Etude 14 in D (Op. 60)
Matteo Carcassi
Matteo Carcassi (1792 - 1853) was a skilled concert guitarist in the first place, he composed about 100 works for guitar at an older age, after he finished his concert career.
Matteo Carcassi was born in Florence, in the year, the French Revolution broke out. As a child, he started playing the piano, but then turned to the guitar and soon became a virtuoso. After a stay in Germany, he moved to Paris, where he started his guitar practice, more or less overshadowed by his fellow-Italian Fernando Carulli.
Regarding his compositions, Carcassi is a little bit in the shade of the great composers like Sor en Giuliani. Nevertheless his Methode and the well known 25 Etudes Melodiques et Progressives are played even today.
The well known Etude Nr. 3 was my first Carcassi piece. Since then I have played through the complete Op. 60. Now after 25 years it became time for a revival.
Etude Nr. 14 fits in my current policy and attempt to improve my alternating stroke technique. It’s a challenge to go in with a specific alternating pattern despite the string changes. Do not forget the alternating in the bass lines. Musically the piece is not so interesting, as a nice exercise the piece is a part of my history.