Mauro Giuliani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mauro Giuliani
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| Born |
Mauro Giuseppe Sergio Pantaleo Giuliani
27 July 1781 Bisceglie, Italy
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| Died | 8 May 1829 (aged 47) Naples, Italy
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| Occupation | guitarist, cellist, singer, and composer |
Mauro Giuliani (born July 27, 1781 – died May 8, 1829) was a famous Italian musician. He played the classical guitar, cello, and sang. He was also a talented composer. Giuliani was one of the best guitar players of his time. People called him a "virtuoso" because he was so skilled.
Contents
The Life of Mauro Giuliani
Early Life and Musical Start
Mauro Giuliani was born in Bisceglie, Italy. He spent his early years studying music in Barletta with his brother Nicola. He first learned to play the cello, an instrument he loved throughout his life. He might have also studied the violin. Soon, he focused on the guitar and quickly became an amazing player. We don't know who his teachers were.
Giuliani married Maria Giuseppe del Monaco. They had a son named Michael in 1801. Later, Mauro moved to Vienna, Austria, in 1806. He left his family behind. In Vienna, he met Anna Wiesenberger and they had four daughters.
Success in Vienna
In Vienna, Giuliani became very familiar with the classical music style. He started publishing his own music in 1807. He traveled all over Europe for concerts. People loved his amazing guitar skills and musical talent. He became a big music star, just as famous as other great musicians in Vienna.
Giuliani helped the guitar become more important in European music. He met important people in Austrian society. He also knew famous composers like Rossini and Beethoven. In 1815, he played in special concerts called "Dukaten Concerte." These concerts made him even more well-known. In 1813, he played in the orchestra for the first performance of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony.
Giuliani also taught music in Vienna. Many students learned from him. He worked with music publishers like Artaria to share his guitar music across Europe.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1819, Giuliani left Vienna because of money problems. He hoped to earn more money on a concert tour. He returned to Italy, visiting Trieste and Venice, before settling in Rome. He brought two of his daughters to Italy to be educated.
He didn't have much success in Rome. He published only a few songs and gave just one concert. In 1823, he started visiting Naples to be with his sick father. In Naples, people liked his guitar playing much more. He was able to publish more of his guitar music there.
In 1826, he performed for King Francesco I. During this time, he often played concerts with his daughter Emilia. She had also become a very good guitar player. Mauro Giuliani's health began to fail in late 1827. He passed away in Naples on May 8, 1829.
What People Said About Him
Giuliani's expression and tone in guitar playing were astonishing. A critic said: "He made the instrument sing."
—Philip James Bone, The guitar and mandolin, 1914 (page 127)
Mauro Giuliani's Music
Themes and Variations
Giuliani loved to write music using "theme and variations." This was a very popular style in Vienna. He was great at taking a simple tune and changing it in many interesting ways. He always made sure it sounded good on the guitar.
- One example is his Variations on a theme of Handel, Op. 107. This famous tune is called "The Harmonious Blacksmith".
- Another example is his Sei variazioni sull'aria "A Schisserl und a Reindl", op. 38. This uses an old Austrian folk song.
- His three-movement sonata Op. 15 is a clever and fun piece. It's one of the best guitar sonatas from that time.
- He also wrote several Rossiniana pieces. These were like musical mixes of popular opera tunes by Rossini.
Giuliani wrote about 150 pieces for the guitar with opus numbers. These pieces are a very important part of guitar music from the 1800s. He wrote very challenging songs for solo guitar. He also wrote music for guitar with orchestras, violins, and flutes.
Some of his most important works include three guitar concertos (op. 30, 36, and 70). He also wrote six "fantasias" for solo guitar (op. 119–124). These were based on songs from Rossini's operas and were called the "Rossiniane." He also wrote music for violin and guitar, and flute and guitar. He even wrote a quintet, op. 65, for strings and guitar. Many of his pieces are still played by professional guitarists today.
Music from Rossini's Operas
Giuliani often took famous songs from 19th-century operas and arranged them for the guitar. Many of these came from the operas of Gioachino Rossini. His collection called Le Rossiniane is full of these themes.
Themes in Giuliani's Le Rossiniane
- Rossiniana I, op. 119
* Includes songs from Otello and L’Italienne à Alger.
- Rossiniana II, op. 120
* Features tunes from Otello, Armida, and Cendrillon.
- Rossiniana III, op. 121
* Uses music from Cendrillon, La dame du lac, and Le Turc en Italie.
- Rossiniana IV, op. 122
* Contains themes from La pie voleuse and Moïse en Egypte.
- Rossiniana V, op. 123
* Includes songs from Tancrède, Le Barbier de Séville, and Cendrillon.
- Rossiniana VI, op. 124
* Features music from Sémiramis and La dame du lac.
The "Introduction" from Rossiniana No. 2 is well-known today. It was used in the "Italy" map in the video game Counter Strike.
Teaching Music
Giuliani did not publish a complete teaching method for guitar. However, he left many studies and exercises. These are still used today to help new guitarists learn.
- Op.1- Studio per la chitarra (Studies for the guitar)
* This includes studies for the right hand, left hand, and lessons.
- Op.48 - Esercizio per la chitarra (Exercise for the guitar)
* This has 24 difficult pieces, preludes, and solos.
- Op.51 - XVIII Leçons Progressives (Eighteen Progressive Lessons)
- Op.98 - Studi Dilettevoli (Delightful Studies)
- Op.100 - Etudes instructives (Instructive Studies)
- Op.139 - 24 Prime Lezioni (24 First Lessons)
* Only six studies from this collection were ever published.
Guitars Mauro Giuliani Used
Giuliani used several guitars during his life. Here are some of them:
- He might have used a guitar made by Gennaro Fabricatore in Naples in 1809. This guitar has his initials, M G, on it.
- He briefly owned a Pons l'Aîné guitar from Paris, made in 1812. This guitar was given to him by Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria. Giuliani later gave it to another guitarist.
- It is unlikely he used a Pons l'Aîné guitar from 1825. Some people claim he did, but there is no strong proof.
Books About Mauro Giuliani
Many books have been written about Mauro Giuliani's life and music. Here are a few examples:
- Thomas F. Heck: Mauro Giuliani: a life for the guitar (2013). This book tells the story of his life.
- Nicola Giuliani: Mauro Giuliani, Ascesa e declino del virtuoso della chitarra (2005). This book is about his rise and fall as a guitar virtuoso.
See also
In Spanish: Mauro Giuliani para niños
