In this
Spanish name, the first or paternal
surname is Pujol and the second or maternal family name is Vilarrubi.
Emilio Pujol
Emilio Pujol Vilarrubí (or Emili; 7 April 1886 – 15 November 1980) was a Spanish composer, guitarist and a leading teacher of the
classical guitar.
Biography
Emili Pujol was born in the little village of
Granadella just outside
Lleida,
Spain. He began his studies with
Francisco Tárrega in 1902, when he was sixteen years of age. At this time,
Miguel Llobet was making his debut as a concert artist outside
Barcelona. Pujol fondly remembered his first encounter with Tárrega and in his biography of his teacher, he described his mestre in very endearing, romantic terms.[1]
During the war years 1914–1918 he did not travel much and mainly remained in
Catalonia. In 1918 he undertook his first tour of South America, starting in Buenos Aires. The only major interruptions in his concert travels were his marriage to Matilde Cuervas in Paris, an Andalusian flamenco guitarist, and the period of time he devoted to historical research in Paris into the instrumental predecessors of the guitar. During this period he partnered with the publisher
Max Eschig in publishing his "Bibliothèque de musique ancienne et moderne pour guitare" (from 1927), resulting in numerous works for solo guitar by historical and contemporary composers. The beginning signs of World War II also prevented him from continuing his concert career.
From 1935 through 1940, Pujol continued giving a few concerts and lectures as well as pursuing his research in Spain, London and Paris. By 1941 he was back in Spain to the end of his life, and he started preparing the volume covering the composer for
vihuela,
Luis de Narváez, for the series Monumentos de la Música Española (vol. III). The volume was eventually followed by volumes covering
Alonso Mudarra (1949) and Valderrábano (1963). Prior to his death, Pujol had begun work on the largest of vihuela music books, the Orphenica Lyra by
Miguel Fuenllana, published in 1554. He considered this book to be the pinnacle of the vihuela school and regarded Fuenllana as the final spokesman for this brief, courtly instrumental period in Spanish music.
In 1946, Pujol began his guitar classes at the
Lisbon Conservatory of Music, which continued through to 1969. During this period he was involved in giving master classes (in 1953 he was personally invited by
Andrés Segovia to give classes at the
Accademia Musicale Chigiana) and adjudicating at guitar competitions. Notable students included
Héctor García,
Maria Luisa Anido and
Miguel Ablóniz. Also at this time, Pujol's first wife Matilde Cuervas died (1956). Seven years later he married Maria Adelaide Robert, a noted Portuguese pianist and singer who greatly assisted him in his final years.
Beginning in the summer of 1965, Pujol launched his International Courses of Guitar,
Lute and Vihuela in the city of Lleida, Spain. This event became quite popular and was attended by students and teachers from throughout the world. It was repeated every summer over a ten-year period, and in 1969 it was moved to the thirteenth-century village of Cervera.
His words on
Tárrega's School of Guitar are also applicable to his own spirit, which constantly strived to "resolving in advance all the problems, which can arise out of the diverse elements which contribute to the performance of a work: instrument, hands and spirit."
3CD recording of Pujol compositions by students of
Alberto Ponce
Claudio Marcotulli (*1958) Publisher: Genova, Italy: Dynamic, [2002 Program notes and biographical notes in Italian, English, and French and German (19p., portrs.) inserted in container. Contents: Seguidilla—Canción amatoria—Tango—Studio in si minore—Barcarolle—Romanza—Preludio romantico—Guajira—Homenaje a Tárrega—Ondinas—Canción de cuna—Manola del Avapies (tonadilla) -- El cant dels Ocels—Paisaje—Cubana—Studio romantico—Festivola—Scottish madrilène—Salve. Publisher Number: Dynamic CDS 395
MARIA RIBERA GIBAL INTERPRETA EMILI PUJOL (CD, Barcelona 2018, Audiovisuals de Sarrià)
Bibliography
Musicologic works by Emilio Pujol
Emilio Pujol: El Dilema Del Sonido en la Guitarra. 4 editions:
Hamburg: Trekel, c1975. 1975 German 28, iv, [i] p. ///Das Dilemma des Klanges bei der Gitarre / Emilio Pujol ; hrsg. u. mit e. Vorw. vers. von Wolf Moser ; [Dt. von Wolf Moser], Hamburg: Trekel, c1975. Edition Date:1975 Language:GermanNotes:Translation of Dilema del sonido en la guitarra. Cover title. Physical Details:28, iv, [i] p. ; 21 cm. Other Authors:Moser, Wolf.
Buenos Aires: Ricordi Americana [1960] 1960 Spanish 84 p
Buenos Aires: Ricordi Americana, c1960. 1960 Spanish Ed. corr. y amp., con texto inglés y francés. 84 p.
Buenos Aires: Ricerdi Americana [1960] 1960 Spanish Edición corregida y ampliada. con texto inglés y francés. 84 p (?? 1960/1966. OCLC: 1061872 / 1960 OCLC: 58964343)
Emilio Pujol: "La Guitare", in: Encyclopédie de la Musique et Dictionnaire du Conservatoire, second part, vol. III, Delagrave. Paris, 1926, pp. 2011–12.
Emilio Pujol: La Guitarra y su historia; conferencia, Buenos Aires: Casa Romero y Fernandez (1932), OCLC: 48131009
Emilio Pujol: Tárrega. Ensayo biográfico, Lison: Los Talleres Gráficos de Ramos, Afonso & Moita, Lda., 1960. 2nd edition: S.l., s.n. (Valencia: Artes Gráficas Soler, 1978), Notes:"Obras de Tárrega para guitarra": p. 259-[267] Includes indexes,
ISBN84-300-0090-9, OCLC 5287791.
Early music editions
Emilio Pujol - Tres Libros de música en cifra para vihuela (Sevilla, 1546) / Alonso Mudarra; transcripción y estudio por Emilio Pujol. Barcelona: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 1984 (Reprint of 1949 edition),
ISBN84-00-05680-9, OCLC 39171049.
Emilio Pujol - Los Seys libros del Delphin, de música de cifra para tañer vihuela by Luis de Siglo XVI Nerváez; Barcelona: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 1945; OCLC 48310460.
Emilio Pujol - Libro de música de vihuela, institulado Silva de sirenas (Valladolid, 1547); Barcelona: C.S.I.C. Instituto español de musicología, 1965; OCLC 67466655.
Poems
Emilio Pujol: Poemes; Lleida: Cátedra de Cultura Catalana Samuel Gili i Gaya, Institut d'Estudis Ilerdencs de l'Excma. Diputació Provincial, 1976;
ISBN84-00-03504-6, OCLC 4229333.
Guitar School by Emilio Pujol
A guitar method based on the principles of Francisco Tarrega consisting of four historical and technical volumes:
Emilio Pujol: Escuela razonada de la guitarra: basada en los principos de la técnica de Tárrega; Buenos Aires: Ricordi Americana, 1954; OCLC 55156339.
Publications about Emilio Pujol
Renata Borgatti: Due aspetti del romanticismo: Schumann e Chopin; Apporto italiano alla chitarra classica [di] Emilio Pujol; Siena: Ticci, 1953; OCLC: 1913194.
Curtis Nunley: Emilio Pujol: The Guitar Pedagogue in Escuela Razonada de la Guitarra, book one and the right hand technique written in El dilemma del sonido en la guitarra (1993); OCLC 31333907.
Daniela Polcher: La Méthode de guitare d'Emilio Pujol (
The Emilio Pujol guitar method), bachelor thesis, Paris: Institut de Formation des Enseignants de la Musique, 1999.
Juan Riera: Emilio Pujol Lérida: Instituto de Estudios Ilerdenses de la Excma, 1974;
ISBN84-00-04029-5, OCLC 2467063.