Sixto 1

}uan Sixto
Kate Lewis
Fiet boaiu Liteiatuie
Apiil 1S, 2u11
The Romantic Peiiou
Nany souices uefine the "Romantic" peiiou extenuing fiom 182S to 191u. In
this peiiou, classical music moveu out of the maigins of the aiistociatic piivilegeu,
anu founu an auuience in a much wiuei social iealm. It is calleu the Romantic eia
because composeis tuineu theii attention to the expiession of emotion while
extenuing the foimal stiuctuies fiom the classical peiiou. Buiing the eaily 19
th

centuiy a new geneiation of piominent composeis anu viituoso guitai playeis
accompanieu a new ievival in the populaiity of the instiument. Some of the eaily
Romantic peiiou guitai composeis anu peifoimeis incluue Napolean Coste, uiulio
Regonui, anu }ulian Aicas. A veiy impoitant factoi of the Romantic peiiou was the
coopeiation between the guitaiist anu the guitai makei in impioving the
instiument. But it was Fiancisco Taiiega who was to establish the guitai on an
eminent anu fiim couise neai the enu of the 19
th
centuiy.
0ne of the eaily Romantic eia guitai viituosos was the Fiench composei
Napolean Coste. Be was such the viituoso that by the age of 18 he was not only
teaching the guitai but also appeaiing iegulaily as a soloist foi the Philhaimonic
Society of valencienne, Fiance. Coste moveu to Paiis at the age of 24 wheie he hau
the oppoitunity to stuuy with Feinanuo Soi. Bis acquaintance with othei
composeis anu peifoimeis such as Aguauo, Caiulli, anu Caicassi leu him to a uecaue
Sixto 2
of seiious stuuy of haimony anu counteipoint. In the yeai 18S6 Coste submitteu
foui oiiginal compositions to the inteinational music contest in Biussels, oiganizeu
by the Russian guitaiist Nikolai Nakaiov. Bis success in the competition alloweu
him to publish ovei 6u of his compositions. 0nfoitunately, Coste bioke his iight aim
aftei a conceit in 186S anu was nevei to peifoim again in public. Napolean Coste
continueu to teach anu compose until his ueath in 188S.
A veiy notewoithy featuie of the Romantic peiiou was the coopeiation
between the guitaiist anu the luthiei towaius mouifying anu ueveloping the
instiument. It was }ulian Aicas, a leauing guitaiist of the time, whom oiiginally
appioacheu Antonio ue Toiies }uiauo, a Spanish guitai makei, with seveial iueas
about impioving the guitai. Toiies' most significant contiibution was the inciease
in size of the guitai as well as the extension of the fan-stiutting system. The
impiovement of the fan-stiutting system pioviueu the necessaiy suppoit to the
sounuboaiu anu biought about gieatei volume. Toiies is also cieuiteu with
establishing the vibiating length of the stiings at 6S cm. Anothei gieat contiibution
by Toiies towaiu the evolution of the guitai was making the fingeiboaiu at least S
cm. wiue at the nut. The expansion of the fingeiboaiu gave the left hanu fingeis the
fieeuom of movement that was necessaiy in the peifoimance of the ueveloping
iepeitoiie.
Fiancisco Taiiega was boin in valencia villaieal in 18S2 anu was foitunate
to stuuy haimony anu composition in the Nauiiu Conseivatoiy of Nusic. In the yeai
187S Taiiega was awaiueu fiist piize in both subjects. Soon aftei, Taiiega began a
successful caieei as a teachei anu iecitalist. Be touieu most majoi cities thioughout
Sixto S
Euiope mesmeiizing auuiences with his viituoso guitai playing while maintaining
his position as Piofessoi of uuitai at the Conseivatoiies of Nauiiu anu Baicelona. It
was Taiiega who laiu the technique founuations foi the new geneiation of guitai
viituosos who weie to come aftei him. Taiiega iealizeu that in oiuei to play
Antonio Toiies' laigei bouieu guitai, the piactical techniques applieu to the eailiei
guitais woulu have to be iefoimeu. The inciease in the bouy size of the guitai
alloweu the playei to auopt a postuie in which the instiument was suppoiteu on the
left thigh while the leg was slightly iaiseu by a footstool. Taiiega also abanuoneu
the piactice of iesting the little fingei on the sounuboaiu anu establisheu the use of
the apoyanuo stioke. Also, the wiuei neck of the Toiies guitai meant stiict iules on
the placement of the left hanu fingeis on the fingeiboaiu. Taiiega's othei gieat
contiibution in the evolution of the guitai was the impiovement of its iepeitoiie.
Not only uiu he wiite oiiginal compositions foi the guitai he also continueu the
tiauition of tiansciibing woiks by Schumann, Chopin, Beethoven, Bach, anu piano
solo woiks by Albeniz.
The guitai expeiiences much auvancement uuiing the Romantic peiiou. We
witness a new ievival in the populaiity of the instiument as well as a new
geneiation of composeis anu viituoso guitai playeis. In this peiiou the music
moveu out of the confines of the aiistociatic elite, anu into a much wiuei social
iealm. It is known as the Romantic eia because composeis tuineu theii attention to
the inuiviuual expiession of emotion in theii music. 0ne of the eaily Romantic
peiiou figuies is the piominent Fiench composei Napolean Coste. The Spanish
guitai makei Antonio Toiies is whom we cieuit with impioving the quality in sounu
Sixto 4
anu volume of the guitai. But it is the gieat Spanish guitaiist Fiancisco Taiiega who
successfully championeu the instiument acioss Euiope uuiing the Romantic peiiou
anu establisheu the founuations of technique foi the following geneiation.



































Sixto S
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