8/6/2023 0 Comments 3 string russian guitarIt could well have been a descendant of the English guitar tuned in C major, or the Baroque lute tuned in d minor. At the same time, the general tendency in England, Germany, Portugal and Central Europe was to arrange the strings in intervals of a third.The precise origin of the Russian preference for the G Major tuning has been the cause of many heated debates in Russia. Regardless of configuration, there was a general tendency in Spain, Italy and France to arrange the strings in intervals of a fourth with one major third in the middle. During the course of history, the label “guitar” was applied to many different instruments with different tunings and sonorities, the same situation as we have today. The point is that the six-string configuration is not, and has never been, the only one guitarists have chosen. I do not wish to say that the similar number of strings in both the Russian and Mexican models has any relationship to each other. It is only appropriate, I think, to bring up this subject once again, here in Mexico, where the heritage of the Mexican Guitarra Séptima is beginning to interest scholars and players. I have given similar lectures in many venues since then, wrote some articles about the subject and the seven volumes of the Russian Collection are a well known representation of the relevant repertoire, the old and the new. Nevertheless, the general opinion among them was that it was Russian guitar music with a foreign accent. This recording was greeted with amazement by Russian seven-string players, who were flattered that a non-Russian guitarist would play their repertoire. Eventually, this collaboration led to Leif Christensen’s recording, on the original instrument, of the music of Vasilli Sarenko. At the time, none of us had access to an actual Russian seven string guitar, and we had to make do with transcriptions. My lecture in Quebec City was accompanied with musical illustrations played by Leif Christensen and Maria Kämmerling. ![]() My bride, unfortunately, is not present here, but rest assured that we celebrated our own private anniversary properly. Twenty years ago, at the GFA festival in Quebec City, I read my first lecture on the Guitar in Russia. This lecture is celebration of an anniversary. For the most part, I am keeping to Iuriev’s extensive and detailed fingering for both hands. The version here played contains a few bass notes not included by Iuriev, but which I am renting from Stanley Yates. This arrangement in C major was made by Vasilli Iuriev in 1939. Bach, Prelude from the first Cello Suite. It is not my intention to claim any advantage or superiority for this tuning, but simply to show the difference in sonority, and in the way Russian guitarists employ the particular attributes of their instrument. My purpose is not to show you what a great guitarist I am, but to demonstrate how this instrument sounds. I will now play a piece of music you are all very familiar with. There are seven strings, and they are tuned in an open chord of G Major. ![]() But there are some differences between this instrument and the one you all play. I wish to introduce to you my friends Igor Golger and Hiroko Kajimoto, who will be assisting me in this lecture by playing some pieces. The guitars used by Igor Golger and Hiroko Kajimoto were made by Igor. ![]() The guitar I am using in this lecture was made for me by Jean Rompré. Red text represents additional information prepared in advance but not spoken in the actual lecture. For clarity purposes, the respective English and Spanish portions of this lecture have been separated. The Spanish text was translated for me by Julio Gimeno, with some input by Pablo Marfil. In the actual lecture, I spoke both the English and the Spanish text one sentence at a time. Published by Legacy of Matanya Ophee on MaMarch 16, 2022Įditor’s note: This is the lecture I presented at the GFA Festival in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, on November 13, 2003. The Russian Seven String Guitar: Celebration of an Anniversary.
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