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Miguel Llobet concert at Teatro de la Comedia in Madrid November 24, 1902

A Notable Concert Guitarist

by: Randy Osborne - Published 08/17/2024 10:52 AM

The wonderful review of Miguel Llobet is a little ways down this page. This is a review of my guitar teachers' teachers' teacher.

Jose Rey de la Torre studied with Miguel Llobet from 1932-1934 in Barcelona and gave a few concerts there before he went back to Cuba.

Byron Pang studied with Jose Rey de la Torre from 1966-1970, then was asked by Jose Rey de la Torre to be an instructor at the Music and Arts Institute in San Francisco, where Jose was the director of the Guitar Department, which Byron was teaching at from 1970-1974, teaching 45 classical guitarists a week, of which 6 became equal to him.

I studied with Byron at his home 1 hour a week from December of 1979-February of 1981. I had been told: "Go study with Byron Pang, he is better than Christopher Parkening."

Byron could play scales at 14 notes a second. He said "I'm slow I have friends that can play scales at 17 notes a second and make the guitar sound like a quintet." "When I play faster than 9 notes a second it gets uneven." "Do you notice the loping triplets, when you listen to Parkening? He learned that from the Romeros." Byron said: "Jose Rey de la Torre had the best musicianship of all classical guitarists. If the composer said do this on the sheet music Jose did it. The composer comes first, the interpreter after that"

Byron used a reel to reel tape recorder and recorded LPs, then turned the tape recorder down to 1/2 speed to see where the accent was: before the click of the metronome, on the click of after the click. One night he played "Asturias" 3 times and said, "Now I'm going to imitate Julian Bream, now John Williams, etc.

Byron played the "Concierto de Aranjuez" with a 16 piece small chamber ensemble. It took him 3 months to perfect it.

In 1976 Byron attended the Manuel Lopez Ramos Master Clesses at San Jose State University that were held for two weeks. Manuel said: "I take 1/2 hour to practice a 5 minute long song the first time. That way I have nothing to unlearn."

One of Byron's students attended the classes as well. But that was a student who didn't like to practice scales. Manuel told him: "Look, I'm here  just for 2 weeks, I need you to practice scales, to create the flexibility you need to get more out of the music." Three days later, Manuel complained to the student: "Look I don't have time for you because you will not practice scales like I suggest, which I know you need to do for your own benefit. Please leave the class, so I can give my time to those who will practice what I tell them to do."

Some months later Byron said at the end of a class. "The student I told you about, just graduated and got his degree, would you like to hear a tape of that student?" "Sure." At the end of listening to a few pieces I said: "So this is what you only have to sound like to get a degree? It sounds a little bit stiff." "He didn't like to practice scales, and that's the sound you get when you don't."" 

Then Byron told me the most profound thing I ever heard in my life. "College teaches you how to get out of college."

Byron had attended classes at San Jose State University with Fred Trana (now deceased) in 1965, and quit, because he needed a better teacher, he was better than Fred Trana, and soon found Jose Rey de la Torre to study with.

They say in 1963 you could find Byron at Foothill College, playing the Top Ten hit: "Pipeline" portraying the Bass line, Rhythm and Melody on one guitar. He would also play "Nola" by Chet Atkins.

He had a Physics degree from Stanford, and when I studied with him, his father was teaching Mathematics at UC Berkeley.

From the daily "El País" (Madrid. 1887) November 25, 1902 page 2.

"A Notable concert guitarist

Miguel Llobet

Yesterday afternoon the concert was held at the Teatro de la Comedia by the guitarist Miguel Llobet.

Without having heard it, it is not possible to form an idea of ​​the marvels of execution that Llobet achieves in his seemingly limited work.

As a singer and accompanist at the same time, it seems difficult for those familiar with guitar technique to achieve the proper balance between the melodic and harmonic elements to the perfect degree that Llobet achieves, for which there are no difficulties of accommodation.

As a general rule and in the current field, even when it has truly extraordinary performance characteristics, when the guitar sings within the limits of the purely Spanish genre to which it seemed relegated, the harmonic part periodically falls silent while the melody is unleashed in endless bullfights; the same happens when the prevailing bass is heard, breaking up the typical turns of melancholic solitude, or another similar one; and if both elements, harmonic and melodic, are brought together, the development of one is always obtained at the expense of the other, judging a different result impracticable, due to the natural limitation of the instrument or lack of initiation in the performers.

The mastery of this difficulty, apparently insurmountable, is the ideal pursued by the great guitar artists and satisfactorily carried out by the young Llobet, in truly exceptional proportions.

One only has to review the programs of the concerts of the concert guitarist Miguel Llobet; for example, the one from yesterday afternoon.

Study and minuet, by Sor; another minuet by Haydn; an andante, by Beethoven; prelude and nocturne, by Chopin.

Such was the first part, truly elastic, of the last session.

In order to form a complete idea of ​​the work that is involved in adapting these pieces to the instrument, and the proper interpretation that can be obtained, one must listen to Llobet and then applaud him for the eccentricity that produces what is truly wonderful.

All the effects that can be obtained humanly and some others of true inspiration. The celebrated critic seems to possess are attributed to the cited works, showing the purity of his complicated work and classic development.

The different timbres of the different strings, the succession of harmonics so difficult to obtain, in sufficient proportion to form true melodic designs; A rhythmic, sounding, round bass and an interesting, central, well-balanced harmony are the elements of color, strength and mechanism that Miguel Llobet brings together and dominates.

Two numbers by Albeniz, Spanish serenade and Capriccio (Granada); study, scherzo, arabesque and |ota, by Tarrega, formed the second part, offering a necessary contrast with the classicisms and boldness of the first.

And as a graceful piece the delightful "dúo de los paraguas", of which Llobet has made a true beauty.

The artist was acclaimed at the end of all the pieces, joining the astonishment of the intelligentsia with the enthusiasm of the general public.

Líobet will give his second and last concert on Monday, December 1st, at the same Comedia theater and at the same time in the afternoon.

Our most enthusiastic applause to the distinguished concert artist, destined to make a brilliant career, awakening the admiration of friends and strangers.

More from strangers than from friends, according to traditional idiosyncrasy, and judging by the excessive public that gathered yesterday afternoon at the Comedia theater!

(Signed): L.A."

 

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