La Leona: Interview with Wulfin Lieske

Wulfin Lieske shares the incredible story behind Antonio de Torres’ most famous guitar La Leona. Translated as “the lioness,” La Leona is considered one of the best guitars he ever made and the only one he ever named. As Wulfin describes, this was the first guitar Francisco Tárrega purchased from Torres and kicked off a long player-luthier relationship between the two brilliant individuals.

For more on La Leona, watch Wulfin Lieske’s 3-part series “The Spirit of Tárrega,” exclusively on tonebase!

0:55 How did this guitar come to you?
3:22 When did you first perform on La Leona?
5:00 When did Francisco Tárrega acquire La Leona?
7:00 How has La Leona influenced your style of playing?
10:26 Where will La Leona be in the future?
12:22 How will La Leona and Tárrega impact the future of guitar?

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[jorgeibarra]

Such love and respect for an instrument and its amazing history. This precious "La fea" guitar is in excellent hands, being actually played and not behind a window in a box. Thanks for this great visual document.

[drjimlewisnc]

I am very taken by the love expressed by Wulfin for the guitar and music in general.

[hokehinson]

Though the guitar is wood that appears dead as not part of a living tree....it is still alive in aspects of atoms & molecules with intelligence which responds to the player, if that player attuned him/herself to the guitar. Very intriguing how this gentleman has done that in a natural way. Also the builder imbues his creations with his own atoms for his love for his art, in this case lurthiery. Very wonderful this player has the ability to connect to the guitar. Folks viewing art or sculptures from great masters can be moved from the frequency of the artist which over hundreds or thousands of years still vibrates the masters emotions while creating the piece.
Cheers!

[steveganz]

I'm happy to see an exploration of the relationship between the guitar, the builder, and the current player.

[mikekn]

It’s fascinating listening to to him. It’s also a learning experience! The sound of this guitar is amazing!Thank you.

[vgfjr]

FE04!!!! By the way, Wulfin Lieske made me fall in love with modern pieces. Hope that he continues writing more of these pieces for the guitar. The way he plays is just masterful. I wish there were more of his performances in youtube.

[jameslouder]

Thank you so much, Wulfin Lieske, for sharing your thoughts and--yes, I will use the word--wisdom about your relationship with Torres' great guitar. "...A kind of trust between the instrument and myself..." "...I taught the guitar [and]...the guitar taught me." "...You hear a spirit, you hear a *human*..."

To make such a relationship possible is the end toward which we instrument-makers strive: to animate the inanimate, to invest a material object with a spirit that will continue to inhabit it after it has left our hands--the flesh made word. And then it is for a great musician to teach it to sing, so that its voice may teach other musicians in times to come, as you so eloquently describe.

[stringDH]

Looking at the Romanillos book, Tarregas' first instrument from Torres was not this guitar. This " La Leona " guitar is identified as FE04 made in 1856. The first guitar that Tarrega purchased, directly from Torres, is identified as FE18 made in 1864. The two guitars are quite different in appearance with FE18 having much more decoration. Later, Tarrega did purchase two more guitars from Torres, SE49 in 1883 and SE114 in 1888. Again neither of these can be confused with " La Leona ". It should be pointed out that this naming of the guitar did not come from Torres.

[LIXX]

“It’s there, it’s waiting for you”!!! Beautiful guitar full of history! Hope to one day meet it in person!

[afisher]

really interesting points about romantic music, & how we still are in that epoch in many ways....

[hierroflamencoguitar]

This was very interesting. I would have appreciated to hear more about the tonal qualities of this guitar compared to a modern classical guitar, especially given that it is close at hand.

[orangmakan]

That instrument finally found a person that is willing to take the time to understand (and thus develop) it.

[garygullikson]

I have always wondered why there was apparent disdain for flamenco guitar as "street music" by Tarrega, Segovia and others. I always heard of Sabicas and others elevating flamenco guitar to a concert level. IMHO much of flamenco guitar music as played by Sabicas, Pepe Romero, Paco Delucia and many others is beautiful and merely part of Spanish/Andalusian music .

[mariomatura]

She is a beauty..a tonality of pure romantic essence ..
Thanks

[GasStationSushiiii]

I'm such a nerd but this was an incredible story

[leoalmeida]

Great documentary! I was curious about the book showed, before the interview started!. If anybody knows what it”s the name, share with me please!

[buraksavas]

What was the name of the piece which plays at 12:17 :) ?

[annapietrzak]

Thank you so much for this inspiring interview-document.

[tribestribes]

Lucky guy. 👍 Grand guitar and with that story behind it as well. I imagin this La Leona is so very light in weight. Right?

[stefanpetrov]

just to add on the tarrega and then fender part, in between them for sure is Django, no denial that he revolutionised the instrument once again before the invention of the electric guitar.