Excerpt from The Guitar and Mandolin: Biographies of Celebrated Players and Composers for These Instruments It is customary for a certain section of the English musical public to deride and disparage the guitar and mandolin, speaking with loud authority as to their novelty and unmusical qualities. To such, power is ofttimes regarded as perfection in the musical art, and the delicate charms and nuances of the still small voices therefore possess no attraction, no beauty. It may be that these persons are unacquainted with the true capabilities and character of the instruments; for it is admitted that the guitar and mandolin are seldom studied seriously, or even heard to advantage, in this country. These biographies, undertaken at the earnest suggestion of the late Dr. John Farmer, M.A., Baliol College, Oxford, were commenced to ascertain to what extent the greatest musicians had employed the guitar and mandolin. The research once begun, a revelation of the early and honourable position of these instruments dawned, unfolding facts hitherto undreamed of, and culminating in the present volume. That Mozart, Handel, Beethoven, and other of the immortal masters, should esteem the guitar and mandolin worthy of expressing their noblest inspirations, is sufficient proof of the musical value of these instruments. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.