Matteo Carcassi

A Florence-born guitar teacher who wrote studies and opera fantasies side by side

Who he was

Matteo Carcassi (1792–1853) was born in Florence, left Italy as a young man, and then lived and taught in Paris for most of his life, dying there in 1853. He earned his living from guitar teaching, publishing and salon playing, and wrote almost exclusively for the guitar. Compared with his contemporary Sor, he left fewer written words, and today he is known mainly through his method and studies.

His place

He belongs to the Parisian guitar circle between Classicism and Romanticism, in the same city as Sor. Audiences there listened to classical sonatas and to opera arrangements, and Carcassi wrote both. Most guitar tutors of the day combined finger exercises with repertoire, and his books do the same. His Three Sonatinas reduce classical form to the guitar, while his opera fantasies brought Rossini, Auber and Boieldieu into the salon. His method and studies later became one of the foundations of classical guitar teaching.

What to hear

Listen first for sonata form in miniature: the Three Sonatinas are short but still have theme, development and return, and the guitar must divide three parts. Then for the caprices: each of the Six Caprices has a different technical focus, and the free rhythm must still keep a pulse. They work as small studies, one problem per piece. Next, opera arrangement: the Count Ory fantasy Op. 34 breaks Rossini's tunes into figures, and the bravura passages link the themes. Finally, elementary pieces: the twelve little pieces of Op. 10 have simple textures, ideal for hearing whether melody and bass stay apart. Each has its own key and technical point, and they can be worked through in order. The set balances technique and musical expression as well. They are still chosen as sight-reading material.

Key works

25 Studies Op. 60
Three Sonatinas, Six Caprices
Opera fantasies Op. 34, Op. 37

Influence

Carcassi's studies and method were taken up again in the twentieth century and became first materials in many guitar classrooms. In Chinese guitar tutors his name usually appears beside Op. 60. He gave guitar teaching both a technical ladder and stage repertoire, so that pupils need not choose between them.

Listen in the library

Trois SonatinesC14:06《三首小奏鸣曲》——古典曲式搬到吉他上，听三个声部怎样分配（C1）DetailsSix CapricesC11:32《六首随想曲》——听每首的技术焦点与自由节奏（C1）Details12 Easy Pieces, Op.10C12:08《12首简易小品》Op.10——入门教材，听旋律与低音的分离（C1）DetailsFantaisie sur 'Le Comte Ory', Op.34C114:34《奥里伯爵》幻想曲 Op.34——罗西尼歌剧改编，听炫技段落（C1）DetailsTwo Minor PreludesC18:54《两首小前奏曲》——短小的和声练习，听调性色彩（C1）Details

All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).

Sources

卡尔卡西生平、巴黎教学与作品目录，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Carcassi, Matteo"；本文为原创表述
十九世纪吉他教程与歌剧改编曲，参通行卡尔卡西研究；实例说明为本站听辨提示

Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.

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