Napoleon Coste

French Guitar Master

"Napoleon Coste was first taught the guitar by his mother..."

Although he was born in the provinces, he rose to be the greatest guitarist/composer France ever produced in the guitar history. He was also feted and lauded by Parisian aristocratic society becoming the most celebrated French guitar composer that city had ever seen.

Starting guitar at an early age, he was first taught by his mother. By the time he was in his teens he had become both a virtuoso player and an excellent composer. Later on, when he moved to Paris he took up lessons with the great Fernando Sor himself. Indeed, he moved in an illustrious circle of friends that included Aguado, Carulli and Carcassi. He played for the "creme de la creme of society" and was engaged to teach them as well...quite a lucrative arrangement!

Being "gainfully employed" allowed Coste to publish many of his own works later in life. But before this he had spent ten years learning harmony and counterpoint, which greatly enhanced his compositional powers.

Due to an unfortunate accident, Coste was deprived of the ability to ever play in public again. He broke his arm in a fall, which rendered his right hand virtually useless. Perhaps, in an ironic way, it may have been fortunate that he fell. Incapacitated, he was able to devote more time to composition.

Here's a video I recorded and put on YouTube.com of his Barcarolle...

He composed over forty works for guitar both for the six and seven string instruments. Another achievement was to revive interest in the Baroque guitar and its music and to transcribe 17th century music to modern notational methods. Coste's music is full of charm and adds greatly to the repertoire.

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And here's another similar page you might be interested in...David Russell

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