Sanz, Gaspar

(b Calanda, Aragon, mid-17th century; d early 18th century).

Spanish guitarist, composer and priest. Early in his life he received
a Bachelor of Theology degree from the University of Salamanca
and later travelled to Italy, where he studied music under Cristoforo
Caresana and Lelio Colista, and possibly also under Orazio
Benevoli and Pietro Andrea Ziani. On returning to Spain he
published not only his Instruccin de msica sobre la guitarra
espaola but also two literary works: a Spanish translation of
Daniello Bartoli's L'uomo de lettere (Madrid, 1678) and a eulogy in
praise of Pope Innocent XI entitled Ecos sagrados (Madrid, 1681).
Sanz's Instruccin de msica is the most comprehensive guitar
treatise of its time. Comprising three books, it contains 90 pieces
written for a five-course instrument tuned a/ad'/d'g/gb/be', the
majority of which are based on dance forms, such as the fola,
canario and espaoleta, typical of the late 17th-century Spanish
Baroque style. The first book includes a detailed introductory tutor
with instructions for stringing, fretting and tuning and an
explanation of both the rasgueado (strummed) and punteado
(plucked) styles; it also contains a long essay on figured bass
accompaniment for the guitar. While many of its pieces are
intended for beginners, those in the second and third books are
longer, broader in scope and more technically demanding.
Sanz's work was very popular in Spain and initiated a series of
similar works, such as those of Ruiz de Ribayaz, Guerau and
Santiago de Murcia. Various pieces from it and parts of the text
appear in six publications and manuscripts, French as well as
Spanish, up to 1763.
WORKS
Editions: Gaspar Sanz, ed. R. de Zayas (Madrid, 1985)

Instruccin de msica sobre la guitarra espaola y mtodo de sus primeros

rudimentos hasta taerla con destreza (Zaragoza, 3/1674, 8/1697/R)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
R. Hudson: Further Remarks on the Passacaglia and Ciaccona,
JAMS, xxiii (1970), 30214, esp. 304
W. Kirkendale: L'Aria di Fiorenza, id est Il ballo del Gran Duca
(Florence, 1972)
R. Strizich: Ornamentation in Spanish Baroque Guitar Music,
JLSA, v (1972), 1839
R. de Zayas: Gaspar Sanz and his Music, Guitar Review, xl
(1976), 232
C. Russell and A. Topp Russell: El arte de recomposicin en la
msica espaola para la guitarra barroca, Revista de
musicologa, v (1982), 610, 14, 1617

ROBERT STRIZICH