Les deux amis, Op. 41

Les deux amis op. 41 is one of the most celebrated of Sor’s duets for two guitars, a major work on a level with the Mozart variations (op. 9) or the sonata op. 25. The form is an introduction (andante largo), a theme with five variations, and a mazurka. It was first published in Paris in 1829-30 with the title Les deux amis, fantaisie pour deux guitares, and dedicated to Aguado. Instead of the parts being marked “Première Guitare” and “Seconde Guitare” as they are in other duets, here they are headed “Sor” and “Aguado”. The two parts shine in alternate variations: Sor in variations 1 and 3, Aguado in variations 2 and 4; variation 5 is an opportunity for both; and in the mazurka they are equal in importance. Sor writes in his Méthode pour la Guitare (Paris, 1830, p. 85): “Mon duo en la majeur, les Deux Amis, est de la plus grande facilité comparativement à des ouvrages d’autres auteurs qui ont la réputation d’écrire de la musique facile. Il n’y a que la partie de M. Aguado qui ait une variation très rapide [Variation 2], mais elle est à simple corde et dans le genre le plus connu. Ma partie est ce que j’ai fait jusqu’ici de moins compliqué; j’ai visé aux effets à moins de frais que possible” (‘My duet in A major, Les Deux Amis, is extremely easy when compared to works by other composers who have the reputation of composing easy music. There is only M. Aguado’s part which has one very fast variation [Variation 2], but it is on a single string and in a very normal style. My own part is the least complicated music which I have written; in it I have aimed at effects with the least possible costs.’) Readers of this preface who are in Japan may note that the edition of this piece published in Japan by Gendai Guitar does not respect the distribution of the original parts between Sor and Aguado: in particular, the all-important Variation 2, which is specifically in the style of Aguado, is there given to the part labelled Sor. This appears to have happened because the Gendai edition may have used as its source not the original edition which Sor published himself, but rather a later edition published by Lemoine in which perhaps these changes had already been made. 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