How
the steel was tempered, says the title of an old working-class novel. How
was tempered the technique of Antônio Guedes and thus his conception of interpretation.
It’s interesting to see how the experience of a man was projected on his
achievement (...) In Antônio Guedes, the metallurgist, I admire the man and the
artist, in a single person.
(composer
Gilberto Mendes)
Interview
with Antônio Carlos Guedes de Oliveira (1937), guitarist, teacher, born in
Capivari (SP-Brazil). He was a student of Isaías Sávio (1958-1964) and Henrique
Pinto. In 1960, he won, among 35 opponents, a competition from São Paulo
Conservatories, sponsored by Giannini [pioneer
Brazilian guitar factory]. He was soloist in many
presentations, including Teatro Municipal
de São Paulo (1964). He obtained a scholarship to study with Abel Carlevaro
(1980). Among his former alumni are Fabio Zanon and Luiz Mantovani (Brazilian
Guitar Quartet) – all these achievements during his professional life as metallurgist.
Be in touch with Prof Guedes is always so good, it's like getting to a safe
port after many storms. 2016 is
ending, so let him guide us safely to 2017.
(Teresinha Prada)
In 2016 we are celebrating the centenary of the birth of Abel
Carlevaro.
Carlevaro’s relationship with Brazil was very important. What is the legacy for
Brazilian guitarists in general, in your opinion?
(Prof. Guedes) Well, speaking about Maestro Abel Carlevaro without a guitar brief history is a bit vague. Then we can start with Carulli and Carcassi, two great masters, trained in music in general at the Italian School. For music in general it means Theory, Harmony, Composition, Instrumentation, general knowledge of the instruments of the time etc., and then emigrated to the guitar, which at that time was a new market in Europe and it lacked teachers. Then we have the giant quartet or guitar four pillars: Sor, Giuliani, Aguado and Coste with their methods and works that we still do. Besides, who didn’t do the 25 Studies [opus 60] by Carcassi? Those were what are now the 12 Studies by Villa-Lobos. Then came the turn of the virtuosi, Regondi, Mertz, Legnani, Zani de Ferranti, culminating in Tárrega, who has left an important didactic heritage with students like Llobet, Pujol, Sainz de la Maza, Josefina Robledo and many others, having settled in other countries. Well, with Tárrega we have two important things: firstly, his influence in the modern guitar construction – Torres La Leona; at second, transcriptions, which is a current topic in which we need more fingers to play pieces that come from other instruments. So when Segovia, Barrios, Llobet, Yepes have emerged in the concert halls, performing heavy repertoire with difficult transcriptions – when the normal basic technique couldn’t do everything, because the virtuoso Tárrega already had raised the guitar repertoire of transcriptions – the thing changes and it's necessary to solve, besides the musical problem, the hands instrumental technical problem as well.
So, we know that Tárrega was a professional pianist and has had the guitar a hobby, but in view of the director of the conservatory where he graduated he took the guitar as a main instrument and piano as a secondary; he transcribes so well that so those who study guitar in fact, play their transcriptions normally. We also see that when we perform transcriptions of some famous guitarists, the desired domain of the work in question is not achieved, this is due to the fact that the transcriber knows the instrument of arrival but doesn’t know the instrument of departure. In the case of Tárrega – of course – he knew both departure and arrival. Then comes the work of Maestro Carlevaro, giving a new technical direction in the hands mobility, a disciplined work with exercises in all known aspects, creating an exercise and practical formulas handbook that attend the guitar student who wants play safely and with instrument domain. This new technique, divided in four volumes and a manual with many technical elements, has almost all the possibilities of how to solve musical problems with practical exercises and orientations with formulas and warnings in general. This is the great legacy of the master Abel Carlevaro.
Tell us about Abel Carlevaro - what was the first time you’ve heard about him and through whom? Henrique Pinto, maybe?
Well, when I was even a maestro Isaías Sávio student, among the guitarists there was word of mouth information about all the best guitarists of the time and their activities. As my teacher was very well informed, receiving scores, letters and books from around the world, he informed us about everything, because the amount of information wasn't available as today – in fact, we copied the scores all by hand every day, there is no xerox [machine]; I grew up in that context, working in metallurgy: Ford, Krupp, Volkswagen. And there was one very important thing in those days: teachers were highly respected and students obeyed, all the information was very welcome and fulfilled to the letter. At that moment, master Sávio talked a lot about Llobet, Segovia, María Luisa Anido, Narciso Yepes, and had special attention to Carlevaro, considering him as a modern virtuoso, but in fact he was a great guitar scholar, as I know, Carlevaro and Segovia worked for over 10 years, during which master Segovia had lived in Uruguay, when Franco's Civil War took place in Spain.
(Prof. Guedes) Well, speaking about Maestro Abel Carlevaro without a guitar brief history is a bit vague. Then we can start with Carulli and Carcassi, two great masters, trained in music in general at the Italian School. For music in general it means Theory, Harmony, Composition, Instrumentation, general knowledge of the instruments of the time etc., and then emigrated to the guitar, which at that time was a new market in Europe and it lacked teachers. Then we have the giant quartet or guitar four pillars: Sor, Giuliani, Aguado and Coste with their methods and works that we still do. Besides, who didn’t do the 25 Studies [opus 60] by Carcassi? Those were what are now the 12 Studies by Villa-Lobos. Then came the turn of the virtuosi, Regondi, Mertz, Legnani, Zani de Ferranti, culminating in Tárrega, who has left an important didactic heritage with students like Llobet, Pujol, Sainz de la Maza, Josefina Robledo and many others, having settled in other countries. Well, with Tárrega we have two important things: firstly, his influence in the modern guitar construction – Torres La Leona; at second, transcriptions, which is a current topic in which we need more fingers to play pieces that come from other instruments. So when Segovia, Barrios, Llobet, Yepes have emerged in the concert halls, performing heavy repertoire with difficult transcriptions – when the normal basic technique couldn’t do everything, because the virtuoso Tárrega already had raised the guitar repertoire of transcriptions – the thing changes and it's necessary to solve, besides the musical problem, the hands instrumental technical problem as well.
So, we know that Tárrega was a professional pianist and has had the guitar a hobby, but in view of the director of the conservatory where he graduated he took the guitar as a main instrument and piano as a secondary; he transcribes so well that so those who study guitar in fact, play their transcriptions normally. We also see that when we perform transcriptions of some famous guitarists, the desired domain of the work in question is not achieved, this is due to the fact that the transcriber knows the instrument of arrival but doesn’t know the instrument of departure. In the case of Tárrega – of course – he knew both departure and arrival. Then comes the work of Maestro Carlevaro, giving a new technical direction in the hands mobility, a disciplined work with exercises in all known aspects, creating an exercise and practical formulas handbook that attend the guitar student who wants play safely and with instrument domain. This new technique, divided in four volumes and a manual with many technical elements, has almost all the possibilities of how to solve musical problems with practical exercises and orientations with formulas and warnings in general. This is the great legacy of the master Abel Carlevaro.
Tell us about Abel Carlevaro - what was the first time you’ve heard about him and through whom? Henrique Pinto, maybe?
Well, when I was even a maestro Isaías Sávio student, among the guitarists there was word of mouth information about all the best guitarists of the time and their activities. As my teacher was very well informed, receiving scores, letters and books from around the world, he informed us about everything, because the amount of information wasn't available as today – in fact, we copied the scores all by hand every day, there is no xerox [machine]; I grew up in that context, working in metallurgy: Ford, Krupp, Volkswagen. And there was one very important thing in those days: teachers were highly respected and students obeyed, all the information was very welcome and fulfilled to the letter. At that moment, master Sávio talked a lot about Llobet, Segovia, María Luisa Anido, Narciso Yepes, and had special attention to Carlevaro, considering him as a modern virtuoso, but in fact he was a great guitar scholar, as I know, Carlevaro and Segovia worked for over 10 years, during which master Segovia had lived in Uruguay, when Franco's Civil War took place in Spain.
From this achievement would result the Carlevaro's four technical
books and an explanatory guide to this new way of doing exercises. One day, professor
Sávio invited me to his apartment to listen to a Long-Play with the Villa-Lobos's Five Preludes, that his brother Alberto Sávio brought from Uruguay, Alberto also played guitar very well. Then we heard for
the first time the Five Preludes by
Abel Carlevaro. We were in about 8 or 10 people between students and the
teacher's family, gathered in his room on Avenida São João [important avenue in São Paulo’s downtown]. This
was the first contact with maestro Carlevaro’s work, around the years
1962-1963. Well, my impression, and I still have today with the memory of the
recording, is that everything sounded so precise with passages and perfect
phrases, because at that moment the guitar was running freer with many rubatos and mannerisms, that each one
had his style, the readings in general were not so accurate, very different
from today. Our greatest reference were the Segovia’s recordings, everybody
wanted to imitate him.
Today I see that with Carlevaro began to change the way of seeing and thinking the guitar, beginning a new era, i.e., the Carlevarian era, which I'm an adept until today. From his method and works, we can say once again that the ouvre wins the death, as wrote Plato, quoted by the Prof Isaías Sávio, in a brief biography in his 12-pieces album by the great Francisco Tárrega.
Today I see that with Carlevaro began to change the way of seeing and thinking the guitar, beginning a new era, i.e., the Carlevarian era, which I'm an adept until today. From his method and works, we can say once again that the ouvre wins the death, as wrote Plato, quoted by the Prof Isaías Sávio, in a brief biography in his 12-pieces album by the great Francisco Tárrega.
How about your experience of being Carlevaro’s student and your contact with him? At what stage in your practice did this happen? You’ve received a prize, haven’t you? Tell us about this opportunity.
Well, it's a long story, but it can be summed up. In the resumption of my guitar studies, when I wanted to recycle in total, we can consider this as stages of life, because there comes a time when you are not satisfied with what you know or with yourself, and this happens to most the people who take something seriously, be it a work, study, art ... in my case it was music. In 1977, I spent 10 years without a teacher, had me out of classes with Prof Savio, just continuing to study alone, but I was turning in circles, without progress. A music store in Jundiaí (called Só Som) has announced many new materials from Ricordi Publishing House. I went to visit this store and bought the book of arpeggios by master Henrique Pinto; when I started to read the book I was surprised how much I got out of the guitar; with this book I realized that if we did 10 formulas per day with all indications of rhythms and accentuations, it will take about 50 years to play everything. I also realized the greatness of the guitar study, and had to solve this problem through classes with Professor Henrique Pinto. I knew him; Henrique had been a Sávio’s student, my contemporary, even we’ve participated in recitals together, each playing several pieces. I also knew that Henrique had studied in Spain with the then famous teacher José Tomás, the master Segovia assistant in annual master classes in Spain.
I got in touch with Henrique, saying that I wanted to do a renovation and he answered me promptly. With Henrique I started doing the Carcassi 25 Studies with dedication, making rapid progress, so much so that in 1979 there was already a new repertoire for my presentations, because when we started, the first thing Henrique did was discard my old repertoire. In those two years, we had been preparing Dowland, Bach, Sor, Torroba, Tárrega, Albeniz, Villa-Lobos and Barrios works. In the 80's, there was a strong guitar movement; Henrique has promoted many concerts in São Paulo and Santos cities. These concerts were usually shared by two guitarists or the guitar and another instrument, in duets. I remember that in Nova Acrópoles*, the concerts were weekly, next to those of the Santa Casa de Santos* [*places in Santos’s city].
It was a very good time for the guitar with concerts always full-house. In one of these, Henrique asked me to do a solo recital, which is the famous one in which I fulfilled 90% of what I had studied, and in this recital was present master Gilberto Mendes, who did that review ("How the steel was tempered... "), if I’m not mistaken is a Russian quotation, widely used by Brazilian communists of the time.
The presentations always took place on Saturdays, so I
needed to rest on Friday to be with my hands more light, two days without
taking in tools, just training, so I would have much more safety in the
guitar playing. Then I spoke with my manager, proposing to work on a previous
Saturday and rest next Friday, which would result in two days to prepare myself
better; the director agreed and therefore was combined.
As I said, the recital was very good, with good reviews in the newspapers, something that no longer exists because we are going backwards in everything – which is a shame, you study well, you know what you do, but it is not recognized. When I returned to factory, I showed the newspaper to colleagues, friends and the manager – also he was excited and told me that his wife when was young she had studied classical guitar in Germany. That's when the idea came from him: to do a recital on Secretary's Day, October 29th, only for the managers and secretaries at Krupp Campo Limpo S/A. Well, I gave the recital that was recorded on tape and sent to the Krupp central in Rio de Janeiro, where is the general board, for appreciation. Well, from what was said about, they were surprised to see – and to hear – that an employee of them can play a difficult instrument with skill and high level of music, since I played Bach, Scarlatti, Tárrega, Granados, Torroba, Villa-Lobos and Sons de Carrilhões (João Pernambuco) as encore. I know that one day in November of the same year 1980, my manager called me and told if I wanted a commission, a payment for playing etc., so I told him that I didn’t want money or position, but I wanted to study more, to learn, to have more guitar knowledge, to be able to transmit to my students when I retired, because I’ve taught on Saturdays since 1971 at the Pio X Music School, which I teach until today. Then the Krupp board made contact with a university in Spain, to know if I could do a guitar course, but a degree in music was demanded and I only had the Gomes Cardim Conservatory in Campinas, which didn’t work. From there came the idea of a one-month course in Uruguay with Maestro Carlevaro, simply because I had a month's vacation to take from Krupp, and everything worked well. So I sent a letter to the teacher, informing him about my curriculum, and he accepted it immediately. I went to Uruguay with a round-trip tickets and accommodations, I only paid for lessons and food. I introduced myself to the maestro with more students in the classroom – Argentinians, Uruguayans, French, Americans etc., each one executed a piece and at the end Carlevaro said them: you are university students, spend the day studying music while this man works in a factory. I had the impression that he spoke harshly because he didn’t like what he heard, then he asked me to play Recuerdos de la Alhambra... then everyone gave me congratulations and I was very happy, they asked me how I did my studies… the duration per day… those things that everyone has to find his available time, however we have to study every day.
In the first lesson was that I obtained the full confidence of the maestro; he asked me what repertoire I would like to do, so I told him that I was not there to do some repertoire, just his four technical books, because that way I would progress and teach my students. At that moment our liaison got much bigger, because nobody wants to teach, everyone wants to play better, I, at the same time, wanted to teach in the best way possible. We did all four books with two classes per week, in one month, which was very fast. The month of January 1981 was marked in my life as a very good moment that I’ve saw and learned things that I didn’t expect, it was marked in my memory the figure of master Carlevaro as a person of great moral value, a deep knowledge of the instrument and the Music in general, precise, sensitive, kind, humane, worried about everything and everyone, dreaming of a better world, worker, finally, an exemplary human being, whom I had the prize of living together for a month.
As I said, the recital was very good, with good reviews in the newspapers, something that no longer exists because we are going backwards in everything – which is a shame, you study well, you know what you do, but it is not recognized. When I returned to factory, I showed the newspaper to colleagues, friends and the manager – also he was excited and told me that his wife when was young she had studied classical guitar in Germany. That's when the idea came from him: to do a recital on Secretary's Day, October 29th, only for the managers and secretaries at Krupp Campo Limpo S/A. Well, I gave the recital that was recorded on tape and sent to the Krupp central in Rio de Janeiro, where is the general board, for appreciation. Well, from what was said about, they were surprised to see – and to hear – that an employee of them can play a difficult instrument with skill and high level of music, since I played Bach, Scarlatti, Tárrega, Granados, Torroba, Villa-Lobos and Sons de Carrilhões (João Pernambuco) as encore. I know that one day in November of the same year 1980, my manager called me and told if I wanted a commission, a payment for playing etc., so I told him that I didn’t want money or position, but I wanted to study more, to learn, to have more guitar knowledge, to be able to transmit to my students when I retired, because I’ve taught on Saturdays since 1971 at the Pio X Music School, which I teach until today. Then the Krupp board made contact with a university in Spain, to know if I could do a guitar course, but a degree in music was demanded and I only had the Gomes Cardim Conservatory in Campinas, which didn’t work. From there came the idea of a one-month course in Uruguay with Maestro Carlevaro, simply because I had a month's vacation to take from Krupp, and everything worked well. So I sent a letter to the teacher, informing him about my curriculum, and he accepted it immediately. I went to Uruguay with a round-trip tickets and accommodations, I only paid for lessons and food. I introduced myself to the maestro with more students in the classroom – Argentinians, Uruguayans, French, Americans etc., each one executed a piece and at the end Carlevaro said them: you are university students, spend the day studying music while this man works in a factory. I had the impression that he spoke harshly because he didn’t like what he heard, then he asked me to play Recuerdos de la Alhambra... then everyone gave me congratulations and I was very happy, they asked me how I did my studies… the duration per day… those things that everyone has to find his available time, however we have to study every day.
In the first lesson was that I obtained the full confidence of the maestro; he asked me what repertoire I would like to do, so I told him that I was not there to do some repertoire, just his four technical books, because that way I would progress and teach my students. At that moment our liaison got much bigger, because nobody wants to teach, everyone wants to play better, I, at the same time, wanted to teach in the best way possible. We did all four books with two classes per week, in one month, which was very fast. The month of January 1981 was marked in my life as a very good moment that I’ve saw and learned things that I didn’t expect, it was marked in my memory the figure of master Carlevaro as a person of great moral value, a deep knowledge of the instrument and the Music in general, precise, sensitive, kind, humane, worried about everything and everyone, dreaming of a better world, worker, finally, an exemplary human being, whom I had the prize of living together for a month.
In your view,
how have you been assimilating the Carlevaro’s school in your musical
interpretation?
As I’ve always tried to study the best way within my
abilities, it wasn’t difficult to assimilate the Carlevarian school because in a month I’ve done all four books,
to my surprise and the professor too; when in the first class he asked me what I
wanted to do in the repertoire, and I said that I wanted to do his school, so
that the integration between the teacher and the student began, which until
today I have it as a golden age in my learning. Always when you do the same
thing for the second time, you get certain mastery in the same service, I
learned this in factories, making [auto]parts
during 37 years because I started in workshops with 12 years old and I retired
with almost 50 years old, the guitar I started with 15, and I'm still
studying today. If you know how to handle your time, you can do everything you
want. In music, at work, in studies in general, whether mathematics, physics,
chemistry, biology, languages, history, geography, human sciences, etc.: Repetition with intelligence is the mother
of knowledge, and who has the technique, makes art. Well, if you consider
that the basics of the guitar are basically arpeggios, scales and slurs, and if
you work well these three essential elements, will have ability to solve other
things like trills, ornaments, openings, explosion in the scales, and even
solve what we call today two-strings-trills, which are techniques to use in
Bach, Scarlatti etc.. Then your hands will acquire muscle memory, motor skills,
precision in movements and the famous "touch precision" that is
when you have total security in a passage or excerpt of music, that is, you
never make mistakes in that one. I will give an example of this: that ascending
and descending sentence in Étude 1 by Villa-Lobos. There is another thing
that happens with a good formation, which is to allow the hand to solve a
problem of a passage or exchange of the fingers, this is very common in the
scales especially in the right hand; if you try to put everything right with
the vision, when you play, and go wrong; let your hand to solve the problem, if
it was well oriented, because when you start studying the guitar and play
without alternating fingers, it is all without a biological logic, especially
in your right hand, you will have problem for life.
I remember very well the first class with the maestro, I’ve presented Pavane de Tárrega; he saw, heard and said: Guedes, in the right hand won’t ever move, let's work on the left hand. So it was a relief, because Book No. 2 has gone well, quickly and easily, even in those formulas with syncopated repetition of the thumb, which by the way is difficult. Another thing about book 2: he didn’t like the diminished position, so he did in my book a scale in the bass, similar to the arpeggios of the Curso Progressivo by Henrique Pinto [a famous method in Brazil]; he has concluded that the prolonged diminished one could freeze the left hand. Well, it's a bit difficult to try to describe here everything I learned, since a lot of things I only know showing in the guitar.
I remember very well the first class with the maestro, I’ve presented Pavane de Tárrega; he saw, heard and said: Guedes, in the right hand won’t ever move, let's work on the left hand. So it was a relief, because Book No. 2 has gone well, quickly and easily, even in those formulas with syncopated repetition of the thumb, which by the way is difficult. Another thing about book 2: he didn’t like the diminished position, so he did in my book a scale in the bass, similar to the arpeggios of the Curso Progressivo by Henrique Pinto [a famous method in Brazil]; he has concluded that the prolonged diminished one could freeze the left hand. Well, it's a bit difficult to try to describe here everything I learned, since a lot of things I only know showing in the guitar.
Nowadays
we can see several Internet videos that Abel Carlevaro appears on the stage,
after to the age of 80 years. Between 2013 and 2014 you recorded and released
in many cities your CD "Recuerdos - Guedes toca Tárrega". How to
achieve longevity in performance? Are there also Carlevaro’s precepts?
Having a good sleep, a ruled life without excess also helps in longevity, as well as well-balanced diet is essential, since, as it is said, everything has to be well-balanced. In the case of the CD, it was something "imposed" by Zanon, because one day I received a message from him offering to do a CD, registering my passage on the guitar here on earth, because until then I only had records of small occasions and some videos, and not as a recording studio work; you know very well what a recording is, that it has to be all well played and repeated enough, by the way after making a recording, you get to learn to study, with another perception, or listen more to what you play and develop self-criticism, because it’s never good, it can always be improved. In the case of this Francisco Tárrega's pieces recording, I was "contaminated" when I was about 12 years old by a teacher of a band-stand, José Favoto, who lived near my house in Capivari; he always saw me in front of my house’s door playing my father’s guitar or a cavaquinho, my father was a serenade player and do it by ear. One day this man showed me a Tárrega picture on an ancient method... it’s that famous image that the methods have when it comes to Tárrega, and told me: he has been the greatest guitarist of all time. It was such an impact that even today I see that image in my mind. Well, this recording realized in the Faculdade Cantareira studio in 2007, with the supervision of Zanon and [Ricardo] Marui in the technical part and a special work of Amadeu Rosa and Fabio Zanon in the musical conclusion. These are people that I bring like my sons and that spare no effort to complete the work, striving hard in my first and only recording. The choice of the Francisco Tárrega for this recording was due that I’ve always played these works in concerts, then as always I’ve had in my repertoire something of 30 to 40 pieces of it, among studies, music and transcriptions, it wasn’t difficult to choose 16 pieces to record quietly, no problem, easily; four Wednesdays and in a month we made the recording and the shots.
Then, the recording was stored for six years, waiting an opportunity to be released. In 2013, the Culture Department of Jundiaí [a city near São Paulo, when Prof Guedes lives], Mrs. Penha, who by the way did a very good job in its board, created a Law to promote culture in this city with prizes, and any artistic activity would be participate – music, dance, choral, drama etc.. So two friends of mine, the guitarist Daniel Mota and his wife, Heloisa Oliveira da Silva, which works in artistic business, talk to Fabio Zanon to release the CD; so in the evaluation of the jury, from the considered 10 proposals, my CD gained the first place, receiving a prize of 1,000 CDs and 3 performances in the city. From the CD we can realize that it was not recorded merely, but a work that I do for at least 50 years, playing those same pieces, works that flow normally without any crisis, it is the case of Recuerdos de la Alhambra that I have played more times than Demonios da Garoa has played Trem das 11 [a very consecrated Brazilian band, even by that specific song]. I think the best presentation I've done on Tárrega repertoire was one at the MASP [São Paulo Art Museum] in those programs that Henrique used to do on Saturday afternoons; it was a day of glory for me, everything worked out so well – I can say that it rarely occurs.
Having a good sleep, a ruled life without excess also helps in longevity, as well as well-balanced diet is essential, since, as it is said, everything has to be well-balanced. In the case of the CD, it was something "imposed" by Zanon, because one day I received a message from him offering to do a CD, registering my passage on the guitar here on earth, because until then I only had records of small occasions and some videos, and not as a recording studio work; you know very well what a recording is, that it has to be all well played and repeated enough, by the way after making a recording, you get to learn to study, with another perception, or listen more to what you play and develop self-criticism, because it’s never good, it can always be improved. In the case of this Francisco Tárrega's pieces recording, I was "contaminated" when I was about 12 years old by a teacher of a band-stand, José Favoto, who lived near my house in Capivari; he always saw me in front of my house’s door playing my father’s guitar or a cavaquinho, my father was a serenade player and do it by ear. One day this man showed me a Tárrega picture on an ancient method... it’s that famous image that the methods have when it comes to Tárrega, and told me: he has been the greatest guitarist of all time. It was such an impact that even today I see that image in my mind. Well, this recording realized in the Faculdade Cantareira studio in 2007, with the supervision of Zanon and [Ricardo] Marui in the technical part and a special work of Amadeu Rosa and Fabio Zanon in the musical conclusion. These are people that I bring like my sons and that spare no effort to complete the work, striving hard in my first and only recording. The choice of the Francisco Tárrega for this recording was due that I’ve always played these works in concerts, then as always I’ve had in my repertoire something of 30 to 40 pieces of it, among studies, music and transcriptions, it wasn’t difficult to choose 16 pieces to record quietly, no problem, easily; four Wednesdays and in a month we made the recording and the shots.
Then, the recording was stored for six years, waiting an opportunity to be released. In 2013, the Culture Department of Jundiaí [a city near São Paulo, when Prof Guedes lives], Mrs. Penha, who by the way did a very good job in its board, created a Law to promote culture in this city with prizes, and any artistic activity would be participate – music, dance, choral, drama etc.. So two friends of mine, the guitarist Daniel Mota and his wife, Heloisa Oliveira da Silva, which works in artistic business, talk to Fabio Zanon to release the CD; so in the evaluation of the jury, from the considered 10 proposals, my CD gained the first place, receiving a prize of 1,000 CDs and 3 performances in the city. From the CD we can realize that it was not recorded merely, but a work that I do for at least 50 years, playing those same pieces, works that flow normally without any crisis, it is the case of Recuerdos de la Alhambra that I have played more times than Demonios da Garoa has played Trem das 11 [a very consecrated Brazilian band, even by that specific song]. I think the best presentation I've done on Tárrega repertoire was one at the MASP [São Paulo Art Museum] in those programs that Henrique used to do on Saturday afternoons; it was a day of glory for me, everything worked out so well – I can say that it rarely occurs.
And what
do you most perceive from Carlevaro in your work as a guitar teacher? Preparation
of guided technical exercises, tables of exercise, finally an organization of
didactic material?
As a guitar teacher or any other class activity, the first thing the teacher has to have is a great pleasure to teach, and also the huge knowledge of subject that is going to give, that is, a extensive knowledge of the fundamentals. It’s no helpful you just want to teach without knowing the basics of everything you are going to teach, there are still many outdate instructions that have to be abolished. Everyone wants to teach with goodwill, but if one know little, there is no useful – just the students learning process will be delayed. The guitar is a curious instrument because you can do little in the instrument and enough tricks, unlike the violin, since this is not tempered, you cannot mislead. If in three years the student doesn’t show results, I think he can change instrument or area. The student has to learn more than the teacher teaches, but for it the teacher has to provide evolution elements for the students.
Taking classes with Professor Carlevaro, I firstly learned that the teacher has to play to have a real and practical experience of how to do things. Another thing he told me is to never put negative thoughts in his head, make careful study of difficult passages and never depreciate the simpler ones, where we make more mistakes. The technical study must be acquired step by step, to play the best possible. If you analyse it, it’s never good, we can always improve a part, a piece, study and even an exercise. Addressed technique or specific technique for each work is when we've already done all the basics techniques, those that come in methods, the famous pure technique, which can be in the form of lessons as well. After doing the methods with lessons and a consolidated reading, you can start the Carlevaro technique – I will make a parallel: I want to learn to play the 7-string guitar, firstly I study the 6-string.
Well, let's give an example of how to establish a technical guide:
1 - to acquire a schedule that can be a notebook
2 - to register day by day everything you’re doing
3 - to establish a time for each technical activity
4 - to establish a time for studies
5 - to establish a time for pieces
6 - to establish a time for the maintenance of the repertoire
7 - to establish a time for the memorization of new parts
8 - all this cannot happen from 3 hours a day
9 - this program can be weekly
10- do mental work without an instrument, which can be all day
Technique
Arpeggios - Scales - Slurs - Jumps - Ornaments - Exercises etc ..
To have an overview of how to put all these technical elements during the week, it is necessary that student and teacher manage this effort, which is not easy, given the complexity of the existence of extensive material, time availability and student priorities.
A very good material is from Professor Eduardo Castañera, which is actually a summary of the four books of Carlevaro, from a collection, Toque de Mestre, hmp Publishing [Porto Alegre-Brazil].
As a guitar teacher or any other class activity, the first thing the teacher has to have is a great pleasure to teach, and also the huge knowledge of subject that is going to give, that is, a extensive knowledge of the fundamentals. It’s no helpful you just want to teach without knowing the basics of everything you are going to teach, there are still many outdate instructions that have to be abolished. Everyone wants to teach with goodwill, but if one know little, there is no useful – just the students learning process will be delayed. The guitar is a curious instrument because you can do little in the instrument and enough tricks, unlike the violin, since this is not tempered, you cannot mislead. If in three years the student doesn’t show results, I think he can change instrument or area. The student has to learn more than the teacher teaches, but for it the teacher has to provide evolution elements for the students.
Taking classes with Professor Carlevaro, I firstly learned that the teacher has to play to have a real and practical experience of how to do things. Another thing he told me is to never put negative thoughts in his head, make careful study of difficult passages and never depreciate the simpler ones, where we make more mistakes. The technical study must be acquired step by step, to play the best possible. If you analyse it, it’s never good, we can always improve a part, a piece, study and even an exercise. Addressed technique or specific technique for each work is when we've already done all the basics techniques, those that come in methods, the famous pure technique, which can be in the form of lessons as well. After doing the methods with lessons and a consolidated reading, you can start the Carlevaro technique – I will make a parallel: I want to learn to play the 7-string guitar, firstly I study the 6-string.
Well, let's give an example of how to establish a technical guide:
1 - to acquire a schedule that can be a notebook
2 - to register day by day everything you’re doing
3 - to establish a time for each technical activity
4 - to establish a time for studies
5 - to establish a time for pieces
6 - to establish a time for the maintenance of the repertoire
7 - to establish a time for the memorization of new parts
8 - all this cannot happen from 3 hours a day
9 - this program can be weekly
10- do mental work without an instrument, which can be all day
Technique
Arpeggios - Scales - Slurs - Jumps - Ornaments - Exercises etc ..
To have an overview of how to put all these technical elements during the week, it is necessary that student and teacher manage this effort, which is not easy, given the complexity of the existence of extensive material, time availability and student priorities.
A very good material is from Professor Eduardo Castañera, which is actually a summary of the four books of Carlevaro, from a collection, Toque de Mestre, hmp Publishing [Porto Alegre-Brazil].
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