Étude, No. 6 (Giulio Regondi)

Étude, No. 6

Composer: Giulio Regondi (1822 - 1872)

Giulio Regondi (1822 – 6 May 1872) was a Swiss-born classical guitarist, concertinist and composer active in France and (mainly) the United Kingdom.

Regondi was born in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1831 Fernando Sor dedicated his Souvenir d'amitié op. 46 to Regondi, a child prodigy, when the boy was just nine. Most of Regondi's concertina music was written for the English system, however, at which he was a virtuoso, though his guitar music is probably better known. His works for solo guitar comprise a set of etudes, variations on a theme by Bellini and five larger works.

The 10 Etudes for Guitar (Ten Études, for guitar) by Giulio Regondi represent the pinnacle of technical achievement for nineteenth century guitar performance. Dense textures, large stretches, fast scales and arpeggios, and obscure modulations are used in combinations that were unrivalled among his contemporaries. The etudes were not published until the late twentieth century and have not had generations of guitarists solving their challenges and teaching them to younger generations of students. Right-hand fingerings are virtually non-existent in published versions.

This piece is selected one of RCM (The Royal Conservatory of Music) level 10 studies.

 

It's fascinating to learn about Giulio Regondi, especially the dedication from Fernando Sor at such a young age. The versatility of Regondi as a virtuoso on both the concertina and guitar is impressive.

 

Agreed. His compositions are full of musicality, and technical challenge was less concern, including studies.

 

I'm happy to share the same mindset as you do.