Segovia, through the eyes of his two greatest students

How many Segovias are there? Certainly, more than one. Segovia the soloist. Segovia the arranger. Segovia the missionary of the guitar for the worldwide musical audience and the disseminator for many important composers of his time.
And, of course, Segovia the preceptor, the teacher, the creator of many generations of new guitarists.
Preceptor, of course… but regarding what? Teaching young children starting from zero? Clearly not. He didn’t have the time nor was he willing to do so. Probably, he didn’t have the systematic approach and knowledge to do so, as Aaron Shearer (guitarist and professor at the Peabody University of USA, one of the greatest music institutions in the world), claimed.
Shearer, who was teacher of Barrueco as well, used to refer to a meeting he had with Segovia where he presented a systematic method of teaching that he had conducted. Segovia was kind, but he harshly characterized this method “useless”, as the method of Aguado already existed. Shearer wondered how anyone can use Aguado’s method with a little child that has nothing to do with music, and he went on with the conclusion that Segovia couldn’t possibly have considered this, since he had never taught a young, beginner student. On the other hand, Segovia taught using his own technique and approach hundreds of guitarists for over 30 years. These students, of course, were already professionals and soloists, or exceptionally talented children.
Typical of his teaching approach in his seminars was the fact that he demanded absolute obedience from his students to his adaptations, his fingerings, and his recommendations on style, as well as the repertoire.
Of course, some will contrast his genius, his talent, his mission etc., to a cruel and selfish in essence attitude.
So, let’s see how he’s rated by his two probably most popular studentsever: John Williams and Christopher Parkening.

Christopher Parkening: His Master’s Voice

Parkening might hasn’t got the ring from Segovia (someone else was given this honor, as we will see), but he certainly is his most consistent and remarkable continuer. He never has doubted his leadership on the field of the guitar; his performances follow the style and the sounds of his mentor. 


Segovia congratulates Parkening at the Santiago de Compostela.

In his interviews, Parkening often refers to Segovia, recollecting incidents that shed some light on the Segovia phenomenon.
He recalls a very illustrative incident, when he, as a 15-year-old student then played Bach’s Chacon for Segovia at a seminar in California. Segovia, infuriated as he detected an alteration on his fingering, for technical reasons, he lashed out at little Christopher’s teacher who dared such sacrilege.

John Williams: the rebel prince

John Williams was 11 years old in the summer of 1952 in Sienna, when he started attending Segovia’s seminars. He had already taken guitar lessons with his father, Len, a capable jazz guitarist who was brought up with the tasteful sounds of Django Reinhardt (a great influence for Julian Bream) and Andrés Segovia.
In 1958, Williams gives his first big recital in Wigmore Hall. Segovia states: “A guitar prince showed up in the world of music”.
More or less, that’s how the succession was defined.
But Williams, since the late ’60s, began altering his playing. He experimented with pop and jazz idioms, which were anathemas to Segovia), he politicized (e.g. with his interaction with Mikis Theodorakis), he broadened his repertoire beyond the “segovian” establishments. 

And in 1999, in the May issue of the BBC Music magazine he made a statement:
“…In retrospect, I see that Segovia’s teachings were of least importance, but the inspiration from him and the people I met was essential. His music selections and his tastes were limited…I’m no longer discreet when it comes to Segovia. It doesn’t hurt me at all… He was a very limited teacher and a limited musician”.
Freud might have a lot to say about this. His prospective continuers would, too. But there is probably some truth in the above.
Andrés Segovia was an undoubtedly great personality. He was a catalyst for the evolution of the guitar worldwide, taking it to a much higher level.
Of course, the conditions and circumstances helped.
The catalytic presence of Segovia was not messianic, although many claim just that. The contribution of artists (performers, especially, not composers), must be judged according to their era and what they left behind.
This way, Segovia was great at his time and must not be a yardstick, positively or negatively, neither in our times nor in the future.
In other words, Segovia must be protected from his detractors as well as from his emulators.