GIULIANI, Emilia

  Emilia Giuliani was the daughter of the celebrated Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829), whose compositions and performances had a similar impact in their day to Segovia's in the 20th century. Sadly for Emilia, by the time she launched her own career, interest in the guitar had wained and she struggled to emulate the success of her father. She travelled widely throughout Central and Southern Europe, making a considerable impression on those who heard her perform. She even shared the stage with Franz Liszt and was judged his equal by audience and critics alike. Sadly, she was never able to attract a large following or a substantial market for her compositions.

As a composer, Emilia Giuliani's work only superficially resembles her father's. Even in his most extended and adventurous pieces Mauro, ever the craftsman, stays within the harmonic and formal boundaries of Viennese classicism. Emilia, however, explores the outer reaches of her singular harmonic imagination with a fresh and daring disrespect for convention. Her Six Preludes op.46 are a unique contribution to the classical guitar repertoire. While much guitar music inhabits a world of measured charm, endeavouring to delight rather than agitate the listener's senses, Emilia demands immediate and complete attention. Her abrupt modulations to distant keys, chromaticism and adventurous use of dissonance are highly individual additions to the sound world of the romantic guitar. These characteristics are notably evident in guitar preludes, in which Emilia takes specific ideas- a melody, arpeggio or technique- and develops them in thrillingly inventive ways.

She died in Budapest of a 'putrid fever,' leaving behind a few scattered pieces, ever in the shadow of her famous forbear.

© 2018 James Akers

You can listen to Emilia's pieces on the album Le Donne e La Chitarra