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There are not many better instruments to signify summer than the guitar, and Classic 107’s Album of the Month for July dives way back into the work of one exceptional composer for the genre from the 19th century.
The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten is the latest recording from Ontario classical guitarist Emma Rush. One of the most prolific performers in Canada on her instrument, Rush has long been a champion and a scholar of the classical guitar repertoire, and her latest project dives into the prodigious, prolific and multi-faceted career of one of the genre’s under-praised performers and composers.
Originally born in Germany, Pratten moved to England with her family at a young age. It was not long before her talents on the guitar became apparent to the wider musical community, and soon people were taking note of the fact that, to quote one review of her performance, “Her touch is powerful and her execution wonderful; we were surprised how such tiny fingers could draw forth such perfect sounds.”
Pratten composed over 200 pieces in her lifetime and taught guitar to over 2000 students, among them Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victoria. She also pioneered techniques for teaching that are still in wide use today, including the use of chord chart symbols.
The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten explores not only some of the highlights of Pratten’s own musical output, but also the output of other composers in her orbit, such as her father and instructor Ferdinand Pelzer, Frank Mott Harrison, one of her prized students, and the celebrated Spanish composer Francisco Tarrega, who was an admirer of Pratten’s and visited her at her home.
Classic 107 listeners can enjoy an excerpt from The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten on Morning Light with Nolan Kehler just after 7:30 a.m. every Wednesday morning.