Antonio Lauro

Antonio Lauro (August 3, 1917 – April 18, 1986) was a Venezuelan musician, considered to be one of the foremost South American composers for the guitar in the 20th century.
Biography.
Antonio Lauro was born in Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela. His father Antonio Lauro Ventura, an Italian immigrant, was a barber who could sing and play the guitar so he taught his son what he could, but died when Antonio was still a child. After the family moved to Caracas, Lauro pursued formal musical study (piano, composition) at the "Academia de Música y Declamación", where the composer Vicente Emilio Sojo (1887–1974) was one of his teachers. A 1932 concert performed in Caracas by Agustín Barrios, the Paraguayan guitarist and composer, so much impressed the young Lauro (already an accomplished folk guitarist) that he was persuaded to abandon piano and violin in favor of the guitar. From 1933, Lauro studied with Raúl Borges (1888–1967), and was introduced to the classical guitar repertoire. In the next decade, Borges' pupils would also include Rodrigo Riera, José Rafael Cisneros, and Alirio Díaz. These colleagues, especially Díaz, were later responsible for unveiling Lauro's works to an international audience, introducing these unheard works to, among others, Andrés Segovia, Leo Brouwer and John Williams.
Like many South Americans of his generation, Lauro was a fervent cultural nationalist, determined to rescue and celebrate his nation's musical heritage. As a member of the "Trio Cantores del Trópico" in 1935–1943 (Lauro sang bass and played both guitar and "cuatro"), he toured nearby countries to introduce them to Venezuelan music. Lauro was particularly attracted to the myriad colonial parlour "valses venezolanos" (Venezuelan waltzes) created in the previous century by accomplished national composers such as Ramón Delgado Palacios (1867–1902). Unfailingly melodic and characterized by a distinctive syncopation (created by a hemiola in which two measures of 3/4 become a single measure of 3/2), such music was precisely the sort of folkloric raw material which Smetana, Bartók or Granados had elevated to the category of national art in Europe.
A concert whose programme consisted entirely of such "valses venezolanos" (Venezuelan waltzes) by the distinguished Venezuelan pianist Evencio Castellanos (1914–1984) convinced Lauro that the guitar, too, should have comparable pieces in its repertory. Among his first efforts in this genre were the pieces later known as Tatiana, Andreína, and Natalia, composed sometime between 1938 and 1940; their instant popularity inspired still others. In addition to his guitar pieces, Lauro composed dozens of works for orchestra, choir, piano and voice; many of which remain unpublished. He occasionally experimented with modern compositional techniques, but most of his guitar music remains essentially on the "Calle Real" or "main street," an expression used by musicians of Lauro's generation to refer to a straight and direct route, without distracting harmonic detours.
In 1948, the military "junta" of General Marcos Pérez Jiménez imprisoned Lauro for his principled belief in democracy. Lauro later shrugged off the experience, telling his friends that prison was a normal part of life for the Venezuelan man of his generation. He had continued composing even in prison, and after his release immediately returned to performing with a pioneering professional classical guitar trio, the freshly formed Trio Raúl Borges. In the following decades Lauro's compositions were published, recorded and performed throughout the world, and his contributions to his nation's musical life were recognized and acknowledged. Lauro was appointed professor of guitar at several distinguished schools including the "Juan José Landaeta Conservatory", and was named president of the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra where he played the horn. In spite of his modest insistence that he was a composer rather than a performer, he was persuaded by his friends to embark upon a solo concert tour, which began in Venezuela and culminated in a triumphant 1980 performance at London's Wigmore Hall. Shortly before his death at Caracas in 1986, he was presented with the "Premio Nacional de Música", his country's highest artistic award.
Legacy.
The works of Antonio Lauro have long been very popular with guitarists worldwide, yet there have been few recordings devoted exclusively to him. However, several recordings by Adam Holzman, John Williams (guitarist) and David Russell have been issued. John Williams is quoted as having referred to Antonio Lauro as being the "Strauss of the guitar".
Another recording worth mentioning, "A Tribute to Antonio Lauro" by Thomas Cronin (guitarist), recorded initially for Irish National Radio on the RTE label, gained great appeal with Venezuelans worldwide.
Additionally, Lauro's masterpieces have been the core of studies, workshops and Masters in universities all around the World.
Bibliography.
Series of articles published in CLASSICAL GUITAR MAGAZINE Magazine. This is a revised and expanded edition of the 
series ANTONIO LAURO: HIS GUITAR WORKS, originally published in GUITAR INTERNATIONAL magazine, England, 1984-88.
GENERAL INDEX OF ARTICLES:
1- Introduction: Antonio Lauro´s musical panorama. January 1995 
2- Titles & Dedicatees. February 1995
3- The Valses: A Historical Outline. March 1995
4- Valses: Formal design. May 1995
5- La Gatica. June 1995
6- El Marabino. July 1995
7- Petronila. August 19
8- El Negrito. September 1995
9- Maria Carolina. October 1995
10- Yacambú. November 1995
11- Tatiana. December 1995
12- Andreína. January 1996
13- Natalia. February 1996
14- Carora. April 1996
15- Angostura. May 1996
16- El Niño. July 1996
17- María Luisa. August 1996
18- Ana Cristina. September 1996
19- Crepuscular. October 1996
20- Ana Florencia. November 1996
21- Nelly. December 1996
22- LA CATIRA: (Part I) Arpegios. February 1997
23- LA CATIRA: (Part II) Acordes. May 1997
24- LA CATIRA: (Part III) Trémolo. June 1997
25- Pavana: (Part I). July 1997
26- Pavana: (Part II). August 1997
27- Estudio en Imitaciones Nº 1. January 1998
28- Estudio en Imitaciones Nº 2. May 1998
29- Estudio en Imitaciones Nº 3. June 1998
30- Estudio en Imitaciones Nº 4. February 1999
31- SUITE VENEZOLANA: I Registro. March 1999
32- SUITE VENEZOLANA: I Danza Negra. April 1999
33- SUITE VENEZOLANA: I Canción. May 1999
34- SUITE VENEZOLANA: I Vals. June 1999
35- TRIPTICO: I Armida. August 1999
36- TRIPTICO: II Madrugada. September 1999
37- TRIPTICO: III La Negra (vals). October 1999
38- SUITE HOMENAJE A J. DUARTE: I Fantasia. Dec. 1999
39- SUITE HOMENAJE A J. DUARTE: II Pavana. February 2000
40- SUITE HOMENAJE A J. DUARTE: III Giga. March 2000
41- VARIACIONES SOBRE UNA CANCIÓN INFANTIL: Tema. April 2000     
42- VARIACIONES SOBRE UNA CANCIÓN INFANTIL: Variación 1. June 2000         
43- VARIACIONES SOBRE UNA CANCIÓN INFANTIL: Variación 2. July 2000         
44- VARIACIONES SOBRE UNA CANCIÓN INFANTIL: Variación 3. August 2000        
45- VARIACIONES SOBRE UNA CANCIÓN INFANTIL: Variación 4.October 2000         
46- Seis por derecho. November 2000
47- SONATA: Introduction (part 1). Lauro's 'Polytonal' style. January 2001         
48- SONATA: Introduction (part 2). Sonata Form in theory and practice. March 2001         
49- SONATA: Introduction (part 3). Manuscript and printed sources. Corrections of printing errors. May 2001          
50- SONATA: I Allegro. February 2002
51- SONATA: II Canción (part 1). June 2002
52- SONATA: II Canción (part 2). July 2002
53- SONATA: III Bolera (part 1). January 2003
54- SONATA: III Bolera (part 2). May 2003
55- Antonio Lauro: Biographical Profile. July 2002
56- Antonio Lauro: Interview by Luis Zea. September 2002
57- Alirio Díaz: Interview by Luis Zea. November 2002
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Series of articles published in GUITAR INTERNATIONAL Magazine N.B. This publication is out of print. 
A revised and expanded edition of the series was published by CLASSICAL GUITAR magazine (England, 1995-2002). 
GENERAL INDEX OF ARTICLES:
1- Introduction. August 1984
2- Titles & Dedicatees in Lauro´s works. November 1984
3- Corrections of printing errors. December 1984
4- Corrections of printing errors (continued). February 1985
5- Corrections of printing errors (continued). March 1985
6- Historical outline of the valse. El Marabino. May 1985
7- Formal design of valses; Petronila. June 1985
8- El Negrito. August 1985.
9- Maria Carolina. Sept 1985.
10- La Gatica. October 1985.
11- Yacambú. December 1985.
12- Tatiana. January 1986.
13- Andreina. February 1986.
14- Natalia. April 1986.
15- Carora.  May 1986.
16- Angostura. Jul.y 1986.
17- El Niño. November 1986.
18- Maria Luisa. December 1986.
19- TRIPTICO: I Armida. March 1987.
20- TRIPTICO: II Madrugada. April 1987.
21- TRIPTICO: III La Negra. May 1987.
22- SUITE VENEZOLANA: I Registro. July 1987.
23- SUITE VENEZOLANA: II Danza Negra. August 1987.
24- SUITE VENEZOLANA: III Canción. October 1987.
25- SUITE VENEZOLANA: IV Vals. November 1987.
26- Ana Cristina. December 1987.
27- SUITE HOMENAJE A JOHN DUARTE: I Fantasia. Jan. 1988.
28- SUITE HOMENAJE A JOHN DUARTE: II Pavana. Feb. 1988.
29- SUITE HOMENAJE A JOHN DUARTE: III Giga. March 1988.
30- Crepuscular. April 1988.  
31- Ana Florencia. August 1988.  
32- Nelly. September 1988.    
33- Variations on a children's song (Part I) January 1989.
34- Variations on a children's song (Part II) February 1989.
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