Author Description

In this book, masterful Uruguayan guitarist and teacher Abel Carlevaro (1918-2001) offers insights to the performance of the 5 Preludes (1940) and Choro No. 1 (1920) by Heitor Villa-Lobos. Without presenting the complete works being analyzed, Carlevaro guides the student through the most challenging parts of each of these landmark pieces. Using short examples in standard notation only, Carlevaro reveals profound and illuminating insights; for the advanced student, its almost like being in a real master class with the maestro himself.The guitar of Villa-Lobos opened up new paths in musical expression. Without doubt, through a surprising process of self teaching, he created an innovative technique that could not have been learnt in an academy, and also a personal technique, original because of its truthfulness, its message, its humanity and its life. -Abel Carlevaro