A Romantic History

There are several factors that contributed to the popularity and evolution of the guitar in general and harp guitar in particular. The story in Harp Guitars: Passion • Imagination • Artistry begins during the Romantic era in Europe (the late eighteenth - early nineteenth century), when for the first time in Western (European) Civilization a great emphasis was placed on imagination, creative thinking and intuition as important faculties in acquiring knowledge. Intellectual perception was directly linked with deep emotions and feelings that were a prerequisite for the ability to connect with the Sublime. During this period, society was fascinated with free, inspired and charismatic heroes & heroines who experienced strong and profound feelings.

Mozanni Harp Guitar, circa 1910

The discovery of expressive “folk” music genres such as Roma (a.k.a. gypsy) music and Flamenco styles, and the invention of metal strings—which enabled a louder sound—seem to be directly responsible for the ardent rediscovery of the guitar as well as other stringed instruments such as the lyre, lute and mandolin. While the draw to these instruments could be partially explained by their ability to complement the expressiveness of the human voice in lyrical songs and romances that were popular in this period, the interest in experimentation with new sound possibilities having unique sensory and tonal qualities furthered the appeal of the guitar.

The new fashion spread quickly throughout Europe, starting in France, Russia, Austria and Italy and later came to the United States. The craze for Flamenco and Roma music in Europe reached its peak in the middle of the nineteenth century, making the guitar one of the most favored instruments. Virtuoso composers and players such as Fernando Sor, Dionysio Aguado, Matteo Carcassi, Ferdinando Carulli, Niccolo Paganini and Mauro Giuliani also intensified the interest in the guitar. Giuliani is held particularly responsible for popularization of the guitar, as he wrote many classical guitar compositions, making it an instrument compatible with symphony orchestra’s stringed instruments, such as violins, violas and cellos. Perhaps the direct response to the heightened interest in the guitar was a stream of creative experimentation with hybrid guitar forms. This experimentation reached its peak by the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century.

Though instruments departing from the basic form of the traditional guitar first emerged around the 1690s when Alexandre Voboam built a double guitar, the nineteenth century proved to be a much more productive period in this respect. Double-necked guitars, harpolyre and lyre guitars that appeared in the early 1800s were followed by a group of instruments with an increased number of strings—sometimes in the bass, sometimes in the treble and sometimes with both extra bass and extra treble strings. The guitars varied greatly in size and, hence, in pitch. Extended-range guitars and hybrid stringed instruments—such as harp guitar, harp-lute and harp-mandolin—gained popularity around 1890. These instruments—encouraged by the cultural atmosphere of Romanticism—particularly appealed to the taste for flamboyant virtuosity, varied tone colors and louder dynamics in music.