Biography
In the second half of the nineteenth century, salon music for guitar became popular, not only in Europe, but also in the United States. As a consequence, a large number of waltzes, polkas and arrangements of popular classical works were created in America. People like Winslow Hayden (1839 – 1886) and Justin Holland (1819 – 1887) brought cultural music in the salon and living room within reach of the amateur guitarist.
Winslow Hayden had a daughter Carrie Vanessa Hayden (1866 – 1950). She continued her father’s profession after his tragic death in a sailboat accident. She ran a music school in Boston (Massachusetts), sold sheet music and guitar parts and wrote several compositions for guitar and piano. I discovered some of her material that is a nice example of American salon music in the nineteenth century. She has a lot of simple and catchy themes that perform well at social events.
In the meantime, an interesting book has been published with guitar music and an interesting story about Carrie Hayden’s life. That is Women Composers, guitar works by Caroline V. Hayden, in which Annette Kruisbrink takes credit for the biography, transcriptions and fingerings. The book is available at Les Productions d’ Oz under number DZ 4265.