Patrik Kleemola Plays Minuetto, Op.25 by Sor

Finnish guitarist Patrik Kleemola performs Minuetto from Sonata Op. 25 by Fernando Sor (1778–1839) on an original René Lacote from 1839. This comes via Kleemola’s YouTube channel (go subscribe). Great performance by Kleemola with an excellent balance of crisp rhythm with beautiful phrasing and pacing. He has some nice info on the work via his YouTube description:

“You have announced a new collection of my works in which there is a grand sonata, in four movements, of which I know nothing unless a book which is at Málaga, among those I left there, has been brought to light. Since this book is only my private record of ideas I never had any intention to publish it and I cannot imagine how it came into your hands. I had started there a grand sonata in B-flat, another in C and another in F minor and another in G. ” Fernando Sor’s letter to Antoine Meissonnier, (his publisher in Paris) 1st of April 1827 (St. Petersburg, Russia)…The letter was published in the article by Erik Stenstadvold in Soundboard Scholar No. 3 (2017)…

This charming Minuetto by Sor, an encore favourite by both Segovia and Bream during the 20th century, is from “a Grand Sonata” which was, as the above letter shows, published under suspicious circumstances. It seems clear that the famous four-movement Sonata Op. 25 wasn’t published under the supervision of Sor at all and was probably compiled out of different sources handed to the publisher. As suggested by Sor himself, the publisher Meissonnier didn’t hesitate to sell anything with the name of Sor on the manuscript (whenever the composer was away from Paris). In the letter Sor remembers that he started a grand Sonata in C back in Spain, meaning that he didn’t finish any of the Sonatas…

Read the rest of his excellent writeup at his Youtube here.

Bradford Werner
Bradford Werner

Bradford Werner is a classical guitarist and music publisher from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He originally created this site for his students at the Victoria Conservatory of Music but now shares content worldwide. Curating guitar content helps students absorb the culture, musical ideas, and technique of the classical guitar. Bradford also has a YouTube channel with over 100,000 subscribers and 14 million views. He taught classical guitar at the Victoria Conservatory of Music for 16 years and freelanced in Greater Victoria for 20 years and now dedicates much of his time curating content online and helping connect the classical guitar community. See more at his personal website.

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