A técnica violonística em expansão: revisão histórica e uma proposta de categorização

Abstract

As a result of reflections based on problems while preparing the performance of Rua das Pedras, by Paulo Rios Filho, this work proposes a broad reflection on the development of guitar technique from the 19th century to the present day. We approach the problems related to the concept of expanded (or extended) technique, examining its implications to the guitar. Our hypothesis is that this inadequate concept, as far as the guitar is concerned, is linked to a stylistic prejudice, which explains the preference for tonal music conventions in the pedagogy of the instrument. We also demonstrate the disparity between guitar pedagogy and changes in composition during the 20th century, highlighting the delay of the guitar in relation to prestigious instruments of concert music as to the acceptance in this particular “art world”. The lack of a consistent and exemplified definition of “traditional technique” in the guitar literature motivated us to pursue a clearer understanding of this concept. In order to do that, we set out to discuss and analyze the evolution of guitar technique over the period of its consolidation in the world of concert music – from the early 19th century to the first half of the 20th century. At first, we focused on the main divergences in central aspects of the guitar technique in the 19th century, which we consider to be the following: restrictions on the use of the ring finger, playing with or without nails, ways to hold the guitar and positioning of the left hand. Then, we analyze the main methods for guitar from the 19th century. Due to the quality and volume of this content, we use the methods of Sor and Aguado as the main sources of information. Following this reasoning, we also analyze the technical and pedagogical progress attributed to the guitar movement known as Tárrega School. We finish the discussion on the development of the “traditional” guitar technique by pointing out important contributions to the development of the instrument by Andrés Segovia. After the discussion in the first five chapters, we set the ground, in chapter 6, for the understanding and analysis of the guitar technique aligned with the contemporaneity. From this perspective, we suggest five categories, encompassing different ways to understand more clearly the transformation of guitar technique over time and across “art worlds”(BECKER, 2010). In the last chapter, we describe our preparation for the performance of Rua das Pedras, a solo guitar work by Paulo Rios Filho, with attention to the use of unconventional techniques. Besides, we discuss the difficulties in executing specific passages and provide studying suggestions for performance.