Quatre pièces brèves pour guitare

Quatre pièces brèves pour guitare
Four short pieces for guitar

Year of composition

1933

Duration

8'

Scored for

guitar
I. Prélude - II. Air - III. Plainte - IV. Comme une gigue
Frank Martin made also versions for piano and for orchestra, both titled ‘Guitare’, and there is an arrangement by Hans Brüderl for 4 guitars.

Publication information

Editions by Universal Edition for guitar, 4 guitars, piano or orchestra.

Commentary

Quatre pièces brèves
In 1933 when Frank Martin lived in Geneva, he heard Andrès Segovia (1893-1987), who also lived there, give a guitar recital. Martin was so impressed that he immediately composed a piece for guitar and dedicated it to this exceptional musician. He sent him the manuscript but there was no reaction. He therefore assumed that the music was not well written for the instrument. He then arranged it for piano, entitled Guitare.
 In 1939 he received a letter from Zurich from the Swiss guitarist Hermann Leeb , who obviously knew about the composition, asking permission to perform the work after making a few adaptations to make it more easily playable. Frank Martin was of course delighted that his music would finally be heard. After several performances by Hermann Leeb, Frank Martin asked his publishers, Universal Edition in Vienna, to publish it. The director, Alfred Schlee, agreed but only after it was further ‘arranged’ by the guitarist Dr. Scheit. This became the published version. A Spanish guitarist informed me recently that the original manuscript still exists in Madrid, although Segovia’s house was destroyed by fire. In his opinion the original version is the finest.
 In 1934 at the request of Ernest Ansermet, the very authoritarian conductor of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Frank Martin made a version of this music for a large orchestra. Since the performance by Ansermet on November 24, 1934, it has rarely been performed again. This is understandable as music written for such an intimate instrument as the guitar is neither suitable nor meant for a large orchestra.

Text by Maria Martin (Naarden, 2012) | English translation by Rachel Ann Morgan

Premiere

World première (version for orchestra): Geneva, 21 November 1934. Ernest Ansermet, conductor

Recordings (selective list)

  • Javier Somoza, guitar
    BRILLIANT CLASSICS 95487 ℗ + © 2017 (FMS123)

  • Julian Bream, guitar
    (recorded 14-19.IX.1992, Fonde Abbey, Dorset)
    EMI 5 099926 434421 ℗ 2009 (FMS011)

  • ‘Das solo Klavierwerk Frank Martin’
    Sebastian Benda, piano
    FSM FCD 97 211 ℗ + © 1996 (FMS010)

  • Edoardo Catemario, guitar
    Arts Music 47660-2 ℗ 2002 (FMS028)

  • Hans Jonkers, gitaar
    Cadenza CAD 800 905 ℗ 1993 (FMS055)

  • 30 jaar Prinses Christina Concours’
    Izhar Elias, guitar
    BUMA-STEMRA PCC-2 © 1998 (FMS084)

  • Frank Martin - Musique de chambre’
    Miguel Charosky, guitar
    Musiques Suisses MGB CD 6241 ℗ + © 2006 (FMS090)

  • ‘The Guitar in the XXth Century’
    Alberto Ponce, guitar
    ARION ARN 68212 ℗ 1972/1973/1976 + © 1993 (FMS098)

  • ‘Frank Martin Piano Music’
    Julie Adam, piano
    ABC Classics 4762601 ℗ + © 2005 (FMS103)

  • ‘Lyrical 20th century guitar music’
    Raphaella Smits, guitar
    Accent2 - ACC2 8966 D ℗ + © 1990 (FMS112)

  • Klaus Sticken, piano
    THOROFON CTH2478 ℗ + © 2003 (FMS121)

  • ‘Suites & Variations’
    Gérard Abiton, guitar
    CDA 9504-1 ℗ + © 1995 (FMS138)

  • ‘Le temps d'un peu…’
    Patriek Ruby, guitar
    GTY 12009 ℗ + © 2009 (FMS140)

  • ‘Frank Martin - Werke mit Guitarre’
    (Version for 2 guitars by Harald Stampa)
    Harald Stampa, Benjamin Scheck, guitar
    MUSIQUES SUISSES - MGB CD 6264 ℗ + © 2009 (FMS145)

  • (reconstruction: Jan Wolf 1982)
    Jan Wolf, guitar
    PARTRIDGE 115-2 ℗ 1988 (FMS 146)

  • ‘Novecento’
    Stefano Grondona, guitar
    SONAR CRR 9602 © 1995 + ℗ 1996 (FMS166)

  • Jean-Léon Cohen, piano
    forgotten records fr 23C ℗ 2013 (FMS167)

  • ‘Intégrale pour piano solo Frank Martin’
    Daniel Spiegelberg, piano
    GALLO CD-636 ℗ + © 1991 (FMS168)

  • ‘Nocturnal’
    Julian Bream, guitar
    EMI CDC 7 54901 2 ℗ 1993 (FMS169)

  • ‘GUITARXX’
    Edoardo Catemario, guitar
    ARTS 47660-2 ℗ + © 2002 (FMS185)

  • ‘Entre Senderos’
    Hector Murrieta, guitar
    Naoise Records CDNR-003 ℗ 2009 (FMS206)

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