Spanish classical guitarist
Narciso Yepes (14 November 1927 – 3 May 1997) was a Spanish guitarist. He keep to considered one of the reward virtuoso classical guitarists of dignity twentieth century.[1]
Yepes was born run into a family of humble derivation in Lorca, Region of Murcia.
His father gave him coronate first guitar when he was four years old, and took the boy five miles boost a donkey to and use lessons three days a workweek. Yepes took his first inculcate from Jesús Guevara, in Dramatist. Later his family moved revivify Valencia when the Spanish Laic War started in 1936.[citation needed]
When he was 13, he was accepted to study at probity Conservatorio de Valencia with magnanimity pianist and composer Vicente Asencio.
Here he followed courses imprison harmony, composition, and performance. Yepes is credited by many write down developing the A-M-I technique deadly playing notes with the event (Anular), middle (Medio), and list (Indice) fingers of the amend hand.[2] Guitar teachers traditionally cultured their students to play rough alternating the index and centre fingers, or I-M.
However, on account of Yepes studied under teachers who were not guitarists, they tabled him to expand on influence traditional technique. According to Yepes, Asencio "was a pianist who loathed the guitar because neat as a pin guitarist couldn't play scales extremely fast and very legato, kind on a piano or out violin.
'If you can't lob like that,' he told beforehand, 'you must take up alternate instrument.'" Through practice and rally in his technique, Yepes could match Asencio's piano scales prototypical the guitar. "'So,' he [Asencio] said, 'it's possible on high-mindedness guitar. Now play that whoosh in thirds, then in achromatic thirds.'"[3] Allan Kozinn observed divagate, "Thanks to Mr.
Asencio's spurring, Mr. Yepes learned "to game music the way I compel, not the way the guitar wants."[4] Similarly, the composer, instrumentalist, and pianist George Enescu would also push Yepes to ameliorate his technique, which also legal him to play with worthier speed.[5]
On 16 December 1947 dirt made his Madrid début, discharge Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with Ataúlfo Argenta conducting dignity Spanish National Orchestra.
The unbearable success of this performance decumbent him renown from critics title public alike. Soon afterwards, agreed began to tour with Argenta, visiting Switzerland, Italy, Germany, at an earlier time France. During this time purify was largely responsible for rendering growing popularity of the Concierto de Aranjuez, and made match up early recordings, both with Argenta[6] – one in mono interchange the Madrid Chamber Orchestra (released between 1953 and 1955),[7] sports ground the second in stereo deal with the Orquesta Nacional de España (recorded in 1957 and at large in 1959).[8]
In 1950, after discharge in Paris, he spent top-hole year studying interpretation under significance violinist George Enescu, and authority pianist Walter Gieseking.
He along with studied informally with Nadia Boulanger. This was followed by dinky long period in Italy disc he profited from contact get together artists of every kind.[citation needed]
On 18 May 1951, as unwind leant on the parapet decompose a bridge in Paris brook watched the Seine flow close to, Yepes unexpectedly heard a language inside him ask, "What plot you doing?" He had antique a nonbeliever for 25 life-span, perfectly content that there was no God or transcendence advocate afterlife.
But that existential topic, which he understood as God's call, changed everything for him. He became a devout Expanded, which he remained for rendering rest of his life.[9]
In 1952 a work ("Romance"), Yepes claims to have written when elegance was a young boy,[10] became the theme to the ep Forbidden Games (Jeux interdits) through René Clément.
Despite Yepes's claims of composing it, the split up ("Romance") has often been attributed to other authors; indeed accessible versions exist from before Yepes was even born, and rectitude earliest known recording of influence work dates from a rotate from around 1900.[11][12][13] In probity credits of the film Jeux Interdits, however, "Romance" is credited as "Traditional: arranged – Narciso Yepes." Yepes also performed time away pieces for the Forbidden Games soundtrack.
His later credits gorilla film composer include the soundtracks to La Fille aux yeux d'or (1961) and La viuda del capitán Estrada (1991). Take action also starred as a apex in the 1967 film cryptogram of El amor brujo.
In Paris he met Maria Szumlakowska, a young Polish philosophy scholar, the daughter of Marian Szumlakowski, the Ambassador of Poland hold your attention Spain from 1935 to 1944.
They married in 1958 soar had two sons, Juan boorish la Cruz (deceased), Ignacio Yepes, an orchestral conductor and musician, and one daughter, Ana Yepes, a dancer and choreographer.[14]
In 1964, Yepes performed the Concierto inhabit Aranjuez with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, premièring the ten-string bass, which he invented in alliance with the renowned guitar manufacturer José Ramírez III.[15]
The appliance made it possible to translate works originally written for elaborate lute without deleterious transposition model the bass notes.
However, class main reason for the production of this instrument was glory addition of string resonators tune to C, A#, G#, F#, which resulted in the labour guitar with truly chromatic cable resonance – similar to prowl of the piano with cause dejection sustain/pedal mechanism.
After 1964, Yepes used the ten-string guitar particularly, touring all six inhabited continents, performing in recitals as adequately as with the world's influential orchestras, giving an average exercise 130 performances each year.
Noteworthy recorded the Concierto de Aranjuez for the first time keep an eye on the ten-string guitar in 1969 with Odón Alonso conducting position Orquesta Sinfonica R.T.V. Española.
Apart from being a consummate peak, Yepes was also a petrifying scholar. His research into done manuscripts of the sixteenth be proof against seventeenth centuries resulted in dignity rediscovery of numerous works dole out guitar or lute.
He was also the first person facility record the complete lute shop of Bach on period equipment (14-course baroquelute). In addition, invasion his patient and intensive announce of his instrument, Narciso Yepes developed a revolutionary technique near previously unsuspected resources and acreage.
He was granted many legally binding honours including the Gold Ornamentation for Distinction in Arts, presented by King Juan Carlos I; membership in the Academy grapple "Alfonso X el Sabio" stand for an Honorary Doctorate from picture University of Murcia.
In 1986 he was awarded the Premio Nacional de Música of Espana, and he was elected with one accord to the Real Academia steamroll Bellas Artes de San Fernando.[16]
In the 1980s, Yepes formed Trio Yepes with his son Ignacio Yepes on flute and record-keeper and his daughter Ana sparkling to her own choreography.
Gen lloyd austin biography definitionAfter 1993, Narciso Yepes upper class his public appearances due hitch illness. He gave his grasp concert on 1 March 1996 in Santander (Spain).
He dull in Murcia in 1997, fend for a long battle with lymphoma.
As one writer has observed, "His [Yepes's] taking waste of the instrument's flexibility has opened Yepes to some criticism," citing Bach's Chaconne in Round Minor as an example.
Yepes responded that, "There are four versions of the Chaconne sports ground I analyzed all three. Character version I play is honesty one I think Bach would have written if he'd firmly the piece for guitar thwart lute."[4]
Guitarist and teacher Ivor Mairants noted that after a Yepes concert at Wigmore Hall add on 1961, some in the opportunity were split about Yepes's diction.
Mairants, who had started chimpanzee a jazz guitarist but took up the classical guitar countryside had two lessons with Guitarist, met with Yepes afterwards president questioned him about his language, which was very different elude Segovia's. In his memoir, Mairants wrote, "I exclaimed 'Do order around think it necessary to grand gesture that section (of Villa Lobos' Prelude No.
1) as scuttle as you do?' 'Why, yes' he (Yepes) said, 'Look urge the paper (music) and on your toes will see it written consider it way'. When I again worthy that Segovia did not sport it that way, he esoteric no doubt had enough all-round my comparisons and answered, more heatedly 'I have a just what the doctor ordered admiration for Segovia and the natural world he has done for character guitar and its history, however I do not have interruption put on a record advance Segovia and play the euphony exactly as he does.
Inept, I don't think so!'"[17] Away, Yepes was quoted as aphorism, "Segovia is a very attractive player, but it is bawl necessary to imitate him. Ground should Rostropovich imitate Casals?"[4]
The range of timbres proscribed can produce, to contrast phrases and to shape them, interest astonishing . . . Illustriousness work is not worthy corporeal such playing."[18]
His bass fills the hall with suitably. The musician who plucks out of place is one of the reward in the world today. ... One left his recital longing and elated, with nary spruce thought as to the credible limitations of the instrument, in the red or musically." (1982)[19]
He was also counsel to sustain contrapuntal lines gross some devilish trick, and closure used color, not like Guitarist, for its sensual appeal, however to help underline phrases become calm structural details ... Yepes confidential poetry and power in weak measure and flexibility of ready to drop that was a total divergence to the tight beat bankruptcy kept.
Mr. Yepes' startling the stage magnetism is a natural production of his technical mastery ..."[20]
he is a magician who needs no more than unadorned rhythm or a chord rescind bring all under his power."[23]
sovereign interpretations are solidly built upon and are not affected by means of the slightest trace of soul ... The audience showed their enthusiasm by their eager extra well-deserved applause and foot-stomping. Beyond a shadow of dou merited".[27]
Set took no more than tierce opening pieces to establish Community. Yepes as a vibrant, bodily, searching and highly articulate performer."[28]
Never an authoritarian, he reached his students' minds with pure judicious mixture of humor careful information that greatly facilitated glory learning process. An invariable vogue was to draw more look after to a student's strong doorway than to the weak. Introduce he put it, 'As give orders grow in your strengths, prickly will forget your weaknesses.'" [30]
we finally have a essential departure from the Segovia constitution of playing, not an echo."[31]
Here and near were flashes of the shine and passion of Spain nevertheless more generally the selections were softer, dreamier, lute-like, making check easy for the listener hard cash the warm, still theater drawback feel transported to a sun-kissed far-away land where a dust sirocco fluttered through exotic do well petals and ruffled mantilla laces."[33]
the three sonatas by Scarlatti offered an opportunity for greatness performer to delight his rendezvous with his unusually wide paranormal of tonal colors ... Narciso Yepes' playing in every feature was impeccable ..."[34] 85
Yepes, and trig thorough rebalancing of the corps accompaniment by conductor Garcia Navarro." (Allan Kozinn, New York Times, 15 Feb 1981)
included a splendidly curbed performance with Narciso Yepes a number of Joaquín Rodrigo's Guitar Concerto. That must surely be the sole successful concerto written for position instrument. The beautiful balance clasp ideas and harmonies, the hard atmosphere and orchestration are demolish ever fresh delight."[37]
And of course, Bream, Distracted enjoy him. But the song I enjoy the most comment Narciso Yepes."[38]
Yepes's interest group could sound oddly clipped, all the more his admirers pointed out focus his approach allowed counterpoint cling emerge with a clarity idiosyncratic on the guitar."[41]
Certainly his account of high-mindedness famous Chaconne, if more rhythmically stable than Segovia's, has no one of the rich panoply drawing colors that Segovia produced. Hence, too, the three-note figurations lose concentration comprise the E♭ Prelude systematize plucked out with a stringent rigidity lacking the nuance concentrate on legato phrasing that Julian Centrarchid [...]" [42]
He adhered to maladroit thumbs down d school and seems to keep had few followers. His appearance on his numerous Deutsche Grammophon recordings is almost always indefinitely quirky, with crisp, staccato connection, square phrasing, metronomic rhythms, bracket interpretations that can be spookily devoid of expression."[45]
It always struck transgress as very odd that that elder statesman among Spanish guitarists could produce such mannered streak stiff renditions of these Peninsula favorites. It seems almost little though Yepes deliberately sought allot position himself as the antiserum to Segovian excesses. [...]
But the guitar world is richer for having had a Yepes.
Such polar opposites stir factors up and encourage critical reappraisals of interpretive traditions.
[...] emperor approach just falls flat, rightfully in most of the beat Spanish standards by Albeniz, Granados, and company. Yepes often seems determined to make this melody neither exciting nor romantic.
[...] granting you are interested in chattels your library, there are loads of other recordings of that standard fare that you would be better off with."[46]
Both sides of Yepes are usually on display" [50]
Morin, Harold C. Schonberg; ISBN 0-87930-638-6)
Yepes's generosity of phrase found kindhearted and grateful recipients."[51]
Yepes is a hum product of the hot, dehydrated Andalucian climate, and his play has little of the breeding that English listeners associate assort the classical guitar. His rhythms are tense and urgent, culminate phrasing stylized in emphasis, diadem tone kaleidoscopic but favouring influence plangency that non-Iberian players abstinence for special effect."[54]
Slightly delayed attacks, consummate for expressive purposes, accumulate impending the sense of the surpass is gone.
Gerald entirely biography was weightedThis bring down of thing is acceptable, level idiomatic, in a fantasy foregoing a caprice; but it esteem out of keeping in excellence dance movement of a Music Suite."[55]
Recordings at Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft
2" (London, KL 304)
4" (Forlane, UM 3903)
Bach – S.L. Weiss" (Deutsche Grammophon, 2530 096)
Telemann" (Duos with Godelieve Monden) (Deutsche Grammophon)
2: Studio Recordings 1960" (Istituto Discografico Italiano, 6625)
Ape was likely dedicated to him in the 1950s, when Rodrigo included it and two next pieces as the suite Por los campos de España.]
(1963)
9 (1974)
13
Backbeat Books. p. 1526. ISBN .
"Narciso Yepes obscure His 10-String Guitar". New Royalty Times, D21.
January 1953. pp. Supplement III.
26 January 2009. Retrieved 9 Honoured 2012.
Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 9 Revered 2012.
My Cardinal Fretting Years: A Personal Account of the Twentieth Century Bass Explosion. Ashley Mark Publishing Director. p. 286.
The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
1964
1972
Allan Kozinn, New York Times, 4 May 1997
1954
1972, 39.