Carulli, Ferdinando

Carulli was born into a wealthy family, in his childhood he studied playing the cello with a local priest, but at the age of sixteen he became interested in the guitar and began to master it on his own. Having developed his own style of performance, Carulli after some time achieved significant success and began to give concerts in Naples, soon earning the fame of the best guitarist in Italy. In 1801, the musician marries a Frenchwoman and leaves for Paris , where he continues his active concert and composing activities. Musical critics wrote that Carulli was the first musician to discover the possibilities of the guitar as a serious concert instrument for the Parisian public. In the 1800s - 1810s, Carulli composed a lot (mainly for the guitar), his works were very popular and were published in Augsburg , Vienna , Hamburg , Milan and other cities.

In 1811, the composer graduated from the “Complete School of Playing the Guitar” - the first major textbook of its kind in history. “School” was reprinted in France and abroad and quickly became very popular (it is still used by many guitarists as an initial teaching aid). Carulli had virtually no competitors as a performer, except for Matteo Carcassi , who, although he enjoyed the approval of the public, did not have such popularity. Carulli's hegemony continued until the mid-1820s, when Fernando Sor began to gain great popularity. In 1826, Carulli, with the help of the Parisian music master Rene Lacotte, designed and patented an unusual instrument - a ten-stringed guitar (which he called the “Dechord”), for which he also wrote a textbook.

Carulli is one of the first solo performers on the classical guitar in the history, his playing was distinguished by purity, beautiful sound and virtuosity. He is also of great importance as a composer: his works (more than 400), written in the style of early Italian romanticism, cheerful, graceful and graceful, are included in the repertoire of many world performers. In them, the composer uses techniques borrowed from the practice of contemporary violinists and pianists - fast arpeggios , ascending and descending passages, etc. Many of Carulli's works have a program , that is, pre-stated contents of pastoral, mythological, political, etc. character: Sonata "The Great Napoleon" "," The Capture of Algeria ", etc. Peru, the composer owns numerous chamber ensembles with a guitar - duets, trios, quartets, songs and romances for voice and guitar. In addition to the Guitar School, Carulli also wrote a number of sketches and study pieces, as well as a unique guide, “Harmony for the Guitar,” designed to teach you how to put music on the guitar properly.

Guitar solo

• About 35 sonatas and sonatins, including the Great Napoleon (1807), Thunderstorm (1809), the Great Sonata (1810) and others.
• About 25 divertissements
• Bagatelles, fantasies, dances, variations, characteristic plays, potpourri
• Two rondo and divertissement for ten-string guitar

Concert and chamber compositions with a guitar

• Three concerts for guitar and orchestra
• Two solos for guitar and chamber orchestra
• Two Nocturnes for Guitar and Chamber Orchestra
• Variations for guitar and chamber orchestra
• Small Quartet for Guitar, Flute, Violin and Cello
• Small Quartet for Guitar, Violin, Viola and Cello
• About 20 trios for flute, violin and guitar, two violins and guitar, three guitars or violin, viola and guitar
• Numerous compositions for two guitars, violin and guitar, viola and guitar, flute and guitar, guitar and piano, harp and guitar, arietta and romances for voice and guitar, etc.

Educational and methodical work

• “The Complete School of Playing the Guitar” (1811, revisions and additions of 1814, 1825, etc.)
• Solfeggio for voice and guitar (1822)
• “Harmony as applied to the guitar” (1825)
• "Improvisation" (1825)
• “The Complete School of Ten-String Guitar” (1826)

• Carulli Biography
• Ferdinando Carulli on the Allmusic website
• Biography and sheet music of works by Carulli (fr.)
• Carulli, Ferdinando: sheet music at International Music Score Library Project