Fernando Sor was a Spanish guitarist and composer. He was born in 1778 in Barcelona to a fairly well-off family. Sor was descended from a long line of career soldiers, and intended to continue that legacy, but was distracted from this when his father introduced him to Italian opera. He fell in love with music and abandoned a military career. Along with opera, Sor's father also introduced him to the guitar, which, at the time, was little more than an instrument played in taverns, thought to be inferior to orchestral instruments. In 1808, when Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain, Sor began to write nationalistic music for the guitar, often accompanied by patriotic lyrics. After the defeat of the Spanish army, Sor accepted an administrative post in the occupying government. After the Spanish repelled the French in 1813, Sor left Spain for fear of retribution. He went to Paris, and never returned to his home country again. He began to gain renown in the Parisian art community for his skills of composition and for his ability at playing the guitar, and eventually began to tour across Europe, gaining considerable fame. In 1827, due partly to his advancing age, he settled down and decided to live out the rest of his life in Paris. His last work was a mass in honor of his daughter, who died in 1837. Her death sent the already sickly Sor into serious depression, and he died a miserable man in 1839 of tongue and throat cancer.
Interesting Facts:
- In Spain he is sometimes known as the "Beethoven of the Guitar".
- Sor's Method for the Spanish Guitar
- It was during this retirement that he composed many of his better works.
Source: Wikipedia