Ferdinando Carulli facts for kids
Ferdinando Maria Meinrado Francesco Pascale Rosario Carulli (born February 9, 1770 – died February 17, 1841) was a famous Italian composer who wrote music for the classical guitar. He also wrote a very important book called Méthode complète pour guitare ou lyre, op. 27 (1810). This book teaches people how to play the guitar, and its music is still used by guitar students today. Carulli wrote many different pieces for the classical guitar, including solo songs, music for small groups, and several concertos. He was a very busy composer, creating over 400 pieces for the guitar.
A Musician's Life
Carulli was born into a rich, upper-class family in Naples, Italy. His father, Michele, was a respected writer and an important secretary in the government.
Like many musicians of his time, Carulli learned music from a priest who also enjoyed playing music. Carulli's first instrument was the cello, which the local priest taught him. When he was twenty years old, Carulli discovered the guitar. He then decided to spend his life studying and improving this instrument. At that time, there were no professional guitar teachers in Naples. So, Carulli created his own way of playing the guitar.
Carulli was a very talented performer. His concerts in Naples were so popular that he soon began to travel and perform across Europe. Around 1801, Carulli married a French woman named Marie-Josephine Boyer. They had a son together. A few years later, Carulli started writing music in Milan, where his works were published in local magazines. After a very successful concert tour in Paris, Carulli decided to move there. At that time, Paris was known as the world's "music capital." He lived there for the rest of his life.
Carulli became a very successful guitar teacher in Paris. Most of his music was also published there. Later in his life, he started publishing his own music. Besides his own works, he also published music by other famous guitarists, like Filippo Gragnani. Carulli became friends with Gragnani, who later dedicated three guitar duets to him.
Towards the end of his life, Carulli also began to try making musical instruments. He worked with a Parisian instrument maker named René Lacôte. Together, they created a 10-string instrument called the Decacorde.
Carulli passed away in Paris on February 17, 1841, just eight days after his 71st birthday.
Carulli's Musical Style
Carulli was one of the most productive composers of his time. He wrote more than 400 pieces for the guitar. He also wrote many other pieces for different groups of instruments, always including the guitar. His most important work is the "Method, op. 27," published in 1810. This book contains pieces that are still widely used today to teach students how to play the classical guitar.
Carulli wrote many pieces for two guitars. He also wrote music for guitar with violin or flute. He even composed three concertos for guitar with a small orchestra. In addition, Carulli wrote several pieces for guitar and piano, working with his son, Gustavo.
Many of the pieces now considered Carulli's best were first rejected by publishers. The publishers thought these pieces were too difficult for regular guitar players who played for fun. It is likely that many of his best works were never published and are now lost. However, some of Carulli's published works show how good and complex his concert music was. The Six Andantes Op. 320, dedicated to the guitarist Matteo Carcassi, is a good example. Most of Carulli's surviving works were those that Parisian publishers thought would sell well to amateur musicians.
Besides his very successful Methode Op. 27, Carulli also published several extra books for his method. He also created a method without explanations called L'Anti Methode Op. 272. He wrote a method for the decacorde, a book about harmony, and a book about how the guitar can accompany singing. He also created collections of vocal exercises and solfèges. These studies were meant to show how well the guitar could accompany singers. They were used by both amateur singer-guitarists and voice teachers who were not good at reading musical notation.
Classical guitarists have recorded many of Carulli's works. Perhaps his most famous piece is a duet for guitar and flute. This piece was recorded by Alexander Lagoya and Jean-Pierre Rampal. His Duo in G Op.34 also became famous in Britain. It was the theme song for a popular 1980s science fiction TV game show called The Adventure Game. The Duo in G has been recorded several times, most famously by Julian Bream and John Williams.
Guitars Carulli Used
Carulli used different guitars during his life. Here are some examples:
- A guitar from around 1810 (photos). According to a book by Philip James Bone, this guitar was given by Ferdinando Carulli to his son Gustave Carulli. The letters "GC" can be seen on the instrument near the bridge.
- A guitar called Décacorde by Pierre René Lacôte. Carulli worked with Lacote to create this 10-string Décacorde. There is a patent for this instrument. It is thought that the original idea and patent were for amateur guitarists. In the patent design, only the 5 lower strings had frets. However, there are also other designs where 6 or 7 strings have frets. It is believed that professional musicians played these Décacordes.
Compositions
- See List of compositions by Ferdinando Carulli
