24 Short Progressive Pieces, Op. 44

This set of 24 short and easy pieces for beginners by Sor, op. 44, was first published in Paris in 1830 or early 1831, and so is contemporary with Sor’s Méthode of 1830. The original title was Vingt-quatre petites pièces progressives pour la guitare pour servir de leçons aux élèves tout à fait commençants (24 short progressive pieces for the guitar, to serve as lessons for absolute beginners). A preface explains why they were published separately rather than in the method itself: namely, in order that the presence of easy pieces there should not distract the reader’s attention from the essence of the method itself. A certain bitterness of tone and sarcasm is evident in this preface, which had already been hinted at in the title of op. 43, “Mes Ennuis, six bagatelles, dédiées à qui les voudra” (‘My troubles, six bagatelles, dedicated to anyone who would like them’). (See also the notes to op. 48 in this edition). Here is the preface in full. On dira, sans doute, que cet ouvrage devait faire partie de ma méthode, et que par conséquent j’ai eu tort de le publier séparément. On aurait raison si en écrivant la méthode j’eusse eu un but bien différent de celui qui m’a décidé à entreprendre ce travail. Si le seul mobile qui me conduisait eût été le débit de mon ouvrage je n’aurais consulté que le désir de ceux qui n’en font acquisition que dans 1’espoir d’y trouver beaucoup de jolis morceaux faciles à déchiffrer, auxquels ils portent exclusivement leur attention, ne regardant dans la partie instructive que le doigté de la gamme dans trois ou quatre tons tout au plus; mais je me devais à moi-même non seulement de ne point tromper le lecteur, mais encore d’empêcher qu’il se trompe, en évitant tout ce qui pourrait lui faire négliger l’objet principal. Celui qui voudra sincèrement apprendre me saura gré d’une omission dont d’autres me blâmeront peut-être; car en exécutant les morceaux contenus dans cc cahier il y trouvera appliqués des principes qui étant déjà fixés dans sa mémoire lui donneront une lumière d’après laquelle il trouvera l’exécution bien plus facile que s’il les eût essayé avant d’être bien cimenté dans les principes fondamentaux. Ceux qui n’aimeraient pas une méthode telle que j’entends qu’elle doit être ne doivent pas faire acquisition de la mienne; ces 24 morceaux étant tous doigtés sont assez pour les mettre à même de jouer machinalement de la musique composée dans le genre de celle que des esprits bienveillants qualifient d’injouable tout en disant qu’ils la jouent. (‘People will say, no doubt, that this work ought to be a part of my method, and therefore that I was wrong to publish it separately. They would be right if, in writing the method, 1 had had an aim quite different from that which decided me to undertake that work. If the only motive which led me had been the sale of my book, then I would have thought only of the wishes of those who would buy it only in the hope of finding there some pretty pieces easy to sight-read, to which they would give their sole attention, looking in the instruction part only at the fingering of the scale in at most three or four keys; but 1 owed it to myself not only not to deceive the reader, but even to make sure that he was not deceived, by avoiding everything which might cause him to neglect the principal aim. He who sincerely wishes to learn will thank me for an omission for which others will perhaps blame me; for in playing the pieces contained in this present work he will there find applied the principles which, as they will already be fixed in his memory, will give him the light by which he will find their performance much easier than if he had attempted them before being well secured in the fundamental principles. Those who would not like a method as I understand it, should not acquire mine; these 24 pieces, being all fingered, arc sufficient to make them capable of playing mechanically music composed in the style of that which benevolent spirits call unplayable while at the same time saying that they play it.’) Sor’s Complete Studies. Lessons, and Exercises (opp. 6, 29, 31, 35, and 60, together with op. 44) are also published by Tecla in a modern re-engraved edition in one book (Tecla 101). This edition comes from the new 2019 second edition of Sor’s New Complete Works for Guitar edited by Brian Jeffery. The Introduction and Index to the entire series are here in nkoda. This new edition is copyright © by Brian Jeffery 2019. Your cooperation is requested in not making illegal copies for other people. Brian Jeffery