Zani de Ferranti – A Biography

This Bolognese guitarist of noble birth, with his parallel careers of musician, Poet Dante scholar was admired by Europe's cultural elite. He travelled widely, with long stays in Paris, St. Petersburg, Hamburg and Brussels.

An accomplished violinist he switched later to the guitar. He was certainly highly influenced by Paganini. Apart from the works of Carulli and Legnani, Ferranti was also acquainted with the works of Sor, A concert by Ferranti in Paris on April 2, 1836, was attended and enthusiastically applauded by both Sor and Aguado.

Ferranti's works require virtuosic skills at the levels required for the Caprices of Legnani and Paganini, while his studies call for sound technical application; in spite of certain archaic technical practices like barrés with all fingers, and the alternation of index and thumb for scale passages.

Just a footnote: Ferranti's descendants were the founders of the British engineering firm Ferranti (1885-1993), important in the 1940s for their war effort and the development of radar.