Marcelo Kayath plays Ponce Variations Folias Espagna in the 1986 Segovia Masterclass 

Well he's back after a long hiatus making a ton of money as an investment banker. Sounds like a good plan, become wealthy, then go back to guitar because you're REALLY good at it.

No doubt Marcelo has a marvelous technique and a beautiful tone. However, playing La Maja de Goya by Granados , his lack of understanding the lyrical / vocal qualities present in the composition evoked constant correction by Segovia . As the Maestro stated, one should be able to sing what one plays- meaning the human voice , the most expressive instrument of all, best interprets the emotion present in all music .

That's what we say to death.

Parece o bolsonaro kkkkkkk

Segovia the only thing that could teach students was to give personality and life to the interpretations. Which is the only thing to teach in one of these kinds of masterclasses actually. And it is really a difficult thing to do: to teach these personality and feeling to the students. And it is even worse when there is audience and cameras and so on... it is really something a bit awkward for me haha. But really Segovia was the master of this personality and feeling, the same as Bream, at least the personality of those pieces that fit into his tastes and technique and all that. It is really difficult to teach this "how to feel a piece", but he tried to do it anyway because there's no other way, so i asume he recorded these masterclasses to show to the world what more or less should be all about. The only problem was his anger sometimes. Yepes thought that one should not play the guitar without counting with Segovia, and it is precisely because of this personality and life that he knew how to translate to his interpretations. We all, as lovers of guitar have a lot to learn from his interpretations and the love with which he played with. That is his legacy. He should not be forgotten. Believe me, i play the guitar as you know, and i know what i'm talking about when i talk about giving life to the interpretations. This life comes mostly from the little details of the piece. And really it is amazing how the musicality change when you notice these little details. It's not only about the tone quality hahahah

Well, you said it: the master classes where turned into “performances” where the focus was on the presence and personality of the Maestro rather than any really teaching or conveying of idea. If it´s awkward to watch these shows, imagine having to perform in them. The newer generation of teacher are truly teachers (David Russell, Denis Azabagic, Paul Galbraight, etc.), communicators and thinkers, and a pleasure to watch how their own personalities bring out the unique personality in their students. I think Marcelo too is a fine teacher. No one copies (nor would want to) or follows the Segovian-master-class model because our mindset is different. These classes were recorded because they had their performance value as well. Compared with the B&W classes recorded in the 60s, Marcelo here is at a much, much higher level of playing. (It´s also great to see he´s come back to recording and playing after a long absence and is now better than ever). With Segovia, it´s obviously about his presence (the awe the students felt for him at the time the classical guitar had few references), but one would learn a lot more from listening to his performances than from attending his master classes. Obviously, there would be (or always is) much to learn (not copy) from Segovia. Back then, given the relatively few references in the tiny guitar world, guitarrists would line up just to be in the Maestro´s presence. I suppose the value of the class was just that…to be in the presence of the Maestro. But these affairs were so much more about personality (Segovia´s) and a particular spin of feeling (Segovia´s) than about actual musical ideas, concepts, insights. For those, I would recommend watching a real educator and teacher like Leonard Bernstein (there are others as well) talking about music. Segovia´s “anger.” The vehemence of the dictator (they all tend to act the same when confronted by difference), or the ego that will not acknowledge the other. Yepes was totally at odds with this (and he eventually overcome his own “anxiety of influence” of the strong Segovian model) and he had an approach (even though he never considered himself a teacher) that rings much truer to a democratic spirit, and the love of diversity, difference. John Williams himself had something (I tend to agree, but that´s irrelevant) to say about Segovia: www.theguardian.com/music/2012/oct/14/john-williams-accuses-segovia-snob As for the rather ugly Segovia-Chapeldaine incident, I only regret that Segovia didn´t have Grouch Marx as one of his students (I think the Maestro would have deserved it, because that was an act of psychological cruelty which I found unbelievable). At any rate, believe me, Segovia will not be forgotten. It´s harder for us to understand his 19th century romantic mentality, which was solid, had one-driving idea and was possessed of certainty whereas we, alas, drift in a liquid reality of relativism and uncertainty where these gods and titans of the past are all dead. Perhaps now, in a time when personalities run the risk of becoming clones, it´s good to get back and reappraise his strong individuality and personality. Those are positive virtues, provided they are driven by a healthy self and not an ugly ego. This is (or should be) an age of diversity, where Segovia´s legacy is one among others. Oh, certainly, tone quality is only one part of music: almost a corner stone, something basic. But personality and feeling…yes, that´s really what music is conveying, isn´t it? Best,

You must see the Segovia masterclass from 1965. In that masterclass he really teaches students and his mind wasn't as lost as it is here, because, you know, he died that same year. He was already doddering here lol you must see the other video of Kayath playing La Maja De Goya and the "dominante-tonica" lesson he gives to him hahahaha But actually his free-toungue personality reminds in 1965, as he really shouts to another student in a disproportionate way (Aldo Minela) for the same reason as happened with Chapdelaine: not doing portamentos and not having personality and feeling in what he plays. That was Segovia, he could be as funny and friendly as he was sometimes a prick. But we must have in mind that he never did it as a personal attack to anybody, but it may hurt anyway, of course. Shouting and bad attitude like this where the teacher only points bad things that the student does is absolutely the worst thing that a teacher can do, and i say this from personal experiences. Really the fact of being a master playing the guitar does not make you a good teacher of it, definitely. Perhaps being patient and tolerant could help the student to get out of his mind and help him listen to what he is doing, but shouting only gets the student to be anxious and guilt and therefore it's everything a complete disaster, a disaster... that can make the student think even about quit from playing the instrument if he is too sensitive. The problem, perhaps, is that he just demanded a lot from himself and therefore from the others too. That was perhaps his curse and his gift at the same time. Personally i see Segovia more like a very friendly guy rather than a prick, to be honest. People forget that aspect of his personality. Which is, at the same time, something that helped the guitar to be respected, as he was respected as a man. The guitar needed a representative and a charismatic figure, both as an artist and a man. That's is the legacy of Segovia. And from this i agree with what you say about the presence of Segovia and the students willing to be in front of him and constantly looking at his face to check whether they are doing it "wrong" or "right" and so on... hahahh It's a bit awkward. But i will never understand these kind of masterclasses, from any artist to be honest, it's like: are those students really trying to learn something in one or two classes? I don't know, it's pointless for me. It's always about the presence of the great artist. Perhaps they recorded this to retain the information given by Segovia, who knows. Otherwise I would not see more reasons for doing such a thing, apart from being more or less performances. Believe me, some people think that Segovia (and even Yepes) is "overcomed" because new generations of guitarist have arisen and therefore he is obsolete and related shit like that. In some ways it's true, but really Segovia's playing is for me eternal and will be valid for the whole history of the guitar. It's really so annoying to hear such things when you find that Segovia is a true inspiration for you. And also, there are those who think that Segovia's technique was limited and therefore he was amateurish compared to other guitarist (Yepes for instance). But they don't know that most of his recordings were made when he was really old and therefore his tehincal abilities were decreasing. But it's just a waste of time. Segovia was Segovia and Yepes was Yepes, period. Each one following their own personality, and it's amazing to percieve such different guitar personalities if you think about it. The guitar is such an instrument with so many different faces and possibilities, a very special instrument. So yes, being the guitar such a personal instrument, as you say it should be nice to get back to that freedom and individuality of the guitar, those golden ages. Especially in this epoch of massive globalization where the only hope is to get rid of your damned individuality and power just to be accepted by the other who apparently has more to say about oneself than oneself about... oneself! If these masters became masters it was because of something more than just music talent, but apparently today it's everything full of doubts and insecurities, this epoch where the old gods are no longer pushing us toward action...

Hey! I did watch those. La dominante tónica lesson commentary is hilarious. Even Mr. Kayath was taken aback...The purpose of these master classes is fufilling the ritual of...master classes. It´s a show of a kind. The master-student think, like Socrates... In the earlier classes, I seriously doubt, as you comment elsewhere, if the students actually remembered all the stuff. Segovia basically showed how he felt the piece and what his personality was. Whether that was helpful, I don´t know. I agree with you, Segovia was just a bit cantankerous (I wouldn´t go as far to call him a "p....k" or other calling him a Nazi, racist or fascist). He knew which side of the bread (politically speaking) his bread was buttered on. His thing, from birth to death, was the guitar, and that´s what we should remember. He was old-school "caballero" and, of course, when have the "gods" ever been buddy-buddy with mere mortals? This kind of thing happened back then but now is impossible, because we don´t have any of these central god figures in any area. Even as I watched the Chapeldaine incident (Fuera!) you know what, it´s not what I had made it out to be. Your comment was the best: if it had happened to you, you´d be laughing. Personally, I would have returned with a live turkey or chicken and said "Tome, Maestro, esto es para Usted. Feliz Navidad!" The students all suffered from extreme oversensitivity (not Marcelo´s case here: he seems to be having fun, and Segovia is no doubt impressed). With Mr. Kayath here, it´s something else. Marcelo was at the level of Segovia´s previous students: John Williams and Chris Parkening. He had made some fantastic recordings that were already placing him alongside the up-and-comming Barrueco and David Russell. He didn´t need these classes, but hey, what young guitarrist woudln´t want to play for Segovia. Manuel Barrueco recalls meeting Segovia and playing Sevilla (Albéniz) for him in a hotel room. This was after he had made that stunning Albéniz-Granados recording. Segovia complained it was too fast. They probably had a few drinks and that was that. Barrueco later recalled that he didn´t want any pictures or Segovia promoting him (like Eliot Fisk) because he wanted his independence of being himself, his own style. Marcelo participated in these (I think) because he was one of the great guitarrist of the new generation. Segovia was always handed the best guitarrists to coach, and Marcelo was the man of the hour. Sure, as you say, Segovia´s mind is somewhere else. But In Rio here, our last great guitarrists had been the Abreu Brothers, but they folded up, so Marcelo was the Brazilian classical guitar sensation of the 80s. A pride, a joy, a top-level young master who soon afterwards stopped playing to work on the financial market. He´s now playing again, and holy cow, what a player. A true romantic who mixes the best of the Segovian tradition with the technical precision of John Williams. best

Tárrega, que era un señor valenciano que dicen que sabía tocar la guitarra, dio clases a un joven que se llamaba Miquel Llobet, que dicen que también sabía tocar la guitarra de adulto, de esa manera: toca, Llobet escuchaba y miraba y después tocaba en su casa. Llobet dio clases a Segovia de la misma manera que Segovia se las está dando en este vídeo a este joven Marcelo Kayath. Dentro de 50 años veremos si Marcelo Kayath superó a Segovia como este superó a sus maestros. Por lo menos, Marcelo Kayath puede decir que es bisnieto musical de Francisco Tárrega, algo que muchos guitarristas no pueden decir.