Luigi Legnani
Compositions for: Guitar
36 Caprices, Op.20Method for the Guitar, Op.250Andante and Allegro, Op.202Fantasia in A major, Op.1936 Valses di difficolta progressiva, Op.63Etude for GuitarGrande Fantasia, Op.61Variations agréables sur la Romance de 'Cendrillon', Op.30Scherzo with Variations, Op.10Theme and Variations for Guitar, Op.237Variations for Guitar, Op.183 Balli nazionaliGran variazione, Op.16Grande capriccio, Op.34Introduction and Theme with Variations, Op.201Potpourri en caprice, Op.32Rondoletto scherzoso, Op.204Introduction and Theme with Variations, Op.224Gran Pot pourri per sola Chitarra, Op.15Recueil des Mélodies, Op.2226 Capricetti per Chitarra, Op.250Terremoto con variazioni per chitarra solo, Op.1Theme avec variations pour guitare, Op.4Rondeau pour la GuitarreIntroduction et variations pour la guitare sur la Cavatine Favorite de l'Opéra de 'Zelmire' de Rossini, Op.21Cavatina 'Languir per una bella' nell' opera L'Italiana in Algeri, Op.7Duetto et Caprice, Op.5Grande overtur per sola Chitarra, Op.14Melodies Nationales Hongroises et Thêmes originaux en forme de Pot-pourri, Op.203Gran Caprice ou Etude, Op.60Introduzione, tema, variazioni e finale, Op.64Coro e rondó 'Pensa alla patria' nell'opera L'italiana in Algeri, Op.8Gran Ricercario o Studío per chitarra sola, Op.3Introduction, Thême avec Variations et Finale, Op.40Variations pour la Guitare sur la marche favorite de l'Opéra 'Der Freyschütz' de Ch. M. de Weber, Op.22Variazioni per la chitarra sopra la marcia favorita nell'opera 'La Donna del Lago', Op.24Theme avec variations brillantes et non difficiles pou la guitare, Op.29Introduzione e Rondo, Op.62Motivi più favorita delle Opere Zelmira e Corradino da Rossini, Op.26Variazioni per la chitarra sola sopra un tema originale, Op.25Gran variazioni sopra un motivo tirolese, Op.12Gran Pot-pourri con Introduzione e Coda, Op.238Introduzione, gran variazioni e coda per chitarra sopra un tema originale, Op.27Pot-pourri brillant pour la Guitare, Op.31Cavatina d'Ernani nell'opera ErnaniDuetto concertante per chitarre e flauto, Op.23Variations concertantes sur un thème original de Rossini, Op.28
WikipediaLuigi Rinaldo Legnani (7 November 1790 – 5 August 1877) was an Italian virtuoso guitarist, singer, composer and luthier.
Born in Ravenna, Legnani was trained as a string player while very young but dedicated himself to guitar and voice. His debut as an operatic tenor was in Ravenna in 1807; his singing career spanned 17 years. His career as a guitarist began with a concert in Milan in 1819; with his concerts in 1822 concerts in Vienna and return visits in 1833 and 1839 he tried to continue the guitar tradition established there by Mauro Giuliani.
Legnani is perhaps best known for his 36 Caprices op. 20 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 (Powroźniak mentions a concert in Northern Italy in 1837), there is no evidence to support this claim. 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.
As a regular visitor to Vienna, Legnani cooperated with Johann Georg Stauffer and his son Anton to make guitars according to Legnani's design, to be followed by a number of other luthiers ("Nach dem Modell des Luigi Legnani" / 'after the model of Luigi Legnani').
Later he began making his own guitars, and some of his instruments still exist:
There is some confusion 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. Was Legnani a luthier? Sergio Monaldini affirms clearly that there is no reliable evidence that Legnani ever built a guitar or a violin, and there is no guitar signed by him
