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- Francisco
Tarrega (1852-1909)
- Francisco Tarrega Eixea was born in
Villareal, on 21st of November 1852. Both his father
Francisco Tarrega Tirado and his mother Antonia Eixea
Broch were working as housekeepers for the local nuns,
whilst Francisco was looked after by a baby-sitter.
Unfortunately she did not take good care of him and
let him fall into an irrigation ditch, damaging his
eyesight forever. Thinking that his soon could be
permanently blinded, the family moved to Castellon so
that Francisco could learn music, a trade that he
could live off should his sight fail completely.. It
was a blind musician, Eugeni Ruiz, who first taught
Tarrega music. Another blind musician, Manuel
Gonzalez, also known as "El ciego de la Marina" (the
blind man of the Marina) taught him guitar. Gonzalez
lived from his music, and taught Francisco all that he
needed to know to survive from a career in music. In
1862, Julian Arcas, a well known musician travelled to
Castellon where he heard the young Francisco play. He
was so impressed that he suggested that Francisco go
to Barcelona to study. Tarrega went to Barcelona and
joined a group of young musicians, playing around pubs
and cafeterias to earn money instead of going to music
school. His father was told of this and brought his
son back to Castellon. Back in Castellon, Tarrega
obtains employment as a pianist at a local Casino. A
local businessman impressed by Francisco pays for him
to study at the Spanish Music Conservatory in Madrid.
By now Francisco realises that he has a vocation for
the guitar and loses interest in the piano.
Unfortunately at this time the guitar had been reduced
to an accompaniment for vocal music and did not have
the status later accorded it. In 1880, Tarrega played
at the last minute in a concert in Novelda (Alicante),
where he meets his future wife Maria Rizo. In 1881 he
travels to Paris where he becomes well known and even
plays for the queen of Spain, and later he continues
on to London. He returns to Spain to marry Maria. The
couple move to Madrid, then to Barcelona. He begins to
travel: Perpignan, Cadiz,Nice, Mallorca, Paris,
Valencia etc. In Valencia he meets a rich widow Conxa
Martinez who becomes his benefactor and accomodates
him in a house in Sant Gervasi (Barcelona). It is here
Tarrega composed his most famous works. After a trip
to Granada he writes "Recuerdos de la Alhambra"
-(memories of the Alhambra) and from Algeria he
derives the inspiration for "Danza Mora" (Moorish
Dance). Tarrega was not satisfied with the sound he
was getting from his guitar and radically cut back his
fingernails so that the guitar is plucked by the skin
of his fingers which, hardened over time, produce the
tone which was to become characteristic of his school.
He continues his series of concerts, travelling widely
in Europe. In January 1906 an stroke left him
partially paralysed. He recovered slowly and
painfully. The long illness exhausted the family's
funds, but his fdriends arranged a series of concerts
"Audicions Tarrega" in which the master gave concerts
paid for by his friends. Tarrega recovers and starts
to tour again. In 1908 he returned to Castellon, then
to Novelda in 1909. In Picanya he composes his final
work, "Oremus", dated 2nd December. On 3rd December he
feels unwell and returns to Barcelona, where on 15th
December 1909 he dies.
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Selected Etudes
Etude 1
