Sor showed an interest in music from a very young age. He was trained at the Escolania de Montserrat with Anselm Viola between 1790 and 1795, where he began to write the first pieces for guitar. Later he settled in Barcelona where he premiered at the age of eighteen the opera "Telemaco nell'isola di Calipso" of which fifteen performances were made. Towards 1799 he settled in Madrid, where he became the protégé of the Duquesa de Alba and later served as royal administrator in Malaga. In 1810 he accepted the monarchy of José I Bonaparte and enlisted in the Napoleonic army where he became captain, forcing him to emigrate to France in 1813. In Paris his talent was recognized by great musicians such as Méhul and Cherubini. In 1815 he moved to London and thereafter he succeeded as a guitarist and singing teacher. The way he played the guitar surprised his contemporaries who came to consider him the best guitar player in the world. He traveled around Europe achieving fame and recognition as a composer and performer, and he elevated the guitar to the category of concert instrument. In 1823 his ballet "Cendrillon" was performed successfully in Paris and London, and in Russia it was used to open the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow in 1824.
Ferran Sor was the maximum representative of Catalan musical romanticism. The first Romanticism influenced in a very remarkable way in his personality. His music of great elegance and with harmonies of great audacity, could achieve a new sound and expression of the guitar. He also composed symphonies, concertos and chamber music. He wrote a famous guitar method that was published in 1830.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW BETTER THE ARTIST?
Festival Internacional de Guitarra Ferran Sor
PERFORMED WORKS
Four minuets op. 11, for guitar
Fifth fantasia op. 16, for guitar
Sonata for piano four hands
