Nicolai Pavlistchev (1802-1879), a close friend of Glinka and brother-in-law to Pushkin, started with the Russian guitar but later developed his own twelve-stringed instrument called the "Basse-Guitare."
Cultural Impact
Despite thousands of pieces being written for the Russian guitar from the mid-1790s throughout the 19th century, this instrument and its repertoire have remained almost totally unknown to Western music lovers.
Instruments
By the mid-19th century, the guitar's size and range had grown, typically featuring at least ten strings, with some composers like Nicolai Alexandrov and Johann Kaspar Mertz writing for such instruments.
Composer Biography
Vasily Sarenko (1814-1881) and Alexandr Vetrov (ca. 1812-1877), both medical doctors by profession, were devoted guitarists and students of Andrei Sychra, contributing to the Russian guitar repertoire.
Historical Context
The "Russian" guitar, unlike the "Spanish" guitar, has seven strings and is tuned in an open G-major chord, with its earliest references dating back to the end of the 18th century.
Composer Biography
Andrei Sychra (1773-1850), often called the 'Patriarch' of the Russian seven-stringed guitar, was a prolific composer who published over a thousand pieces and was influential in the instrument's 19th-century blossoming.
Performer Biography
Marten Falk, the performer on this album, was born in Stockholm in 1973 and has premiered over 70 new works for solo guitar, with his repertoire spanning from 16th-century Spain to 21st-century Japan.
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