brewer. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2x4kpcs.11.

Savijoki, J. (2023). Chamber Music for the Guitar. In C. Page, P. Sparks, & J. Westbrook (Eds.),
The Great Vogue for the Guitar in Western Europe: 1800-1840 (pp. 157–172). Boydell &
Brewer. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2x4kpcs.19

van Amersfoort, J. (2023). Accompanied Song. In C. Page, P. Sparks, & J. Westbrook (Eds.),
The Great Vogue for the Guitar in Western Europe: 1800-1840 (pp. 139–156). Boydell &
Brewer. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2x4kpcs.18.

Dissertations:
Desmet, S. (2014). A Practical Guide for Composing and Performing Guitar-Piano Chamber
Music (Doctoral dissertation, Florida State University).

Mattingly, S. (2017). Franz Schubert's Chamber Music with Guitar: A Study of the Guitar's Role
in Biedermeier Vienna. (Doctoral dissertation, Florida State University).

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i
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ii
Poulopoulos, P. (2015). "The Guitar as an 'Open-Air' Instrument in the Early Romantic Era."
Soundboard Scholar, 1(1). Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.du.edu/sbs/vol1/iss1/4.
iii
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dissertation, Florida State University), x.
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v
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Music, 1(2), 163–175. https://doi.org/10.2307/746476.
vi
Desmet, S. (2014). A Practical Guide for Composing and Performing Guitar-Piano Chamber Music (Doctoral
dissertation, Florida State University), 5.
vii
ibid., 2.