Regino Sainz de la Maza

Regino Sáinz de la Maza y Ruiz (7 September 1896 – 26 November 1981) was a Spanish classical guitarist and composer.

Biography

Sáinz de la Maza was born in Burgos. At age ten, he got his first guitar and started his musical studies with Santiago Landache (solfege), José Nicolás Quesada (piano), and Eugenio Rodríguez Pascual (guitar). Four years later, in 1910, his family moved to San Sebastián, where he studied piano with Germán Cendoya, harmony with Beltrán Pagola and guitar with Luis Soria. A year later he moved to Bilbao, where he continued his studies with Hilarión Leloup. Aged 18, he performed at his first concert at the Teatro Arriaga of Bilbao.

He later moved to Barcelona, where he worked as a concert musician. There he befriended Miguel Llobet and Andrés Segovia. In 1920, he played for the first time in Madrid. A year later he toured South America, giving 90 concerts. On 20 May 1920, he was awarded a Golden Medal by the National University of Buenos Aires. There he became friends with composer Antonio José Martínez Palacios, who dedicated some guitar compositions to Sáinz de la Maza. He toured Europe, giving concerts in France in 1926, in Germany in 1927 and Great Britain in 1928. Five years later he toured South America for the second time, with concerts in Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil.

On 19 December 1930 he married Josefina de la Serna, daughter of the writer Concha Espina, at the Real Basílica de Monasterio de El Escorial. In 1935, he was named professor of guitar at the Madrid Conservatory. On 6 November 1940 he played the guitar at the premiere of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez in Barcelona, conducted by César Mendoza Lasalle. Rodrigo dedicated the Concierto de Aranjuez to Regino Sáinz de la Maza. On 11 December 1940 he played the concerto in Madrid, with Jesús Arámbarri as conductor. In 1955 he published the book called La Guitarra y su historia ('The Guitar and its History'). On 23 May 1958 he became a member of the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando of Madrid. A day later he was named a favourite son of the city of Burgos.

Sáinz de la Maza performed for the last time at the Church of San Nicola di Bari in Italy on 9 July 1979, aged 82. He died in Madrid two years later. His younger brother Eduardo Sáinz de la Maza (1903–1982) was also an acclaimed guitarist and composer.

Selected compositions

Guitar solo

• Alegrías Danza (Madrid: Union Musical Española, 1933)
• Cuatro obras originales (Madrid: Union Musical Española, 1955). Contains: Baile de Muñecas; Meditacion; Recuerdo; Minueto.
• El Vito (nueva version) (Madrid: Union Musical Española, 1962)
• Rodeña (Madrid: Union Musical Española, 1962)
• Zapateado (Madrid: Union Musical Española, 1962)

External links

• Guitar magazine article about Guitar in Spain
• Historic Recording of Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez

Sheetmusic

• Rischel & Birket-Smith's Collection of guitar music Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Denmark