"For Andrés Segovia": Francisco de Lacerda’s Suite goivos (1924)

Abstract

Suite goivos by Francisco Lacerda (1869–1934) stands out not only as one of the first examples of symbolist literature for guitar but also as the first work written for guitar by a Portuguese non-guitarist composer. So far, however, it has remained in relative obscurity. In this article, I first explore the suite’s context and history: its origin in meetings and correspondence between Lacerda and the work’s dedicatee, Andrés Segovia; its place among new works commissioned by Segovia from non-guitarist composers; and available manuscript sources for the work. I then argue for the work’s importance as music, highlighting its innovative features, from Lacerda’s use of the guitar to his incorporation of musical symbolist elements. This analysis has enabled a modern performance edition of the suite, allowing it to take its place in the concert repertoire.