Ferdinando Carulli's Biography

Ferdinando Carulli was born on February 9 1770 in Naples, Italy. His father, Michele, was a distinguished literator, secretary to the delegate of the Neapolitan Jurisdiction. Like many of his contemporaries, he learned musical theory from a priest, who was also an amateur musician. Carulli's first instrument was the cello, but soon he discovered the guitar when he was 20 years old and devoted his life to the study and advancement of the instrument. In that time there were no professional guitar teachers in Naples so Carulli developed his own style of playing. He became very popular in Naples and soon he embarked on his European tour.

Around 1801 Carulli married a French woman, Marie-Josephine Boyer, and had a son with her. A few years later Carulli moved to Milan and started to compose. There he contributed to local publications. After a highly successful tour in Paris he decided to move there. At the time the city was known as the 'music-capital' of the world, and he lived there for the rest of his life.
In Paris Carulli became a very successful musician and teacher. Like Andres Segovia and many others his desire was to make the guitar popular and fashionable among the upper classes. He fulfilled his intention. He also published most of his works in Paris, eventually becoming a publisher himself and printing the works of other prominent guitarists.

In the 1830s, many European guitarists were “'attracted by Carulli’s personality'. Having so many guitarists in Paris, he devoted himself more to teaching and soon counted members of the Parisian nobility among his students.

Many of the pieces now regarded as Carulli's greatest were initially turned down by the publishers as being too hard for the average player, and it is highly probable that many masterpieces were lost this way. Undeterred, Carulli started publishing his pieces himself. However, the great majority of his surviving works are those that were considered 'safe' enough to be accepted by other publishers, mainly for the teaching of certain techniques or for beginners. Although he had many students and supporters, Carulli began to believe he didn't deserve his impressive reputation because most of the great works he had composed were never published.

Confined to mainly simple pieces, Carulli wrote his world-famous method of classical guitar, "Harmony Applied to the Guitar", a collection of pieces that are still used today in tuition. At the time of publishing, the method was very popular and had many editions published.

Carulli was among the most prolific composers of his time. He wrote more than four hundred works for the guitar, and countless others for various instrumental combinations, always including the guitar. His most influential remains the "Method, op. 27", published in 1810. Carulli also composed some pieces for guitar and piano with his son Gustavo. He wrote works for chamber orchestra and other ensembles.

Many classical guitarists have recorded the majority of his works. Arguably his most famous work is a duet for guitar and flute, which was recorded by Alexander Lagoya and Jean-Pierre Rampal, although his Duo in G Op.34 achieved a measure of indirect fame in Britain as the theme tune of cult 1980s science fiction/television game show The Adventure Game. The Duo in G has been recorded several times, most famously by Julian Bream and John Williams.

Aside from his immensely influential Method, he changed and improved many aspects of the early instrument to create the modern classical guitar used today. Along with French instrument makers and guitarists Antonio de Torres Jurado and Lacote helped to change the guitar into the larger, more resonant instrument we know today. They accomplished this by making the bulges or bouts in the side more pronounced, to produce a greater volume and surface area which made the sound better. Later Jurado also helped to make the modern form of the flamenco guitar which is lighter and smaller with a more brilliant sound than the classical
Carulli died in Paris on February 17, 1841, aged 71.