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The
«2nd
Italian
Guitar Day» is
an
accomplished fact.
This lovely
annual event,
established in
1933
for
brilliant initiative
of
professor Romolo Ferrari, has
had
a success this year
that, for the
number
of the participants
coming from
all over
Italy,
for
the interest of the
topics discussed and
the
importance of
the decisions taken,
has
exceeded all
expectations.
The
Congress
was carried out under
the aegis
of
our magazine,
whose
executives
have
accomplished the task
of its organization,
and
was held at the «Press
Club» which, with a high
sense of understanding
and
kindness, has
kindly placed its sumptuous
rooms at disposal.
The day
was
so full of
important
events,
so
highly significant
in
every moment to leave
no short-lived remembrance
in the souls of all
who, like us,
lived it.
Thus, our
report
will be made
in the
desire
not to
neglect
any
news, any details
that
might
have
an interest in
the reader,
the
passionate lover
who was forced
to
give up this happy
and active
meeting
of
guitarists.
The
morning’s work
A
bright
sunny day,
making the «Dotta» even
more
beautiful
in
its renewed
appearance of
new works,
welcomes
the members of the
congress arrived
by the first
trains
in the morning.
It is
just after
9 a.m.
that the
most impatient ones,
cheerfully anxious to meet again old friends
and new lovers of our instrument,
are already
beginning
to
arrive at the
convention venue. Doctor Buscaroli,
Professor Ferrari and we all of the magazine.
are already here to welcome them. We notice
among the participants a large group of
Florentine devotees almost... led by Mr
Parrini, well known musicologist in musical
circles of Florence,
a great lover of all things of art and so
sincere friend of the guitar, and also
guitarists of Milan, Turin, Parma, Ferrara,
Leghorn, Bologna.
At
10.30, the
«2nd
Italian Guitar
Convention»
has
officially begun.
Professor Romolo
Ferrari sits
as
chairman, Lando
Orlich
as
secretary.
In his
brief
opening speech, the
President presents
the animating concept
of these
annual
meetings,
they
were
created with the main
purpose of
keeping
alive
the
activities of
the scholar and
lover of the
guitar
and
to enable him to know
and love
his art colleagues
in order to
give rise to
a
stronger community of
spirit
within
our family.
Then
he greets
the participants
and, on behalf of
all, thanks
the
management of the
guest club; then
he states
the opening of the
congress and expresses
wishes that the new
Italy,
in the
twelfth
year
of the Fascist Revolution,
can, in a short while, see
the
assertion of our
noble art.
After
reading out
the «agenda»,
the President
himself reports on the
first
topic:
a)
the report on
the magazine «La
Chitarra».
The
speaker
reminds
briefly
how
our magazine
was created and
how
it is still supported
by
unselfish
contribution, both
financial and
intellectual, of a
group of fervent
lovers invited to
join
the
management board
and co-direct it.
The
audience address
them a
warm
applause.
The
President ends
his report
by inviting
everyone to
a
beneficial promotion
of the magazine and
opens the discussion on
motions for
changes
and
critical comments.
Afterwards some
complain
the
excessive critical rigor
of
an article on our
classics that has
recently appeared and,
considering it irreverent,
they demand for more
severity
in the examining of the
works to be published.
Doctor Buscaroli
in his turn
points out that
serene
art
criticism, as in our
case, must
be always admitted
and that before
being
hosted
in the
magazine, the
articles
are
subject to a careful
examination and that
however, certain
expressions contained
in the
work
mentioned
could
be
at most a
controversial
hint,
without
undermining
the integrity, anyhow
untouchable, of
the classics.
The
proposal of starting a section in which
subscribers can ask for explanations and
information of any kind relating to the guitar
and its music is immediately accepted.
Paragraph
b)
«Technology
and
guitar music
in the
tradition
and
in their new
horizons».
The President,
noting
the
deep difference
between
ancient and
modern
music, remarks
the need
of creating
a
new method or
at least
some kind
of
appendix to the
traditional methods
in
use which meets the
needs
of
today’s music. There
are various proposals
and
the discussion
is
long; at last the
Congress
finds
unanimous
agreement
and
decrees as follows:
«La Chitarra»
will
organize
a
competition with the
modalities which will
be communicated in
due time for
an
«Appendix
to all
methods»,
which
will
be
a brief guide
to the interpretation
and
performance of
modern music, which
will
consist
of
those exercises,
studies, indications
that the
author thinks
most appropriate
for the student to
enter
with
sure
technique
and
understanding the
modern
musical trends.
A
committee formed
by Mr.
Amedeo
Parrini
from
Florence, professor
Romolo
Ferrari ,Modena,
professor Aldo
Ferrari, Milan,
professor Benvenuto
Terzi from
Milan
and
Edoardo Capirone
from Turin
will choose
the
best job to meet all
the
terms fixed,
and
this will be
published
by
the magazine.
There
are many
discussed proposals
about
paragraph
c)
of the «agenda»: «For
an official teaching
of the
guitar
and
a professional teaching qualification».
Ultimately, it is accepted
the following
proposal
from
Prof.
Buscaroli:
the
Management Committee
of our magazine
as soon as they
obtain the adherence
and support
of
an influent technical person ,
will send
to the Honourable
Minister
for
National Education
a
detailed account
reflecting the
importance of the
guitar
and its
tradition
in order to secure
the creation in all
or
some of
the Royal
Conservatories
of
a permanent
teaching post
with a
guitar
teaching
role,
or, the previously
mentioned Hon
Minister, will
appoint, in every Royal
Conservatory, an
examining board, composed of
teachers
of the same institute,
and in addition
a
member unrelated to the
government teaching
with a competence in
guitar,
which
would meet
periodically
and
issue, after an examination,
diplomas
of
guitar teaching qualification.
«On
the opportunity of writing
a
history of
the guitar and
the guitarists
in
Italian» (paragraph
d)
all agree;
as for its accomplishment
many
divergences
arise.
Therefore,
having rejected
the
proposal of writing
this
history
in
collaboration with a
group of scholars,
joined
in some kind
of
division of tasks,
the Congress
commissions
Professor Romolo Ferrari
to implement
this
project, according to
his
prudent policy
and
deep knowledge
of
the subject.
It
is also accepted the
proposal of asking
for a
contribution
by means of a consolation
prize that the
Royal
Academy,
with a
high
sense
of art, allocates for
such initiatives.
Among
the
«several
initiatives
designed
to
provide for a link
between musicians
and guitarists»
(paragraph e)
is
noteworthy the
proposal by Kt.
Panini
of restoring honour
to the
guitar
compositions
in combination
with other
instruments
such
as
in «trios»
with violin and
viola
or
flute and cello
or
in «quartets»
with violin, viola
and cello
or
similar or in «duets»
with violin,
etc.
This
would serve
to interest
in the
guitar
the
many professionals
and amateurs
of
other more popular
instruments.
All
the presents agree
in spreading
this kind
of
performance in their
centers
as well as
to introduce
the guitar,
if
it is
in
their power, to the
major
contemporary composers,
so that they can write
and produce
for
our instrument too.
With a
warm plea to all the participants to make
every afford for a more brilliant future of
the guitar, the President, acclaimed, closes
the meeting.
The
visits and the afternoon academy
The
interest
for the
topics
has made us unaware
of the passing
time,
so when
we go
to lunch it is almost
1 p.m.
In
a nice
room
overlooking
the
garden in
the same
Press Club
a
long dinner table
tastefully laid all of a
sudden brings happiness
to everyone.
No
formal speech, no
conventional toast,
but
sincere spirit
of
brotherhood among
the
purest joy.
Very lively conversations
mingle
among
the guests
to
reaffirm some ideas
asserted in the morning
or
to give vent to the
joy of meeting again
a friend
not
seen for a long time
or
an only glimpsed fellow.
There’s happiness
in everyone’s soul,
because
very few
times so many
people,
intimately connected
by
the same noble
ideal,
are grouped together,
as we are
now, for
a
whole day
to discuss a favourite
topic, to communicate their
point of view, to
get to know
new
opinions.
When
dinner is over we wish to keep a
tangible
memory
of
an hour spent
so
nicely and
make
some
photos,
one of which we
are pleased to produce.
But
there
is no
time
to be wasted, the
program
has its own
needs,
even though
formal. ones.
Soon
a
group is formed, which,
under the kind leadership
of Dr.
Vaccari, is quickly
going through the
various
interesting
exhibitions
in the city.
Another
group, interpreting
the
desire expressed by
many of the
participants goes to
Luigi
Mozzani’s house
for
a deserved tribute.
We
all group again
in the convention
rooms of the morning,
where, according to the fixed program,
the
test shows and
performances,
as well as the
experiments
of the amplifier
created by prof.
Brettagna, take
place.
Mr.
R.
Vaccari and
the pupils R.Suzzi
and
L. Sassoli,
G.
Pezzoli, G.
Giannini,
L.
Squarzoni, Cagnacci,
M.
Biagi, R. Ferrari.
performed various pieces.
We
notice with great satisfaction
that
our guitar
amateurism
is
not a
poor thing,
not
a simple
pleasure,
but something
more,
something
that
is
more similar to an artistic expression. In
fact, we
noticed
such a
lively
and increased sense of art
in every performer, to make us wonder whether
the guitar is a privileged instrument.
It
is only still right to
acknowledge the
qualities of
prof.
Brettagna’s device,
which were
undeniably showed by
testing
it repeatedly
during the whole
afternoon.
It is a special
thermionic amplifier
of electrical impulses
produced
by
a special
device
by
vibration of
the soundbox
of
the instrument, whose
sound you
want to
amplify. After overcoming
small,
not
overwhelming
technical difficulties,
we can be sure
that the
device
by prof.Brettagna
will be
a
valuable aid
to all
those
who
want their
instrument to be
heard in
large halls
and
outdoors.
The
Academy
lasted
till
7:30 p.m.
then,
after
a few free
hours,
we
gathered again
to
listen to the
concert
of our
dear skilful
guitarist colleague
Professor Benvenuto
Terzi.
The
description of the
very brilliant
concert is given
in another
part
of the magazine.
The
«2nd Italian
Guitar
Convention»
could not have more
worthy
conclusion. In fact,
the
art of one of
our
most talented
concert
artists
not
only has raised
enthusiasm in all us
guitarists, but also
in the selected
and
attentive audience
that filled the
room.
Before
closing
the
report of
this
memorable
and
meaningful Italian guitar day ,this
logical conclusion comes
spontaneous: in Italy the
guitar
is
making giant steps
towards
a future, not
far
assertion of it as a
serious, complete instrument,
completely worthy
of being close
to the
other
solo instruments that
keep
the
podium in the concert halls. With
its rise
to the honour of
public teaching
in the
Conservatories, a
thing we hope it will
occur soon, it will win
official acknowledgment
so as to get the
consideration also
of those
who
would otherwise be
reluctant
to accept it
benevolently.
But
we realize that we
digress,
we
do not have the task
to
praise but
to draw
conclusions.
We had to
make
the
record and this
is
now over.
Leaving
the
concert of prof.
Terzi, while taking the
departing people to
the station,
we find out to be
a bit sad,
of
that slight sadness
that
always
comes
after
a
deep satisfaction.
But
we
leave with
a
goodbye to the
next
year.
L.
Orlich, Fervore d’opere e di
propositi nel Secondo Convegno dei Chitarristi
Italiani, in «La Chitarra», I, n. 6,
1934, pp. 1-4.
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