Francesco Molino

Francesco Molino, one of the greatest guitarists of the Nineteenth Century, was born in Ivrea on June 4, 1768. His father was Giuseppe Ignazio, an oboist at the service of the Piedmontese troop band. Francesco followed his father in pursuing a military career, volunteering in the Piedmont Regiment when he was 15 years old. In the army he learned the rudiments of music and how to play the oboe. At the same time he undertook thorough training on the viola under the guidance, presumably, of other musicians in his family, such as Valentino and Luigi. In the years 1786-1789 he was active as violist in the orchestra of the Royal Theater of Turin. In 1814 he was violinist in the Orchestra of the Royal Chapel, where he worked until 1818.

There is no certain information as to how he came to play the guitar; it is presumable that he was influenced by hearing it played at family gatherings. Unknown also are the details of his journeys in foreign countries, to which many texts refer; we can construct a hypothetical itinerary by perusing his publications for guitar, which first began on a tour to Germany.

Certainly by the end of 1818 Molino had moved to Paris, where he presented himself as a "violinist of the Royal Chapel." In Paris there was already a consolidated guitar tradition, originated by Ferdinando Carulli, and carried on by other musicians such as Gragnani and Sor. Molino had to create a space for his musical and concert activity, for in Paris he was placing himself in the midst of a circle of guitar aficionados who were resistant to new ideas. Though he had to overcome the disdain for new styles of guitar playing which was brought on by the success of Carulli, Molino never really came into conflict with the Neapolitan musician, as is suggested by the chronicles of the time which speak about "querelles" between two antagonistic teams of guitar supporters of one or of the other. This notion is bolstered also by the noted series of lithographs by Charles de Marescot, printed around 1840.

Maintaining his own convictions as to guitar technique, Molino had a noteworthy success as teacher, having students from the highest strata of Parisian society, and admirers such as the Duchess of Berry. From 1820 to 1835 he published the greater part of his compositions for guitar in Paris, but after this period, in light of the decline that the guitar suffered (around 1840), Molino composed his last works for violin.

He died in Paris in 1847.

Among his works for guitar, which number more than sixty, worth mentioning is the Method, a valid treatise which sets out new concepts for the treatment of the instrument, and which achieved a substantial success in his Paris period. Likewise worthy of mention are the brilliant Sonata, Op. 51, for solo guitar, the pleasant chamber trios and some nocturnes for flute and guitar, but above all his Concerto, Op. 56, for guitar and orchestra. Molino is dedicatee of the Second Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 25, of Rudolphe Kreutzer, with whom he had a deep friendship.

Copyright © 1995-2009 Just Classical Guitar - the CG Web portal,
Just Classical Guitar - Milano - Firenze, ITALIA
Tutti i diritti riservati. Informazioni sulla privacy.