Composer Biography: Agustin Barrios Mangore (1885-1944)

MY GUITAR

by Agustin Barrios Mangoré

There is a deep mystery in your sonorous

Garden heart, guitar of mine,

You enjoy suffering, and in your joy

Ecstasies of passion, teardrops of crying.

The sweet Moor gave you your heart,

The Iberian gave you your untamed soul

And Virgin America, you might say,

Put in you, because of its love, all the treasure.

And so on your supreme strings

That vibrate with an almost human accent

There is, at times, your voice, like a lament.

As a sigh from your lonely heart

In whose sad and mystical plan

Sentiment forever flourishes

Agustín Barrios Mangoré (1885-1944) was a Paraguayan classical guitarist and composer. Born in 1885 in San Juan Bautista, Paraguay, Barrios was one of seven siblings. His family grew up valuing the arts and were fortunate to have access to resources supporting the study of music and art. Barrios was encouraged to study music at university and went on to have his first professional concert at the age of 18.

It is his contribution to the classical guitar repertoire that he is known for most today, but Barrios was interested in many of the arts. He wrote poems (like the one above) and spoke Spanish and Guarani; later learning English, French and German.

Barrios paved a performance career throughout the early 1900s in a way no others could. Performing his own compositions in a late-Romantic style, infused with popular folk music from South and Central America, he went on to tour his music internationally. Barrios often performed as “Nitsuga Mangoré,” dressing up in traditional native Paraguayan dress (Nitsuga is Agustin spelled backwards). The historical recordings of Barrios are also important because they are one of the earliest examples of recorded classical guitar and demonstrate a virtuosity and spontaneity in his playing. These recordings can be used to inform interpretation when playing one of his compositions.

Unfortunately, Barrios’ music only found popularity much later after his passing in 1944. Famous guitarist Andres Segovia is said to have banned the playing of any Barrios compositions in his masterclasses during 1960-1980s. While there do exist earlier recordings from the 1960’s and Barrios’ own recordings, it was not until John Williams included Danza Paraguaya on an album in 1973 Music From England, Japan, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina And Mexico that saw Barrios begin to enter mainstream guitar circles. When John Williams followed this with his 1977 album John Williams Plays Music Of Agustín Barrios Mangoré and later his 1995 album From The Jungles Of Paraguay (John Williams Plays Barrios), the Barrios compositions had gained good standing and popularity with modern audiences.

Notable compositions:

Una limosnita por amor de Dios (or "El ultimo trémolo" or "El último canto")

La catedral Julia Florida

Chôro da Saudade

Vals Op. 8, No. 3

Vals Op. 8, No. 4

Un sueño en la floresta

All the best for now - see you in the next blog!