Biography of Agustin Barrios Mangore - Part 3

Barrios and Segovia

In June, 1920, Barrios returned to Montevideo from Brazil. At this time, Segovia was also in Montevideo giving concerts. The two guitarists never met during the five weeks they were both in Uruguay. That would have to wait till the following year in Buenos Aires. It is interesting to compare the repertoire of both guitarists at this time. Both included transcriptions of the classics (Bach, Beethoven, Chopin). Segovia included numerous pieces by Sor and Tárrega, he also played Granados and Albéniz. This represented the “modern” concert guitar repertoire of the times (he hadn’t yet met Ponce, Tórroba, Villa-Lobos). Barrios, apart from the classics played mid 19th century Spanish music by Arcas, Parga, Broca and also Tárrega and music by Latin Americans (Albano, García Tolsa).

The main difference is in the area of original compositions. Segovia only originals were his arrangements of music by classical composers. Barrios played many of his compositions in his concerts because, as he said, there wasn’t many pieces by others that “inspired him”.

In 1921, they met in Buenos Aires, they were introduced by a friend after a concert. Some time later, Barrios went to visit Segovia at his home. He played for the Maestro, and he was greatly pleased. According to Klinger, Barrios’ biographer: “Barrios played a cascade of musical gems for the great Segovia who was surprised...better yet: he was floored. Nearly 2 hours later he was congratulated by the Maestro. One particular work he liked very much and indicated he would play in his concerts. Barrios gave him an original copy with a dedication. The work that Segovia said he would like to program in his concerts he never played. And logically so: if he had played it, with the extraordinary abilities he possessed he would have elevated Barrios to inaccessible heights, thus detracting from his own artistic prestige."

Barrios (right) with his brother Martín in Montevideo

The work that Segovia liked very much was La Catedral. In 1921, Segovia wasn’t in the omnipotent position he would occupy in subsequent decades, so, he didn’t accept any competition. If he had been sincere he would have programmed La Catedral and other pieces, and helped Barrios to arrange concerts in Europe and the United States. Many years later, Barrios would realize that Segovia wasn’t his friend and say about him that he was “deaf in the heart”. Barrios acknowledged that Segovia was an outstanding technician but he didn’t see himself as being in any way “less of a technician”. Barrios was proud of his identity as a composer, which involved skills and talents quite beyond the “mere” acquirement of physical virtuosity.

La Catedral: a masterpiece

On April 14, 1921, Barrios said this in a interview with an Uruguayan newspaper: “As much as my precarious state of health has permitted, I have been able to compose five works for these recitals. I consider the most important, after Vals de Primavera, of a romantic cut, La Catedral, which consists of two movements, an 'andante religioso' and an 'allegro solemne'."

This is the first reference to Barrios most widely played work. He was inspired by an experience he had entering the Cathedral of San José in Montevideo. The Andante with its broad chords represent his impressions of an organist playing Bach in the cathedral. The Allegro represent the sensation when he leaves the calm atmosphere of the cathedral. He enters into the street, the real world, where everyone is in a hurry and doesn’t have time to think. He represents this perfectly with incessant 16th note figures.

The third movement, the Preludio Saudade would be added years later.

The return to Paraguay

During 1922 Barrios journeyed again to Chile and Brazil. After this, he returned to Paraguay on August 21. He undoubtedly had the desire to finally settle down in his homeland, but he would soon realize that this was impossible.

The return of Barrios to Paraguay was triumphal, he didn’t made a great amount of money but nevertheless was viewed as one of the greatest guitarists in the world.

He would play eleven concerts in Asuncion over the next 8 months. This was a time of welcoming for Barrios from all the ones that played a major role in his formation and now were proud of what he had become: Gustavo Sosa Escalada, Nicolino Pellegrini and Viriato Diaz Perez.

He would attempt an “open air” concert at the Plaza Uruguaya, along with his brothers who presented poetry. The event turned to be a great success, crowds of people went to the Plaza to see the Barrios clan. But this turned to be a problem, Barrios had to suspend the function because of the noise from the crowd and the lack of acoustics.

In April 26, 1923, he would travel to Rosario, Argentina, where he would stay approximately 5 months. He stayed with a friend and classical guitar teacher, Baptiste Almirón, whose daughter Lalyta was a prodigy on the instrument and who would become one of the better known concert guitarists in Argentina.

Barrios taught Lalyta some of his original pieces, and was stunned with the little gifted artist. He declared about her:

“Anything that I can say about this young child, is little, compared to her enormous talent. My surprise had no limits when, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, with her lovely smile, she played Study No. 22 of Coste and the Canzoneta of Mendelssohn. Works of challenge, even for masters, burst forth as enchanting art in a shower of crystalline notes from her agile fingers, which in giddy movements resemble hummingbirds over the strings.”

During the 5 months that they were together, Lalyta learned Romance en Imitación al Violoncello, Vals No.4 and Contemplación.

Barrios spent his time in Rosario composing new works. It was evidently a productive time, at least 17 works are dated from this period.

He traveled to Buenos Aires and Uruguay, where he played some concerts. In August 1924 he was back in Paraguay. He had the desire to establish a music school in Asunción, for which he made a petition to the government. Although he wasn’t active in politics, his inclination was towards the Partido Colorado, which was in opposition to the Partido Liberal then in power. This made for a quick negation of his request.

In 1925 he was in Uruguay with his friend Luis Pasquet and also with Borda y Pagola. He played concerts in Montevideo and towns of the interior. He spent a year in Uruguay.

Goodbye to the indifferent Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires, the great city that promised him fame and fortune was the one that most rejected him. Barrios was back there in 1928. On June he programmed three concerts in the Theatre La Argentina, of which only one was performed, the other two cancelled due to lack of public. Disgusted with his failure, he vowed never to return to Argentina again.

The guitar public of Buenos Aires rejected Barrios with his metal strings and 19th century type repertoire. To accentuate this, Segovia was also at this time in Buenos Aires, filling theatres presenting a “modern repertoire”, including music by Ponce, Tórroba, Turina, Tansman, etc.

This rejection proved to be a very critical point for Barrios and I think that is one of the mains reasons why he would change his identity to Nitsuga Mangoré.

In 1929 he left Buenos Aires and journeyed to Brazil, where he gave concerts in Pelotas, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The public of Sao Paulo was very welcoming to the music of Barrios. On October 25 1929 in the Municipal Theatre a great Literary-musical festival was given to celebrate Barrios’ farewell to Sao Paulo.

During this year he also met Gloria Seban, who would be his companion until the end of his days. He presented her as his wife although there is no corroboration that they were married. She was a practical woman who took care of Agustín’s everyday needs. She was musically uneducated and was described by some as being unaware of Barrios genius. But she obviously loved him as she stayed with him during the next 14 years.