Dionisio Aguado y García facts for kids
Dionisio Aguado y García (born April 8, 1784 – died December 29, 1849) was a famous Spanish classical guitarist and composer. He lived during a time when music was changing from the Classical style to the more expressive Romantic style. He is known for his beautiful guitar music and for teaching others how to play the guitar.
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The Life of Dionisio Aguado
Dionisio Aguado was born in Madrid, the capital city of Spain. He learned to play the guitar from a teacher named Miguel García.
In 1826, when he was older, Aguado traveled to Paris, France. There, he met another famous guitarist and composer, Fernando Sor. They became good friends and even lived together for a while! Sor wrote a special musical piece called Les Deux Amis (which means "The Two Friends") to celebrate their friendship. One part of the music was for Sor, and the other was for Aguado.
Aguado's Guitar School and Inventions
Aguado's most important work was a guitar teaching book called Escuela de Guitarra (which means "Guitar School"). He published this book in 1825. Even today, many years later, guitarists still use his book to learn!
In his book, Aguado explained how he used his fingernails on his right hand to pluck the guitar strings. He also wrote about an invention he made called a "tripodison." This was a special stand that held the guitar. It helped the guitar make a clearer sound because the player's body wasn't blocking the back of the instrument.
Aguado also wrote many other musical pieces. These included Trois Rondos Brillants (Opus 2), Le Menuet Affandangado (Opus 15), and Le Fandango Varie (Opus 16). He also composed many shorter, lighter pieces like waltzes and minuets. Some of his longer pieces are very difficult to play and need a lot of skill.
Returning Home
In 1837, Aguado returned to his home city of Madrid. He lived there until he passed away at the age of 65.
Did you know that Aguado's last name, "Aguado," comes from a Spanish word meaning "soaked"? This is because one of his ancestors, a knight, came back from a battle covered in mud. People started calling him "soaked," and eventually, it became the family name!
Guitars and Tools Aguado Used
Dionisio Aguado used several different guitars during his life. Two of these guitars were made in Paris in 1838. One was built by Pierre René Lacôte, and the other by Etienne Laprevotte.
Today, these two guitars are kept in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid, Spain. Aguado was also known for using his special "tripodison" stand to hold his guitar while he played.
Musical Works by Dionisio Aguado
Dionisio Aguado composed many pieces for the guitar. Here are some of his well-known works:
- Op. 1 : Douze Valses (Twelve Waltzes)
- Op. 2 : Trois Rondo Brillants (Three Brilliant Rondos)
- Op. 6 : Nouvelle Méthode de Guitare (New Guitar Method) - published in 1834
- Op. 15 : Le Menuet Affandangado (The Fandango-style Minuet)
- Op. 16 : Le Fandango Varié (The Varied Fandango)
He also wrote other pieces without an "Opus" number, such as:
- Escuela de Guitarra (Guitar School) - published in 1825
- Gran Solo (A Big Solo piece)
- Valses Characteristiques (Characteristic Waltzes)
- Variaciones (Variations)
- Mazurka (A Polish dance song arranged by Aguado)
See also
In Spanish: Dionisio Aguado y García para niños
