Antonio Lauro
1917-1986
(Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela, 1917 - Caracas, Venezuela, 1986)
Lauro had an academic musical background. He studied at the "Escuela de Musica y Declamación" in Caracas under Vicente Emilio Sojo and Juan Bautista Plaza. His original instrument was the piano, but on hearing the Paraguayan guitar virtuoso Agustín Barrios Mangoré in concert, he decided to devote his musical study to the guitar.
Lauro wrote and arranged many works, the bulk of which are as yet unpublished. Most of them are for the guitar, but he also composed works for acappella choral group, orchestra, orchestra and choir, piano, piano and voice, organ and voice, string quartet, wind quartet and other instrumental combinations. More often than not, the inspiration for his compositions was derived from the folklore, instruments and regional dance rhythms of Venezuela.
Lauro died on April 18th, 1986.
Sound Sample: Midi
Comment: Piece dedicated to the old Angostura, Ciudad Bolívar, place where he was born. this is a very beatiful piece and a little hard to play.
Difficulty: ****
Sound Sample: Midi
Comment: Piece dedicated to his best friend, Alirio Díaz - Who is from Carora, here lauro imitates the Bandola Criolla, a very complicate instrument. very popular in Carora - Barquisimeto.
Difficulty: ****
El_Marabino - Venezuelan Waltz
Sound Sample: Midi - Real Audio Format (Luis Quintero Playing).
Comments: He composed this song when he was in Zulia - Venezuela. That´s why he called it "El Marabino" (name took from Maracaibo, capital of Zulia). It´s a really fast and hard song, It´s one of my favorites.
Difficulty: ****
Sound Sample: Midi - Real Audio Format (Luis Quintero Playing).
Comments: El Negrito was dedicated to one of Lauro´s son - Luis Augusto, This is one of the most loveliest pieces. It´s very Beautiful.
Difficulty: ***
Sound Sample: Midi
Comments: Piece dedicated to Lauro´s pet, a cat; Nice song from two Venezuelan waltzes: 1. La Gatica, 2. El Negrito.
Difficulty: ***
Sound Sample: Midi
Comments: Armida is the firts movement of the triptico, is an expressive valse and little difficult, all the song is conform by triplets of quaver and two quavers.
Difficulty: ***
Sound Sample: Midi
Comments: Madrugada is the second movement of the triptico, is an slowly valse, complicate with easy times, madrugada show us what felt Lauro early in the morning.
Difficulty: ***
Sound Sample: Midi
Comments: La negra is the third movement of the triptico, is and expressive valse and little difficult, it have a natalia´s air.
Difficulty: ***
Maria_Luisa - Venezuelan Waltz
Sound Sample: Midi
Comments: This is a really hard piece, but is a great song, it was dedicated to his wife, Maria Luisa. I hearded it in the cd "Homenage a Antonio Lauro" - Recorded by Luis Quintero
Difficulty: ****
Sound Sample: Midi - Real Audio Format (Myself Playing).
Comments: A lovely piece, really espressive. this is a little song composed by Antonio Lauro and Ivan Perez Rossi, took from the album "25 años de Serenata Guayanesa" and transcribed for guitar by myself.
Difficulty: **
Sound Sample: Real Audio Format (Luis Quintero Playing).
Comments: Dedicated to Sra. Nelly de Afanador. Nelly is the only Venezuelan Gaita composed by Lauro, What a Beautiful song and is not hard to play, Listen the Real Audio to Know what I mean.
Difficulty: ***
Sound Sample: Midi
Comments: This is the first move of the Venezuelan suite, this is really hard and fast piece. It´s a prelude composed by lauro when he was in jail on 1952, there he composed the entire Suite and the Sonata para Guitarra.
Difficulty: ****
Venezuelan Waltz N°1 - Tatiana
Sound Sample: Midi
Comments: This is a Beautiful Song composed by Antonio Lauro in 1939. Dedicated to his happy sister, Tatiana.
Difficulty: ***
Venezuelan Waltz N°2 - Andreina
Sound Sample: Midi
Comments: This piece is a little fast and nostalgic, it´s my favorite Venezuelan Waltz and is the most easiest from all the four Waltzes, was dedicated to his sister Andreina.
Difficulty: ***
Venezuelan Waltz N°3 - Natalia
Sound Sample: Midi
Comments: This is the most popular song of him, It was composed on 1939 and dedicated to his only daughter, Natalia. key begins in E major and then it changes to G major
Difficulty: ****
Venezuelan Waltz N°4 - Yacambú
Sound Sample: Midi
Comments: On the bio of "Sonata para Guitarra", was an interview and someone asked him: Who is the really Lauro?, and he answered: "....the really lauro is from Waltz N° 4, Yacambú..".
Difficulty: ****