Fantasie Les Adieux
Fernando Sor
Les Adieux is a rather programmatic guitar piece, written by the Spanish composer Fernando Sor who lived from 1778 to 1839. Sor was one of the leading guitar composers of the classical era. He lived an adventurous live that started rather calmly at the choir of the Montserrat monastery near Barcelona. During the reign of Napoleon, he served in the Spanish Army as a captain and took sides for Napoleon against the British, who got in charge in Spain those days. That was the reason why he fled to Paris.
He was lucky that in Paris a massive guitar scene had emerged, the reason why he had quite some success as a performer and a composer in the French capital. Soon everyone forgave him his political attitude and enjoyed his music. His concert-tours brought him to many European countries, even to Russia.
The piece Les Adieux represents a goodbye. In the music I hear a decision to leave and the objections of the one who's left behind. For a little while they share dear memories and then inevitably the coach approaches, the coach that will separate the lovers, friends or whatever you want to fill in.
The faster last section acts as a kind of reflection by the one that's left behind. Eventually the hope for return sounds from the music.