Heinrich Albert and the first Guitar Quartet in Munich around 1909

Heinrich Albert was a German guitar player and composer at the beginning of the 20th century. He was born in Würzburg in 1870. He lived in Gauting for a long time where he died in 1950. During the first decades of the 20th century Alberts composition were regularly played in concerts.

Alberts guitar method Lehrgang des künstlerischen Gitarrespiels has been used as the main method for generations of  guitarists until 1950. Albert has also published a mandolin method and had one of the first mandolin orchestras in Germany. I have also used Alberts methods when I learned playing the classical guitar in the 60s and early 70s. And I do own a copy of Alberts mandolin method.

Very important was the first guitar quartet that has probably been founded by Heinrich Albert around 1909 in Munich. The first guitar quartet used different types of guitars – details about this first guitar quartet can be found in the referenced articles by Gregg Miner and Allan Morris.

Andreas Stevens has got original documents from the heirs of Heinrich Albert, including two diaries and the guitars by Heinrich Albert. Albert played a special type of guitar constructed by Gelas. If you are looking for information about Heinrich Albert you should visit his website.

I did not find many videos with works by Heinrich Albert at youtube. Zoran Anic has two videos with the Sonata No. 1 by Heinrich Albert:

Zoran Anic – H. Albert – Sonata No.1

The Tenth International Guitar Festival Belgrade, Serbia February 7 – 14, 2009

Then there is a duet played by a Russian guitar duo:

Heinrich Albert (1870 -1950) ~Duet~

The third video is a selection of classical guitar pieces, the third piece (from ca. 3:32) is a Fox Trott by Heinrich Albert, a piece that I have played too when I was young:

Six classical guitar pieces

Playlist Heinrich Albert

Additional Information about Heinrich Albert:

Andreas Stevens: http://www.stevens-gitarre.de/albert-info.htm

Gregg Miner: Heinrich Albert and the World’s First Harp Guitar Quartet: http://www.harpguitars.net/players/month-player,7-04.htm

Allan Morris: Heinrich Albert and the First Guitar Quartet: http://www.guitarandluteissues.com/morris/heinrich.htm

Heinrich Albert Guitar Competition 2007: http://www.digtone.com/gauting/albert/leben.html

Early Romantic Guitar Composers, with biographical notes about  Heinrich Albert: http://www.earlyromanticguitar.com/erg/composers.htm

Guitars by Gelas / Double resonance guitar by Richard Jacok: http://www.studia-instrumentorum.de/MUSEUM/weissg_doppeldecke.htm

CD tip (Amazon partnerlink):

Sharon Isbin – Journey to the New World

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