3rd Part – Contemporary Guitar Music on Books... Norton Dudeque

História do Violão

(History of the Guitar)

Publisher: Editora UFPR, Curitiba, 1994.

Author: Norton Dudeque

Norton Dudeque teaches at the Department of Arts of the Federal University of Parana-Brazil, working at theory and music analysis areas, however he is also known among guitarists here in Brazil because of his book “História do Violão” (History of the Guitar), the only title written in Portuguese about this issue until today.

The first surprise is seeing that the conciseness of the book – around 100 pages – is able to define from the historical lines of the instrument until the 80s of the 20^th century. The endnotes of each chapter and final bibliography are so helpful, not to mention the great onomastic index that facilitates any other research in the area. The book is divided into seven chapters that narrate the history of the guitar into the family of plucked strings.

The chapter on the guitar in the 20^th century summarizes the main facts, names and years of the events that have marked the recent history of the instrument. A milestone has especially pointed out: the commissioned work by Manuel de Falla, by the memory of Debussy – there are basic information about this important turning point on guitar.

Of course, to Andres Segovia, it couldn’t miss a good characterization, relating his work with names like Ponce and Villa-Lobos, including the famous meeting between the carioca composer and this Spanish guitarist. About Villa-Lobos, Dudeque presents the main data of his output and how it’s important for his daring work.

The author reiterates the role of Segovia as a key figure towards the consolidation of the guitar in the concert world; the action of Segovia in favour to commissioning music, mainly neo-classics, renewing the repertoire, although his detachment from modern figures like Bartok, Stravinsky and Schoenberg.

About performance, John Williams is highlighted, but Bream is the one who receives the most attention from Dudeque, both for its merits as a musician as by providing the "criação de um repertório de música contemporânea para violão" (Dudeque 1994: 91), (creating a repertoire of contemporary music for guitar) listing some of the best pages of literature for the instrument: Nocturnal by Britten, beyond Walton, Arnold, Berkeley, Henze among others. Dudeque makes a compositional overview for guitar in Europe, describing authors and works by countries, providing important sources into academic and performance studies.

The guitar in the Americas is also presented in such terms between composers and performers relationship and key moments in our history. Then, achievements of Babbitt, Carter, Carlevaro, Brouwer are listed – this last with already defined career and settled by Dudeque as a recognized work, as a standard concert repertoire, mentioning then the main points of the output of this Cuban artist.

In the technical area, Carlevaro is identified as the "iniciador de uma nova escola de violão" (Dudeque 1994: 100) (initiator of a new guitar school ) and his guitar compositions are commented. Several South America names are present in this American panorama that Dudeque offers, taking care to underline the strong presence of these artists in the guitar world movement.

The expected topic about the guitar in Brazil starts with good information since the early presence of the instrument in these lands. Then the author remakes the path among growers of this art that was current in the possible places. For the instrumental Didactic names, the author gives special attention, presented them as a genealogical line from Sávio; about performers, there are very established names.

Concerning Brazilian composers, Villa-Lobos once again is estimated by his guidance, however Dudeque states compositions and authors settled by originality and quality of their oeuvres, as Edino Krieger, Almeida Prado and Marlos Nobre, names that gave us great works, commissioned by the also great Turíbio Santos, who had the vision to propose this work to these great creators, favouring the guitar as representative means also on the contemporary music possibilities.

Dudeque has a direct and refined language; the limited space of the book was the opportunity to do it very objective, such practical in the selection of the main gestures that made these names as essential creators and interpreters for their inclusion in the history of the guitar.

It is a book that sharpens the interest in learning more, to create new objects of research, to improve music interpretation and, finally, to respect the guitar even more.

The book is out-of-print. Probably it can be found in university libraries and musical centres.