Matiegka: 6 Sonates progressives pour guitare, Op. 31

Featuring

David Starobin
Wenzel Thomas Matiegka

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Performer Biography

David Starobin, the guitarist on this recording, dedicated a major part of his career to advocating for lesser-known composers, making this album of Matiegka's work a fitting final studio recording.

Composer Biography

Wenzeslaus Thomas Matiegka, a Bohemian lawyer, pianist, violinist, cellist, and church musician, arrived in Vienna in 1800 and was among the first to recognize the guitar's potential in the expanding Viennese music market.

Historical Context

Music became a primary source of social entertainment in Vienna, largely replacing card playing, with many homes dedicated to playing the latest sonatas and string quartets.

Instruments

The guitar used for this recording is a Hermann Hauser Viennese model, made in Munich in 1935.

Compositional Technique

Matiegka's guitar sonatas feature unusually detailed notation, including extensive expression, articulation, and dynamic markings, which create unpredictable rhythms within classical structures.

Composition History

The young Franz Schubert was so impressed by Matiegka's Notturno, Op. 21 (a flute, viola, guitar trio) that he added a cello part to it for family music-making.

Historical Context

In the early 19th century, Vienna was a vibrant musical city where music transcended social barriers, with aristocracy, bourgeoisie, princes, and their vassals enjoying music together.