Some of the most interesting things happening on the classical guitar today come from players who write their own music. In this video Robin Scherpen performs his composition Ardency — and he does it on an instrument with considerable history: a 1974 Daniel Friederich.
About 'Ardency'
The title sets the terms. Ardency means burning intensity, and the piece is built around the guitar's capacity for exactly that: sustained emotional pressure held in a single instrument's voice. Music written by a guitarist for the guitar always carries a particular authority — the writing sits under the hands rather than against them, and every effect exists because the composer discovered it while playing.
That lineage is long. Sor, Giuliani, Tárrega, Barrios, Brouwer: the guitar's repertoire has been shaped more by composer-performers than that of almost any other concert instrument. New pieces like Ardency continue that line, and hearing the composer play them removes the interpretive layer entirely — what you hear is what was meant.
The Guitar: Daniel Friederich, 1974
Daniel Friederich (1932–2020) was one of the most influential luthiers of the twentieth century. Working in Paris, he approached guitar making with an almost scientific rigour, documenting his experiments with soundboard tuning and bracing over decades and building a body of knowledge that shaped makers far beyond France. His instruments are known for their clarity, their evenness across the registers and a singing, focused treble that carries without force.
A 1974 instrument comes from the heart of his mature period. Placing new music on a guitar of this age creates the tension that makes the recording worth hearing: a fifty-year-old French concert instrument speaking a contemporary language. Read more in our portrait Daniel Friederich — master luthier and pioneer of the modern classical guitar and our interview Inside the mind of a master luthier. This guitar is available in our shop.
Watch the Performance
Explore more instruments by this maker in our article on Daniel Friederich guitars, and browse our overview of famous classical guitar pieces.
