Andante Largo Op.5, No.5 by Fernando Sor performed by Alex Timmerman on a 7-string guitar

The Andante Largo Op.5, No.5 by Fernando Sor (1778-1839) belongs without doubt to the finest and most beautiful compositions Sor wrote for his instrument, the Guitar.
Here I play it on a 7-string guitar, the Heptacorde, as it was named in Sor's time.
The tuning of this guitar kind is the same as that of the modern Spanish guitar (E-A-d-g-b-e'). The added extra lowest string, the 7th, ist tuned to a low D: one octave below the 4th string of the guitar. The advantage of the Heptacord above the normal 6-string guitar is thought to lay in it's - a.o. things - greater possibilities (chord harmonies, tone range etc.), it's sonority and warmer sound.

Other guitarist/composers, and contemporaries of Sor in the 1st half of the 19th Century, who composed for the Heptacord are for instance Napoleon Coste from France and Soffren Degen from Denmark.

The guitar I play here was made by Luigi Embergher (1856-1943) of Rome, a luthier most famous for his plectrum instruments of the Mandolin family.


Enjoy,

Alex Timmerman

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Andante
• Largo
• Fernando
• Sor
• Luigi
• Embergher
• Alex
• Timmerman
• Het
• CONSORT
• Heptacord
• Bass
• Guitar
• Gitarre
• Chitarra
• Guitarre
• Gitaar
• Mandolin