Luigi Legnani
Encyclopedia
Luigi Rinaldo Legnani was an Italian guitarist, singer, composer and luthier.
He is not to be confused with the sculptor Luigi Legnani (Ferrara, 29 December 1852 — 10 September 1910)..
Born in Ferrara
, Legnani was trained as a string player while very young but dedicated himself to guitar and voice. His debut was in Ravenna
in 1807; in the 1820s he performed as a tenor
in operas by Rossini, Pacini
, and Donizetti. His career as a guitarist began with a concert in Milan
in 1819; his 1822 concerts in Vienna
were a great success, and he was hailed as a star when he returned there in 1833 and 1839.
He is perhaps best known for his 36 Caprices for the guitar, which cover all the major and minor keys, and which were probably inspired by Paganini's
24 Caprices for the violin. He and Paganini were friends from the 1830s; while it was once thought that he and Paganini performed together in public, this is no longer accepted. After the 1850s Legnani retired from active performance and became an instrument maker, concentrating on guitars and violins. The "Legnani model" guitar was popular in Central Europe through the middle of the nineteenth century.
Legnani composed some 250 works, which were published in his lifetime throughout many of the major publishing houses in Europe. He died in Ravenna
.
Later he began making his own guitars, and some of his instruments still exist:
There is some confusion regarding regarding the luthierie of Legnani, as there seems to have been a second (earlier) Luigi Legnani who seems to have been an apprentice of Zosimo Bergonzi.
ArticlesLuigi Rinaldo Legnani by Daniela Rossato (nova giulianiad 7/85, p. 154)
Sheetmusic
Images
He is not to be confused with the sculptor Luigi Legnani (Ferrara, 29 December 1852 — 10 September 1910)..
Born in Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
, Legnani was trained as a string player while very young but dedicated himself to guitar and voice. His debut was in Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
in 1807; in the 1820s he performed as a tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
in operas by Rossini, Pacini
Giovanni Pacini
Giovanni Pacini was an Italian composer, best known for his operas. Pacini was born in Catania, Sicily, the son of the buffo Luigi Pacini, who was to appear in the premieres of many of Giovanni's operas...
, and Donizetti. His career as a guitarist began with a concert in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
in 1819; his 1822 concerts in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
were a great success, and he was hailed as a star when he returned there in 1833 and 1839.
He is perhaps best known for his 36 Caprices for the guitar, which cover all the major and minor keys, and which were probably inspired by Paganini's
Niccolò Paganini
Niccolò Paganini was an Italian violinist, violist, guitarist, and composer. He was one of the most celebrated violin virtuosi of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique...
24 Caprices for the violin. He and Paganini were friends from the 1830s; while it was once thought that he and Paganini performed together in public, this is no longer accepted. After the 1850s Legnani retired from active performance and became an instrument maker, concentrating on guitars and violins. The "Legnani model" guitar was popular in Central Europe through the middle of the nineteenth century.
Legnani composed some 250 works, which were published in his lifetime throughout many of the major publishing houses in Europe. He died in Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
.
Luthier
Legnani knew Stauffer in Vienna; and Stauffer made guitars according to Legnani's design. Numerous luthiers made guitars according to Legnani's design, as can be seen from guitar labels mentioning the words "Nach dem Modell des Luigi Legnani".Later he began making his own guitars, and some of his instruments still exist:
- Guitar by Legnani
- Guitar of Legnani (ca.1870)
There is some confusion regarding regarding the luthierie of Legnani, as there seems to have been a second (earlier) Luigi Legnani who seems to have been an apprentice of Zosimo Bergonzi.
External links
Biographical- Luigi Legnani, Guitar Virtuoso and Composer by George C. Krick; ETUDE, May 1941, volume LIX, number 5, page 351-352 (alternative)
- Luigi Legnani by Philip James Bone (The guitar and mandolin : biographies of celebrated players and composers for these instruments (1914))
ArticlesLuigi Rinaldo Legnani by Daniela Rossato (nova giulianiad 7/85, p. 154)
Sheetmusic
- http://rex.kb.dk/primo_library/libweb/action/preferences.do?fn=change_lang&vid=KGL&prefLang=en_US&prefBackUrl=http:%2F%2Frex.kb.dk%2Fprimo_library%2Flibweb%2Faction%2Fsearch.do?dscnt=0%26fctN=facet_tlevel%26vl(1UI0)=contains%26vl(61142532UI2)=sub%26scp.scps=scope%3A%28KGL%29%26fctV=online_resource%26vl(1UI2)=contains%26tab=default_tab%26dstmp=1291361660942%26srt=rank%26mode=Advanced%26vl(45742256UI3)=all_items%26vl(48924786UI4)=all_items%26tb=t%26indx=1%26backFromPreferences=true%26vl(freeText0)=%26fn=search%26vid=KGL%26vl(freeText2)=%26vl(45742261UI5)=all_items%26title1=1%26vl(1UI1)=contains%26frbg=%26ct=facet%26dum=true%26Submit=Search%26vl(48924784UI1)=creator%26vl(freeText1)=Legnani%26vl(48924785UI0)=title%26vid=KGLRischel & Birket-Smith's Collection of guitar music] 1 Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Denmark
- Boije Collection The Music Library of Sweden
- George C. Krick Collection of Guitar Music Washington University
Images
