CLASSIC 107'S ALBUM OF THE MONTH : 'The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten'

Emma Rush Spotlights Forgotten Guitar Virtuoso in New Album ‘The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten. 

A long-overdue rediscovery 

This past spring, Canadian guitarist Emma Rush released The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten an album that introduces listeners to a nearly forgotten 19th-century guitar virtuoso and composer. Born in Germany and raised in England, Catharina Josepha Pratten—often referred to as Katerina—was a brilliant performer, teacher, publisher, and innovator in the world of classical guitar. 

Never heard of her? You're not alone. Her voice was unjustly silent. But make no mistake, Catharina Pratten was a force!

By the time of her death in 1895, Pratten had taught more than 2,000 students—including Princess Louise and Princess Beatrice, daughters of Queen Victoria—and maintained a concert career that spanned over six decades. She wrote method books, invented notations for guitar technique, ran her own publishing house, and even dabbled in instrument design. 

"For me, she just really defines the whole century of guitar in Britain," says Emma Rush. "She was such an important figure who, like as you mentioned, it happens with a lot of women composers... on her death, the erasure of her accomplishments started happening pretty immediately." 

Digging into the archives 

Rush first encountered Pratten’s music during a 2018 research residency in Lübeck, Germany. 

"I’d kind of heard a little bit about Emelia Giuliani, a little bit about Pratten, but I didn’t know anybody else. Didn’t even know anything about those," she said. "I wound up sort of digging up all kinds of information and lots of music." 

The obsession grew, eventually culminating in the new recording, which places Pratten in the context of her musical world. 

More than just Pratten 

The album includes works by Pratten, her father, her husband Robert Sidney Pratten, and other contemporaries such as Leonard Schulz, Francisco Tárrega, and Giulio Regondi. 

"I wanted to try and create a picture of her connections in the world, her influence, her legacy, what influenced her," said Rush. "So I started in a pretty obvious place, which is in her home." 

That meant including music by her father, who not only composed but also founded the first English-language guitar magazine. Her husband, a famous flutist and instrument inventor, also composed guitar music—some of which was published by Pratten herself. 

Guitar gossip and musical innovation 

Researching Pratten also gave Rush insight into 19th-century guitar culture. 

"It was so interesting to get this snapshot of all the 1830s guitar gossip at that time," she said, referring to reading old guitar magazines at the British Library. 

Pratten herself was an innovator, among the first to use chord symbols and diagrams in her method books—precursors to what guitarists still use today. She also developed notations for strumming, plucking, and vibrato unique to her teaching. 

Several of Pratten’s pieces are written in E major tuning—a practice that made certain passages easier to play and gave the guitar a distinct resonance. 

"You can actually write sort of harder music in that tuning in a more easy way on the guitar," explained Rush. "She was really into making the guitar accessible... great music accessible even for people that didn’t have the highest level of playing." 

Famous friends, misattributed works 

Pratten’s influence extended beyond England. One of the most touching stories on the album involves her friendship with the great Spanish guitarist Francisco Tárrega, who visited her in 1881. 

"She presented him with a gold bracelet that he said he cherished forever," said Rush. A piece long attributed to Tárrega, Lucia di Lammermoor, turns out to be Pratten’s—miscredited due to a simple mistranslation. 

"In Spanish, it says 'por señora Pratten,' but people thought it meant 'for' her rather than 'by' her." 

Recording with history 

Rush recorded the album on two guitars once associated with Pratten herself—one bearing her handwritten label and the other a “signature series” guitar endorsed by her in the 1850s. 

"They were absolutely thrilling to play," said Rush. "Just imagining Pratten’s fingers strumming the same instrument that I’m recording her music on… it just blows my mind." 

While Pratten’s music is central to the album, Rush hopes the project will also spark wider changes in classical guitar programming. 

"Yes, but it’s a slow go," she said when asked whether she sees more diversity in concerts today. "I still find so many concert programs where all the composers are men." 

Rush believes it’s time Pratten joined the likes of Sor and Tárrega in the canon. 

"This should just be part of our collective guitar knowledge." 

The Life and Times of Katerina Pratten by Emma Rush is Classic 107’s Canadian Classical Recording of the Month for July. Excerpts air Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m. throughout the month.