SELECTED HARPSICHORD SONATAS BY ANTONIO SOLER: ANALYSIS AND

TRANSCRIPTION FOR CLASSICAL GUITAR DUO

Fernand Toribio Vera, B.A., M.M.

Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

December 2008

APPROVED:

Thomas Johnson, Major Profesor

Paul Dworak, Minor Professor
Philip Lewis, Committee Member
Teri Sundberg, Chair of the Division of
Instrumental Studies
Graham Phipps, Director of Graduate Studies in
the College of Music
James C. Scott, Dean of the College of Music
Sandra L. Terrell, Dean of the Robert B. Toulouse
School of Graduate Studies
 Vera, Fernand Toribio. Selected Harpsichord Sonatas by Antonio Soler: Analysis and

Transcription for Classical Guitar Duo. Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance), December 2008,

55 pp., 24 examples, 2 complete transcriptions, references, 26 titles.

Due to the limited repertoire for the guitar from the Baroque period, classical guitarists

who wish to perform music from this era have to work primarily with transcriptions. Guitarists

draw from various sources from this period such as vocal and instrumental music for the five-

course guitar, lute and the harpsichord. Of these sources, the repertoire for the harpsichord is

perhaps the most frequently arranged for various guitar formations because its textures are

greatly similar to those of the guitar repertoire. As a result, harpsichord music tends to transfer

well to the guitar. Baroque harpsichord composers such as Domenico Scarlatti, Johann

Sebastian Bach, François Couperin, and Jean-Philippe Rameau—to name a few—have a

permanent home in the classical guitar canon and represent the musical tastes and styles of Italy,

Germany, and France. These composers exemplify the various stylistic differences between the

above-mentioned countries; yet, the harpsichord music of Spain is largely underrepresented in

guitar collections. One of the most noteworthy Spanish harpsichordists was Padre Antonio Soler

(1729-1783), who composed 120 sonatas for the instrument. When considering the ease with

which some of his works transfer to the guitar, and specifically guitar duo, much can be gained

by expanding the repertoire and exploring the Spanish Baroque style. The purpose of this study

is three-fold: first, to present transcriptions of Antonio Soler’s Sonata No. 85 and Fandango for

guitar duo; second, to provide analysis of Sonata No. 85 with an emphasis on the intervallic

features of the motives; third, to give an overview of the transcription process of Fandango for

guitar duo while including a study of Spanish Baroque guitar and the appropriate stylistic effects

drawn from its repertoire that can be incorporated in the arrangement.

 Copyright 2008

by

Fernand Toribio Vera

ii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………….1

Background and Significance

Purpose
State of Research

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF PADRE ANTONIO SOLER……………………………………...6

SONATA No. 85……………………………………………………………………………...7

Overview of Soler’s Sonata Style

General Observations about Sonata No. 85
Motivic Analysis of Sonata No. 85
Tonal Schemes of Sonata No. 85

HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE FANDANGO……………………………………….19

FANDANGO FOR HARPSICHORD AND THE TRANSCRIPTION PROCESS………….21

General Observations
Tessitura
Adding to or Reducing the Texture
Adjustments in the Line to Create Idiomatic Writing for the Guitar
Spanish Baroque Guitar Effects
Imitating Harpsichord Articulation

CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………………34

APPENDIX: TWO REPRESENTIVE PIECES……………………………………………..35

BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………………54

iii
 INTRODUCTION

Background and Significance

Due to the limited repertoire for the guitar from the Baroque period, classical guitarists

who wish to perform music from this era have to work primarily with transcriptions. Guitarists

draw from various sources from this period such as vocal and instrumental music for the five-

course guitar, lute and the harpsichord. Of these sources, the repertoire for the harpsichord is

perhaps the most frequently arranged for various guitar formations because its textures are

greatly similar to those of the guitar repertoire. As a result, harpsichord music tends to transfer

well to the guitar.

Baroque harpsichord composers such as Domenico Scarlatti, Johann Sebastian Bach,

François Couperin, and Jean-Philippe Rameau—to name a few—have a permanent home in the

classical guitar canon and represent the musical tastes and styles of Italy, Germany, and France.

These composers exemplify the various stylistic differences between the above-mentioned

countries; yet, the harpsichord music of Spain is largely underrepresented in guitar collections.

One of the most noteworthy Spanish harpsichordists was Padre Antonio Soler (1729-1783), who

composed 120 sonatas for the instrument. When considering the ease with which some of his

works transfer to the guitar, and specifically guitar duo, much can be gained by expanding the

repertoire and exploring the Spanish Baroque style.

1
 Purpose

The purpose of this study is three-fold: first, to present transcriptions of Antonio Soler’s

Sonata No. 85 and Fandango for guitar duo; second, to provide analysis of Sonata No. 85 with

an emphasis on the intervallic features of the motives; third, to give an overview of the

transcription process of Fandango for guitar duo while including a study of Spanish Baroque

guitar and the appropriate stylistic effects drawn from its repertoire that can be incorporated in

the arrangement.

State of Research

Most of the research pertaining to Antonio Soler began around the mid-1950's when the

pianist/scholar Frederick Marvin discovered Soler’s music and popularized it. Prior to this, little

was known about Antonio Soler's life, and only a handful of sonatas were published. Frederick

Marvin was the impetus behind all of the subsequent study and research on Soler. Found in

books, dissertations, and articles, research on Antonio Soler currently covers a wide array of

topics such as his life, style, writings, connection with Domenico Scarlatti, and treatise on

harmony. An overview of a number of these texts will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

Ralph Kirkpatrick’s 1953 book Domenico Scarlatti presents the initial glimpse into

Antonio Soler. The earliest studies solely devoted to Soler can be found in Frank Morris Caroll’s

An Introduction to Antonio Soler (1960) and Sister Teresita’s Selected Unpublished Villancicos

of Padre Fray Antonio Soler with Reference to the Cultural History of Eighteenth-Century Spain

(1969). Both authors have included chapters on Soler’s life, but Caroll’s work is of considerable

interest because of the inclusion of a thematic index of Soler’s keyboard sonatas. Among the

dissertations on Soler's keyboard styles, both Almarie Dieckow's A Stylistic Analysis of the Solo

Keyboard Sonatas of Padre Antonio Soler (1971) and Graciela Marestaing's Antonio Soler: A

2
Biographical Inquiry and Analysis of a Keyboard Sonata (1976) are excellent sources. Two

dissertations from 1978 deal with Soler's treatise on harmony: both Margaret Long Crouch and

Linda Patricia Shipley translated Soler’s two-part treatise entitled Llave de La Modulacion y

Antiguedades de La Musica from Spanish to English; however, only book one of the treatise is

translated in Shipley's dissertation. Crouch, on the other hand, not only translates the treatise in

its entirety, but also supplies the reader with a commentary that elucidates the subject in

question.

In the late 1970’s, several articles were published on Soler. Reah Sadowsky 1978 article

“Antonio Soler: Creator of Spain’s Fifth Century of Musical Genius” presents a concise version

of what can be found in Ralph Kirkpatrick’s 1953 book Domenico Scarlatti. In addition, the

author supplies an overview of Fandango, sonatas, editions, and the current state of research. In

the article, Sadowsky entertains the idea that the only two Spanish eighteenth-century artists who

can be credited for maintaining the Spanish cultural tradition are Francisco Goya, in art, and

Antonio Soler, in music. She claims that, with the dominance of Italian aesthetic in Spain,

Spanish artists and musicians had difficulty winning popular favor. Because of the efforts of the

above-mentioned figures, however, Spanish Baroque history can mark a division between

Spanish tradition and Italian influences.1

Robert Murrell Stevenson’s 1979 “Antonio Soler: A 250th Anniversary Review Article”

is very detailed and discusses primarily biographical aspects. This article is most notable for the

author’s corrections to some of the current research pertaining to Soler’s life. In addition, the

article discusses whom Soler likely studied with, his life as a monk and his monastic duties, and

1
Reah Sadowsky, “Antonio Soler: Creator of Spain’s Fifth Century of Musical Genius,”American Music Teacher
xxviii/1 (1978), 10.

3
the rules of modulation from his treatise. Stevenson also supplies a lengthy annotated

bibliography on Soler from 1964 to 1979.

Existing analytical studies of Antonio Soler’s sonatas are found mostly in two

dissertations and a few articles. Of the dissertations, both Dieckow and Marestaing supply

numerous informative details on his keyboard works. Dieckow provides an inventory of the

musical and compositional techniques found in Soler's sonatas. The author outlines key features

such as the sonata form (Chapters 1 and 2), melody, tempo, rhythm (Chapter 5), harmony

(Chapter 6), and includes many musical examples. In addition, Dieckow classifies each sonata

according to its thematic materials and gives a summary of the characteristic thematic types

found in Soler’s music. Marestaing, unlike Dieckow, only supplies a thorough analysis of a

single work, Sonata No. 67 in D major (Chapter 7). The author provides diagrams of the

thematic ideas for each of the three movements, while including a study in form.

In the 1980 July and August issue of Clavier, Frederick Marvin gives a short analysis of

the Sonata in d minor, M.V. 28. Although brief, this article addresses Soler’s themes, use of

repetition, sequences, modulation, and supplies a harmonic analysis.2 The 1984 article written

by Eliot Fisk in Guitar Review is similar in that regard. A transcription and notes on the Sonata

M. 28 are supplied at the end of the article. However, the author's main focus in these notes is a

discussion of the transcription process, and not necessarily the study of themes and harmonic

material.

Research on the transcription process of Antonio Soler’s harpsichord sonatas for guitar

solo or guitar duo is very limited. Information on this topic can only be gathered through the

study of currently available transcriptions, articles, and dissertations. Richard Long, editor of

Soundboard magazine, has published four Soler transcriptions for guitar duo. Likewise, the

4
guitar virtuoso Eliot Fisk has contributed by transcribing a handful of Soler’s sonatas for solo

guitar. Moreover, the famous twentieth century classical guitar duo of Evangelos

Assimakopoulos and Lisa Zoe transcribed Soler’s Fandango. Guitar scholars and performers

such as Nicholas Goluses, Eliot Fisk, Michael Quantz, and Stanley Yates have contributed to the

discussion of the transcription process in general in their books, articles, and dissertations. The

study of transcriptions and familiarity with the above-mentioned authors’ texts can supply many

clues and suggestions for the arranging process.

2
Frederick Marvin,”Discovered Treasure: The Music of Antonio Soler,” Clavier, XIX/6 (1980) p. 24.

5
 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF PADRE ANTONIO SOLER3

Antonio Soler y Ramos was born in the town of Olot de Porrera in the Spanish province

of Gerona in Catalonia in December 1729, and baptized on December 3rd of that year.4 He was a

priest, monk, theorist, and composer, and spent the majority of his adult life as maestro de

capilla in the Royal Monastery of El Escorial near Madrid, the renowned palace-monastery-

church complex built by Phillip II.5

As a young boy of six, he was enrolled by his father, Marcos Mateo Soler, in the famous

singing school named Escolania de Montserrat, near Barcelona. There he was housed, clothed,

and educated in music skills such as singing, solfege, harmony, composition, harpsichord, organ,

as well as general subjects.6 He received much of his basic musical instruction from the well-

known organist and composer Jose Elias, pupil of Juan de Cabanilles. Shortly after graduating

from Escolania, at the age of 15, he took the position of maestro de capilla in Lerida. There he,

in addition to his duties as maestro, received minor orders from Sebastian de Victoria, the

Bishop of Urgel.7 In 1752, the 23-year old Soler was appointed as maestro de capilla in El

Escorial, where he remained until his death on December 20, 1783.8

In El Escorial, Soler composed numerous instrumental and vocal works. His keyboard

sonata style and Sonata No. 85 will be studied below.

3
For a more complete biographical look into Soler’s life, see: Frank Morris Carroll, “An Introduction to Antonio
Soler,” (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Rochester, 1960.), Graciela Monica Marestaing, “Antonio Soler: A
Biographical Inquiry and Analysis of a Keyboard Sonata” (Ph.D. dissertation, California State University, 1976),
Sister Teresita Espinosa, “Selected Unpublished Villancicos of Padre Fray Antonio Soler with Reference to the
Cultural History of Eighteenth-Century Spain,” (University of Southern California, 1969) and Robert Stevenson
Murrell, ”Antonio Soler: A 250th Anniversary Review Article,”Inter-American Music Review, II/1 Fall 1979, 45-57.
4
Frederick Marvin, “Antonio Soler,” Consort, no. 39 (1983), 479.
5
Ibid., 479.
6
Graciela Monica Marestaing, “Antonio Soler: A Biographical Inquiry and Analysis of a Keyboard Sonata” (Ph.D.
dissertation, California State University, 1976), 7.
7
Ibid., 9.

6
 SONATA No. 859

Overview of Soler’s Sonata Style

An overview of Antonio Soler’s keyboard sonatas suggests that he integrated both the

styles of late Baroque and Classical periods. Evidence of this is given by Marestaing who states

that “as a transitional composer Soler’s musical styles, while exhibiting many of the new musical

mannerisms of his contemporaries, continues to use some elements of the late Baroque…[sic]”10

The fact that Soler wrote one-movement binary form sonatas modeled after the harpsichord

works of Scarlatti and multi-movement sonatas incorporating the Sonata-Allegro form similar to

those by Haydn and Mozart, further supports Marestaing’s observation. Influence of the

Classical style on Soler’s music is pointed out by William Newman who states that the Spanish

sonata “…kept pace with the times at least in regards to the nature of the styles and forms.”11

General Observations about Sonata No. 85

Soler’s Sonata No. 85 is a good example of such mixture of late Baroque and Classical

periods. This piece uses elements of Sonata-Allegro form (i.e. Exposition, Development, and

Recapitulation) and is cast in an expanded rounded binary form typical of the Baroque sonata.

The work contains an introduction of twenty-three measures, an exposition of twenty-six

measures, a development of twenty measures, and a recapitulation of twenty-six measures.

8
Ibid., 9.
9
The catalogue number of this sonata is based on Father Samuel Rubio’s editions. This sonata is originally in F-
sharp minor. This transcription transposed the work to d minor.
10
Graciela Monica Marestaing, “Antonio Soler: A Biographical Inquiry and Analysis of a Keyboard Sonata” (Ph.D.
dissertation, California State University, 1976), 60.
11
William S. Newman, The Sonata in the Classic Era (New York: W.W. Norton and Co., Inc, 1972), p. 259., quoted
in ibid, 59.

7
 Motivic Analysis of Sonata No. 85

Soler uses a prelude-like opening motive in d minor that does not reappear later in the

work, but the intervallic and rhythmic materials found in this gesture are, in a sense, the “seeds”

from which all subsequent motives are derived. Moreover, as will be discussed later in the

section on Tonal Schemes, this material also gives clues to the harmonic areas that are to be

explored.

This introductory figure seems reminiscent of openings to many fugal works found in the

Baroque period (Ex. 1). Yet, the manner in which it is treated appears to be more in the style of

the early imitative writing of the fugue’s precursor, ricercare/fantasia from the Renaissance

period. It seems as if Soler is using these opening measures to “seek out” a tonal center—a

common feature of the ricercare. This style of writing would not have been foreign to Soler,

since, judging by his treatise on harmony (Llave de La Modulacion y Antiguedades de La

Musica), he was a strong proponent of learning the older styles. Indeed, this gesture may have

been a homage to the Spanish musical heritage found in the art music of the vihuela de mano

from the previous century.

Ex. 1. Introduction: motive 1 in Sonata 85, mm. 1-4.

8
 This opening musical gesture consists of four main intervallic elements (Ex. 2). The first

musical gesture is an ascending melodic figure built upon the interval of the third. Linked to this

interval is the rhythmic feature of two thirty-second notes followed by the dotted eighth. As will

be demonstrated in this sonata, these two features are often employed together. The next musical

gesture, found in the second beat of measure one, is a descending figure built upon the interval of

the fourth with a sixteenth note rhythm. The third gesture consists of an ascending figure of the

sixth, found on the last sixteenth of measure one until the downbeat of measure two. Lastly,

encompassing three measures, an expansion of the interval of the second is seen in measure two

to the downbeat of measure four.

Ex. 2. Introduction: motive 1 in Sonata 85 with intervallic gestures identified, mm. 1-4.

1) Interval of the third 2) Interval of the fourth

3) Interval of the sixth 4) Expansion of the interval of the second

Answering this figure at measure 4, the opening gesture then appears in the bass voice an

octave lower. Instead of treating this material in a soloistic manner, Soler adds a new line in the

upper voice in the second measure of the gesture, measure five, which features a descending

step-wise figure spanning the interval of the diminished fourth (a third in sound), followed by an

ascending syncopated gesture of the same interval (Ex. 3). In measure 7, the bass voice

9
introduces a half-step, eighth note octave figure on the pitches A and Bb. Derived from the

opening gesture as the interval of the second, this half-step motion is a characteristic of the A

Phrygian mode (in which it forms the first interval of the scale). The Phrygian mode is

commonly associated with the Spanish style, and, as Carroll mentions in his dissertation, the

frequent use of this mode might suggest a national characteristic.12

Functioning as an extension of the dominant, this half-step idea is repeated three times

until the half cadence at measure 10 in d minor. Simultaneously in the upper voice, each

repeated measure consists of a triadic melodic structure based on the interval of the third and a

mordent figure derived from the interval of the second. The interval of the fourth can also be

noticed between the last note of the mordent figure and the downbeat of measure 8. By the last

beat of measure 10, the repetition comes to a close with the arrival of the interval of the third.

Ex. 3. Introduction: motive 1 in Sonata 85, mm. 1-10.13

12
Frank Morris Carroll, “An Introduction to Antonio Soler,” (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Rochester, 1960), pp.
33ff., quoted in Almarie Dieckow, “A Stylistic Analysis of The Solo Keyboard Sonatas of Antonio Soler,” (Ph.D.
dissertation, Washington University, 1971), 229.
13
The intervals of a third and second are identified with brackets, and the boxes indicate the interval of a fourth and
the Phrygian gesture.

10
 The musical effect used in these measures (i.e. 4- 10) is seen again in measures 11-18,

although with some adjustments. Just like in measure 4, Motive 1 begins the gesture; yet, this

time, the upper voice imitates it exactly one beat later, producing a canonic effect. In measure

13, a key adjustment in two pitches of the original motive enables Soler to move into the next

tonal area. In the upper voice, the pitch F replaces the original D, and in the lower voice, Bb is

replaced with D. By measure 14, the half-step, eighth note octave figure found in measures 7-9

is used again, but this time up a third from its original appearance; once more, the Phrygian

gestures can be observed with the flat sixth scale degree a half-step above the dominant fifth

degree, as it would be in the modal mixture of F major and F minor. While maintaining the same

rhythmic scheme as before, the repeated gesture used in the top voice in measures 14-16 consists

of a step-wise figure as opposed to the triadic one. This change can be viewed as a descending

form of the intervallic gesture of the third. This material ends in a half cadence in the key of F

(Ex. 4).

Ex. 4. Introduction: motive 1 in Sonata 85, mm. 11-18.14

[F] V VI (modal mixture) V

In the transitional section, the intervallic material is mostly derived from the interval of

the third and the second. In the following example, notice how the ascending figure in the upper

voice moves by a third and then by a second and then by a third again. In measure 22 of the

11
upper voice, also take note of how Soler disguises the same interval from measures 2-4 (the

expansion of the interval of the second) by ornamenting the gesture (Ex. 5).

Ex. 5. Introduction: transitional section in Sonata 85, mm. 19-24.15

The exposition section is primarily based on a single idea that is then repeated in the key

of F major. The material is seven and a half measures in length and will be divided and studied

in two parts, part one and part two. In this section, Soler not only uses the intervals, but also the

scale degrees from Motive 1 to derive the main melodic idea of Motive 2. In part one of Motive

2, the material is based on scale degrees 3, 4, and 5 and the interval of the fourth (Ex. 6a and Ex.

6b).

Ex. 6a. Exposition: part one of motive 2 in Sonata 85, mm. 24-26.

14
The open-face notes identify the adjusted pitches of Motive 1. The intervals of the third and second are indicated
by brackets, and the box identifies the Phrygian gesture.

12
Ex. 6b. Introduction: scale degrees and intervals derived from motive 1 in Sonata 85, m.1

Part two of Motive 2 is based on the intervals of the third and fourth. Also in measures 29 and

30, Soler uses a variation of the opening rhythmic feature used in combination with the same

three-note ascending gesture seen in the introductory statement of Motive 1(Ex. 6c and Ex. 6d).

Ex. 6c. Exposition: part two of motive 2 in Sonata 85, mm. 27-31.16

Ex. 6d. Introduction: variation on rhythmic feature of Motive 1, mm. 1

Original, m.1 Usage, mm.29 and 30

15
The boxes indicate the thirds and the brackets identify the seconds.
16
The boxed pitches identify the interval of the third and the bracketed pitches show the interval of the fourth.

13
 The closing section of the exposition consists of an ascending scale, and a decorative

cadential idea based on the interval of the fourth. One of the most characteristic features of this

passage is the downward leap of the sixth (i.e. G to Bb) found between the last note of the

ascending scale and the downbeat of measure 40. Again, this interval is taken from the opening

gesture. In measures 40-42, the interval of the fourth is used in the cadential figure seen in the

second guitar part (Ex.7a and Ex. 7b).

Ex. 7a. Exposition: closing section in Sonata 85, mm. 38-42.17

Ex. 7b. Introduction: motive 1, mm. 1 and 2.

A two-bar arpeggiated figure introduces the development section. The first melodic idea

is derived from the opening three pitches of Motive 1. The rhythmic elements are a variation of

part two of Motive 2 and the intervals of the second, third, and fourth can be frequently observed

(Ex. 8a and Ex 8b).

17
The brackets and the open-face notes identify the interval of the fourth.

14
Ex. 8a. Development: pitches, rhythmic elements, and the intervals of the second, third, and
fourth from motive 1 and 2 in Sonata 85, mm. 50-57.18

Ex. 8b Materials used in the development section in Sonata 85

1) Pitches from motive 1 and the interval of the fourth.

2) Variation of rhythmic features taken from part two of motive 2.

The same types of materials are used again in the remaining measures of the development

section, measures 58-69. Although Soler remains generally true to this opening cell of ideas, he

deviates from it slightly at the closing of the development section in measures 68 and 69. Instead

of writing a strict descending scale which would have ended on the fifth scale degree (like in the

original usage of Motive 1, measures 2-4), Soler changes the direction of the line and ends this

18
The open-face notes identify the pitches from Motive 1. The brackets indicate the interval of the fourth and the
boxes designate the interval of the third.

15
section with an appoggiatura figure, arriving on the leading tone in the key of d minor. (Ex. 9a

and Ex 9b)

Ex. 9a Development: adjusted interval in Sonata 85, mm. 68-69.

Ex. 9b. Introduction: motive 1, expansion of the interval of the second, mm. 2-4.

In the recapitulation section, the material that follows (measures 70-96) is a transposed

version of measures 24-49 in d minor.

Tonal Schemes of Sonata No. 85

As was noticed in the motivic analysis of this work, Soler is very economical with his

material and derives much of his ideas from the opening gesture. The same can be observed in

his tonal schemes because the tonal regions are hinted at in that figure. In measure one, notice

the pitch F, and in measure two, the pitch Bb. These are the two key areas Soler later explores

(Ex.10a and 10b). Although not obvious at first look, evidence in favor of Soler’s thinking this

way can be seen in the placement of these pitches. They are not passing tones, but emphasized

by their nature because they occur on the downbeats. F as a tonal region first appears in

16
measures 19-24 in the transitional section and is affirmed in Motive 2 of the exposition section,

measure 24 (Ex. 11). The next key area occurs in measures 55-63 in the key of Bb (Ex. 12.)

Ex.10a. Tonal schemes in Sonata 85.

Pitch Appearance Usage

F First note of Motive 1 F major (Motive 2) ms. 24

Bb First note of the 2nd measure of Motive 1 Bb major; mm. 55-63

Ex.10b. Tonal schemes in Sonata 85, mm. 1-4.

[d]

Ex.11. Tonal schemes in the transitional section of Sonata 85, mm. 19-24.

[F] IV V7 I

17
Ex.12. Tonal schemes in Sonata 85, mm. 55-61.

V7 i
___________________________
[Bb] ii

[Bb] V7 I

To provide a clearer look at the piece as a whole, a linear diagram of Sonata No. 85 is as

follows:19

19
The letter “b” after a measure number indicates that the material begins on the second half of the measure.

18
 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE FANDANGO

During the first half of the eighteenth century in Spain, the fandango was a popular

dance, known for its sensuous and suggestive moves.20 In fact, this dance was so provocative

that many people believed that it should be banned by the church. Even Giacomo Casanova, the

well-known womanizer who was the inspiration behind Da Ponte’s libretto of Mozart’s Don

Giovanni, wrote in his memoirs of his trip to Spain that:

“…each couple, man and woman, never move more than three steps as they click their castanets with the
music of the orchestra. They take a thousand attitudes, make a thousand gestures so lascivious that nothing can
compare with them. This dance is the expression of love beginning to end, from the sigh of the desire to the ecstasy
of (pure) enjoyment…”21

The fandango was an improvisatory, triple-meter dance; the music for it was primarily in

the Phrygian mode, and the orchestra accompanying the dance would have featured fiddles,

singing, dancers’ footwork and, most importantly, the guitar. The guitar was commonly

associated with this dance even after it was imported into the New World. Scholars James Tyler

and Paul Sparks mention that the fandango was popular throughout South America and, in

particular, the lowly shops that sold rum and tobacco called pulperias. 22 Even when imported

into the New World, the dance still carried all the negative undertones associated with it. To this

point, Richard Pinnell, an expert on the early guitar’s reception in Argentina and Uruguay, states

that the dance was considered inappropriate because it was believed to “lead to drunkenness,

brawling, indiscriminate fornication, and even manslaughter.”23 Fearing social unrest, the

20
Curt Sachs, The World of the Dance, p. 99., quoted in Reah Sadowsky, “Antonio Soler: Creator of Spain’s Fifth
Century of Musical Genius,”American Music Teacher xxviii/1 (1978), 12.
21
Ibid., 12.
22
James Tyler and Paul Sparks, The Guitar and its Music from the Renaissance to the Classical Era (Oxford,
2002), 193.
23
Richard T. Pinnell,”The Rioplatense Guitar: The Early Guitar and Its Context in Argentina and Uruguay, i.
Westport: The Bold Strummer, Ltd. quoted in Ibid., 198.

19
church in Buenos Aires made attempts to suppress the dancing of the fandango and other dances

with guitar accompaniment.24

24
Ibid., 198.

20
 FANDANGO FOR HARPSICHORD AND THE TRANSCRIPTION PROCESS25

General Observations

At first look, Soler’s writing of a fandango seems unusual for a man of his religious

occupation. Marestaing states that “…Soler’s life as a monk was one of great devotion, both to

the religious life and to his ever-continuing studies and writing.”26 But this did not prevent him

from creating some of his works which were, as Marvin mentions, “derived purely from Spanish

elements such as popular songs and dances, guitar strumming, and other typical Spanish musical

expressions.”27 A study of his life also shows that he was exposed to much secular and

contemporary music at La Granja, the summer royal palace by El Escorial; consequently, it

would only seem natural for Soler to gather inspiration from his surroundings.

Soler’s Fandango obviously imitates the sounds of the guitar, and since the guitar was an

integral part of this dance, it can be argued that a transcription for guitars would bring the work

back to its original sounds and colors. Spanning 461 measures, his Fandango is a lively,

capricious work that explores the spirit of this lascivious dance. The work displays a large array

of gestures, most of which transfer well to the idiom of guitar duo. Nonetheless, several issues

must be considered when making an effective transcription of this work.

Tessitura

When transcribing a work for guitar duo, tessitura is essential. The work has to fit on the

instrument comfortably and give the impression that it was originally written for this instrument.

Also, because of the tuning of the guitar (i.e. E, A, d, g, b, e’), sharp keys are favored in

25
Frederick Marvin Edition, 1957
26
Graciela Monica Marestaing, “Antonio Soler: A Biographical Inquiry and Analysis of a Keyboard Sonata” (Ph.D.
dissertation, California State University, 1976), 13.
27
Frederick Marvin, “Antonio Soler,” Consort, no. 39 (1983), 481.

21
comparison with flat ones. As for the Fandango, the transcription is suited for the original key,

A Phrygian.

Adding to or Reducing the Texture

Sometimes the original texture is either too thin—leaving the guitar sounding weak and

without sufficient fullness—or too thick, making it unplayable. When this occurs, it becomes

even more necessary to interpret the affect of the gesture so as to arrange the music properly.

The following passages are solutions to some of the textural issues in this work.

Ex.13. Adding to the texture in Fandango, mm. 37-39.

13a. Original

13b.Transcription28

In the above example, notice how the implied harmonies have been filled in.

28
The x’s and the arrows will be explained in the section on Spanish Baroque Guitar Effects, pp. 27.

22
Ex.14. Reducing the texture in Fandango, mm.176-181.

14a. Original

14a. Transcription

In this example, I have reduced the texture by using only the upper pitches of the original octave

passage.

Adjustments in the Line to Create Idiomatic Writing for the Guitar

In comparison with the guitar, keyboard instruments are able to execute complex

arpeggiations and figurations with great ease. Even though some of the original lines are

possible on the guitar, they often do not have the same effect because the register is too low and

lacks sufficient resonance. Since the guitar sounds an octave lower than written, octave changes

that move the material up simply place the material at pitch. In general, most of the material is

down an octave and is only placed at pitch when the material fits in a playable fashion on the

23
guitar. In order to create idiomatic writing that exploits the most sonorous qualities of the guitar,

adjustments in the original line are also necessary.

Ex. 15. Adjustment in arpeggiation with octave transposition in Fandango, mm.65 and 66.

15a. Original

15b. Transcription

In this passage, I have placed the material at pitch and rearranged the order of the notes of the

arpeggio to make it more idiomatic in this position. When in this register, the original octave leap

seen in measure 66 on the note A, is not possible. A solution to this passage is to keep this

material in the same register as the arpeggiated figure.

24
Ex.16. Adjustments in the line for a more sonorous quality in Fandango, mm.51-54.

16a. Original

16b. Transcription

In the above excerpt, I have created a more guitaristic voicing resulting in a more sonorous

effect.

Ex.17. Adjustments in arpeggiation in Fandango, mm.169 and 171.

17a. Original
m.169 m. 171

25
17b.Transcription

m. 169 m.171

In the above passages, I have arranged the original figurations in a more guitaristic manner.

Ex.18. Adjustments in the line to facilitate ensemble playing in Fandango, mm. 288 and 289.

Ex.18a. Original

Ex.18b. Transcription

In the above example, the original passage is too difficult to replicate for guitar duo; therefore, I

have created a more idiomatic arpeggio in the upper voice in order to facilitate ensemble playing.

26
 Spanish Baroque Guitar Effects

Guitarists who wish to acquire knowledge about the stylistic techniques used in the guitar

repertoire from the Spanish Baroque Era (c. 1596-1750) have an overwhelming amount of

sources to draw from. During this time, numerous treatises on playing the guitar were published

in Spain, as well as in Italy and France. These treatises give us a window into what techniques

Baroque guitarists were writing about and using in their own compositions. Although the

Baroque guitar is quite different from its modern six-string relative in terms of its size, sound,

and stringing—the Baroque guitar has five courses with a single top string—there are still many

points of reference which make it possible for many of the stylistic techniques from this period to

be used on the modern guitar. These techniques should, therefore, be integrated into

transcriptions from this period. Taken from selected treatises, the techniques used in this

transcription will be discussed below, along with a brief historical background of each.

The earliest publication that discussed the new trends in playing the guitar was the 1596

guitar treatise by Juan Carlos Amat entitled Guitarra Espanola y Vandola. Amat’s text is solely

devoted to playing in the rasqueado style. The rasqueado or strummed style refers to the hitting

of the strings of the guitar with one or more fingers of the right hand, instead of them being

simultaneously plucked.29 The direction of the rasqueado was not indicated by Amat, but, as the

style evolved, guitarists began using signs to signify direction of the strum. This manner of

playing was originally devised to accompany popular songs and dances because it supplied, in

comparison to the plucked, or punteado, style, a significant increase in volume, and added

rhythmic and textural variety. It was this manner of playing, and not the later lute-like

contrapuntal punteado style, that brought the guitar its enormous popularity in the early

29
Syliva Murphy, “Seventeenth-Century Guitar Music: Notes on Rasqueado Performance,” Galpin Society Journal
21 (March 1968), 24.

27
seventeenth century in France and Italy. In the following examples, notice how rasqueado style

is utilized in this transcription (Ex.19 and Ex. 20).

Ex. 19 Rasqueados in Fandango, mm. 37-39.

19a. Original

19b. Transcription

The x’s in this example signify to the performer to golpe, or hit this given rhythm with

the right hand in a percussive manner, and the arrows indicate the direction of the strum.

Inspired by the spirit of the Fandango, this extra-musical effect imitates the sounds of the

dancers’ footwork and the castanets.

Scholar on Baroque guitar ornamentation, Robert Strizich mentions that the rasqueado

style was likely substituted for arpeggio passages and was used when “both the musical context

and the fantasy of the performer permitted.”30 With this in mind, the rasqueado style could have

been likely used to substitute for keyboard figuration that is otherwise unidiomatic on the guitar.

In the following example, the combination of the rasqueado style and the golpe replace the

30
Robert Strizich, “Ornamentation in Spanish Baroque Guitar Music,” Journal of the Lute Society of America 5
(1972), 38.

28
original complex figuration. These additions supply an excellent solution that not only suit the

spirit of the gesture, but also add the necessary intensity.

Ex. 20. Rasqueados in Fandango, mm. 226 and 227.

20a. Original

20b. Transcription

Gaspar Sanz’s 1674 treatise entitled Instruccion de Musica Sobra la Guitarra is also a

key source because it features a combination of the rasqueado and punteado manners of playing,

the novel way of fingering scale passages called campanella, and extrasinos, or slurs. Known to

have been used by both lutenists and vihuelists from the previous era, campanella fingering is a

method of playing scalar passages on adjacent strings producing a harp, or bell-like quality. In

addition to their colorful sonority, passages fingered in a campanella way are a great technical

tool to negotiate quick passage-work. The earliest source of this type of fingering on the guitar is

found in a 1640 treatise called Libro Primo de Chitarra Spagnole by the Italian Angelo Michele

Bartolotti. Though this effect was not “named” by him, Sanz, who cultivated this manner of

fingering, called this effect ‘campanelas’(Ex. 21). The following example shows where

campanella fingering has been the utilized in the transcription.

29
Ex. 21. Campanella fingering in Fandango, mm.55 and 56.

21a. Original

21b. Transcription

Extrasinos, or slurs, were considered a special effect by Baroque guitarists who thought

of them as an ornament.31 Used to create variety in the articulation, extrasinos can also be

utilized in facilitating otherwise laborious punteado passages (Ex. 22) Moreover, as was in the

style of Baroque guitarists, extrasinos passages were grouped according to the placement of the

notes in a given left-hand position, which was not necessarily in accord with the metric grouping

of the piece. The resulting effects are irregular patterns which can create some unique rhythmic

accents.32

31
Ibid., 29.
32
Ibid., 30.

30
Ex. 22. Extrasinos in Fandango, mm.76-79.

22a. Original

22b. Transcription

Francisco Guerau’s 1694 Poema Harmonico also gives us some clues on using the

ornamental technique of harpeado, or arpeggios. Guerau describes a “rolling” of chords in an

upward direction, possibly employed at the whim of the performer due to the fact that there is no

mention of a sign that is used to indicate when this is done.33 Sanz also mentions this technique

in his treatise but describes the harpeado as ascending and descending on a fixed chord pattern.

He also supplies a sign that signifies when this should be used, but, as stated by Strizich,

examples of Sanz’s usage of this technique are nowhere to be found in his, or other Spanish

treatises. Indeed, this technique is credited to Italian guitarists and is seen in works by Bartolotti.

In the following example, the original harpeado technique (which features the crossing of hands)

is too difficult to reproduce for guitar duo. My transcription simplifies this gesture by placing

33
Ibid., 36.

31
the harpeado in one guitar part and adds a new supporting line to reinforce the harmonic

movement (Ex. 23).34

Ex. 23 Harpeados in Fandango, mm. 298 and 299.

23a. Original

23b. Transcription

Lastly, Santiago De Murcia’s 1714 Resumen de Acompanar la Parte con la Guitarra, and

his 1732 Passacalles y Obras de Guitarra are also of considerable interest because the music in

these texts is a fusion of all the above-mentioned techniques, though no explanation on the usage

of the techniques is provided. His works alone supply the modern guitarist with his stylistic

features. In addition to featuring Spanish characteristics, De Murcia shows his synthesis of

French and Italian styles. An example of this can be seen in his arrangements of Arcangelo

Corelli’s works. It is arrangements such as these that give modern guitarists a great reference for

transcribing music for the guitar. In terms of ornamentation, De Murcia, gives no explanation in

either book, but refers to Guerau’s treatise for more information on such topics.35

34
Ibid., 36.

32
 Imitating Harpsichord Articulation

Since Soler’s Fandango is a harpsichord work, the transcription should also consider

imitating the styles or sounds of this instrument, in so much as they are idiomatic to the modern

guitar. One such effect that can be easily imitated is the articulation of the harpsichord.

Once a key on the harpsichord has been released, the sound no longer continues, creating

a detached articulation. In comparison to the harpsichord, the open strings of the guitar have a

much longer sustain. When playing a passage that allows the open strings of the guitar to

sustain, the harmonic character is often distorted and leaves a “muddy” quality. To create a

harpsichord-like effect on the guitar, notes (particularly in the bass) can be shortened (Ex. 24).

Ex.24. Harpsichord articulation effects in Fandango, mm. 2 and 3.

24a. Original

24b. Transcription

35
Ibid., 19.

33
 CONCLUSION

Although Padre Antonio Soler never wrote guitar music, its sounds and effects must have

inspired him. Evidence of the guitar’s influence on Soler’s music can be seen in his use of

characteristic guitar gestures, a culmination of which is found in his Fandango. Since many of

his gestures and ideas appear to be drawn from guitaristic models, transcribing Soler’s music for

the guitar would only seem natural. This study presented a small fraction of Soler’s treasures

and many more still wait to be transcribed for guitar duo.

34
 APPENDIX

TWO REPRESENTATIVE PIECES

35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1986.

Carroll, Frank Morris. “An Introduction to Antonio Soler.” Ph.D. diss., University
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Crouch, Margaret Long. “Llave de la Modulacion y Antiguedades de la Musica…Padre

Fray Antonio Soler: Translation and Commentary.” Ph. D diss., University of California
at Santa Barbara, 1978.

Cyr, Mary. Performing Baroque Music. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1992.

Dieckow, Almarie. “A Stylistic Analysis of The Solo Keyboard Sonatas of Antonio

Soler.” Ph.D. diss., Washington University, 1971.

Fisk, Eliot. “Frederick Marvin: A Fresh Look at Padre Soler.” Guitar Review, No.55 (Fall
1983), 9-15.

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Goluses, Nicholas. “J.S. Bach and the Transcription Process: The Sonatas and Partitas for
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Keyboard Sonata.” Ph. D. diss., California State University, 1976.

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Marvin, Frederick. “Discovered Treasure: The Music of Antonio Soler.” Clavier,

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Murphy, Syliva. “Seventeenth-Century Guitar Music: Notes on Rasqueado Performance.”

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Russell, Craig. “Santiago De Murcia: Spanish Theorist and Guitarist of the Early
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55