TECLA 0101 / TECLA 0102
Giuliani | The Complete Studies for Guitar, ed. by Brian Jeffery
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*This title is also available separately in print format, TECLA 0101 paperbound version and TECLA 0102 clothbound version.
"The book, it is fantastic" (a customer, June 2023).
"The Aguado and Sor books [Aguado New Guitar Method and Sor Complete Studies Lessons and Exercises] are of such high quality I couldn’t be more satisfied" (James Spaulding, Florida, September 2020).
This is the standard edition of Sor's Complete Studies, Lessons and Exercises for guitar edited by Brian Jeffery and published by Tecla Editions. It is prescribed by the Associated Board for all the studies of Sor which are in their current syllabus. This edition contains all Sor's famous studies, lessons, and exercises for guitar complete in one book (opus numbers 6, 29, 31, 35, 44, and 60), at a low price specially for students. This edition as far as I know is the only urtext edition of this music which is currently available, that is to say that it does not contain elements other than those from the original editions.
You can see Sor's famous op. 35 no. 22 from this edition here FREE: Sor The Complete Studies Lessons and Exercises op 35 no 22
And you can see and hear Atahualpa Yupanqui talking about that op. 35 no. 22 which he calls La Gota de Agua de Sor, and playing it here; he speaks in Spanish and the music begins at 5:20.
Why should I use this edition rather than any other? - Because this Tecla edition of Sor’s Complete Studies establishes a new and fully reliable text, fully practical, at a very reasonable price, easily available as a printed book worldwide, or in digital form as a pdf. I (Brian Jeffery) established for the first time the complete edition of Sor’s guitar music, and this edition of Sor's Complete Studies is again newly established strictly from the original editions. It is urtext and has no modern fingering, only Sor's own fingering.
The only fingering in this edition is Sor's own. That way the reader can be certain of having the authentic text as regards fingering.
Every piece has been newly edited by Brian Jeffery directly from the original editions. The book also contains Sor's own detailed comments on several of the pieces. 140 pages. It includes all the well-known twenty Sor studies which Andrés Segovia edited.
A guitarist, Robert Bell, after receiving and using this Tecla edition of the Sor Complete Studies for a while, kindly writes (February 2018):
Like every student, I have the “20 Studies”, but always found them in the “nice, but just nice” category, and there was something not quite right going on. Going through them (and the Carcassi studies) in the new/old manner was a revelation: “Oh! THAT is how they work! THIS is how they are supposed to sound!”
This definitive modern edition of Sor’s studies edited by Brian Jeffery and published by Tecla Editions is the one which was originally selected by the official selectors of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, and is currently listed by them in their guitar syllabus. It is particularly recommended for use by students.
Some other modern editions of this music which are on sale add modern fingering, but Sor wrote some of his studies specifically to give practice in certain fingering, so that to add different modern fingering for such a piece seems perverse because it cancels out Sor’s own intention. Also my own experience from having played this music in many concerts is that for me at least, Sor’s fingering is far easier than modern fingering. Use Sor’s own fingering and everything is fine.
The edition is Urtext and contains all the pieces in one book. It scrupulously takes into account the many textual problems which the original editions presented, in order to make this both a reliable edition for study and a thoroughly practical one for concert performance. A particular feature of this edition is that there are commentaries on the individual pieces based on Sor’s own ideas and intentions as expressed in his Method, with many quotations which are directly relevant to individual studies. It is an established major standard edition for teachers and students, and is available at a price accessible to students.
About right hand fingering and this edition: the guitarist and teacher Heinrich Jochen wrote in an email: “Concerning the historic right hand fingering as described in Sor’s method: many problems I came across in the coda of opus 9 (variations on a theme by Mozart) were solved almost instantly after applying pim exclusively. You are to be thanked for pointing out this principle in your edition of Sor’s studies and exercises.”
Jamie Akers plays Sor's study op. 29 no. 17. You can see the Tecla books on the piano and on the music stand.
Patrik Kleemola plays no. 1 from Sor's 24 very easy exercises op. 35, playing a copy of an early guitar. Very eloquent. He has recorded all 24 of these exercises by Sor op. 35, which you can see on Youtube.
Kevin Gallagher plays...
And Gohar Vardanyan has a very nice instructive video about the famous Sor piece op. 35 no. 22. Again you can see the Tecla book on the music stand.
Here are some comments about this Tecla edition of Sor's Complete Studies from guitarists who have used it:
"I recently borrowed this book from my local library and was so impressed that I have now decided to buy it"
"A big thank you for the Sor Complete Studies, Lessons, and Exercises. It's a wonderful book and I'm very pleased with it"
"After having read through its contents I almost feel like Christopher Columbus when he first set foot in the New World"
"My students are over the moon" (a guitar teacher)
"After thirty years of playing the Segovia edition (not every day) your edition has shed a totally different light on these pieces." (a guitarist, Chris Dowle, December 2002)
"It is to Jeffery's eternal credit that he has produced a publication which maintains the highest editorial standards and breaks some new ground ... it is without hesitation that I recommend this latest offering from a first-rate specialist publisher" (Classical Guitar). "This is a very fine book" (Soundboard).
