Estudios sencillos de leo brouwer biography

Watch the definitive guide to playing Leo Brouwer's Estudios Sencillos, taught by the composer himself! Throughout this lesson, Maestro Brouwer shares the keys to interpreting this monumental set of pieces the way he intended.<br><br>Start by learning the origins of these etudes including what initially motivated him to create the first five. Then, take a look at the technical and musical elements found in individual etudes including the Cuban ‘danzon’ rhythm featured in No. 5 and the overlooked arpeggio formula in No. 6. Finally, learn how to ‘construct’ your own interpretation using the multitude of musical materials at your disposal.<br><br>By the end of this lesson, you will leave with a new sense of direction when playing any of these studies, whether you are a beginning student or a world-class performing artist!

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Musical artist

Juan Leovigildo Brouwer Mezquida (born March 1, 1939) is a Cubancomposer, conductor, and classical guitarist. He is a Member of Honour of the International Music Council.

Early years

Brouwer was born in Havana. When he was 13, he began classical guitar with the encouragement of his father, who was an amateur guitarist. His teacher was Isaac Nicola, who was a student of Emilio Pujol, who was himself a student of Francisco Tárrega. At age 17 he performed publicly for the first time and began composing.

Brouwer went to the United States to study music at the Hartt College of Music of the University of Hartford, and later at the Juilliard School, where he studied under Vincent Persichetti and took composition classes with Stefan Wolpe.

In 1970 Brouwer played in the premiere of El Cimarrón by Hans Werner Henze in Berlin. Together with Morton Feldman, he was awarded a 1972 scholarship by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and to work as a guest composer and lecturer at the Academy of Science and Arts of Berlin. In Germany Brouwer also recorded a number of LPs for Deutsche Grammophon.

Composing and performing

In his early compositions, Brouwer remained close to the rhythms of Cuban music, while later he was drawn to aleatoric music. During the 1960s and 70s, he became interested in the music of modernist composers such as Luigi Nono and Iannis Xenakis, using indeterminacy in works such as Sonograma I. Other works from this period include the guitar pieces Canticum (1968), La espiral eterna (1971), Parábola (1973) and Tarantos (1974). More recently, Brouwer's works have leaned towards tonality and modality. The solo guitar works El Decamerón Negro (1981), Paisaje cubano con campanas (1986), and the Sonata (1990; for Julian Bream) exemplify this tendency. His playing career ended in the

Performances:

Historical Background:

Though the guitar possesses a rich repertoire of études, particularly from the 19th century, there was a scarcity of “modern” didactic literature going well into the 20th century. 

Written in the 1970s, Leo Brouwer’s Estudios Sencillos have become an absolutely critical part of every classical guitarist’s education. 

It can be said without exaggeration that the études of Villa-Lobos and Brouwer brought the guitar into the 20th and 21st centuries. 

What makes these études valuable?:

The universal acclaim that Brouwer’s Estudios Sencillos have received is partly due to their compositional sophistication, and also to their efficacy as tools for the acquisition of instrumental technique.

A distinguishing feature of these études is their detailed expression markings. 

Many 19-century études contain very few dynamic and articulation markings, leaving the performing guitarist with questions regarding proper interpretation.

Brouwer provides clear and specific directions that challenge us to develop refined and expressive techniques and nuanced interpretations.

In addition, Brouwer’s harmonic and rhythmic language is significantly more complex and “modern” than much of the guitar’s didactic literature, presenting opportunities for growth into the guitar’s contemporary repertoire. 

Leo BROUWER Étude No. 2: Mini-Masterclass

00:00    Performance
01:26    Mini-Masterclass

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