Global InformationItalo Meschi information
Italo Meschi (Italian: [ˈiːtalo ˈmɛski]; 9 December 1887 – 15 October 1957) was a harp guitarist from Lucca, Italy.
Forty years after his death his long-forgotten trove of writings, compositions, and mementos began to resurface thanks to his closest relatives. Their rediscovery and appreciation by experts places Meschi among the great guitarists of the first half of the 20th century. His repertoire ranges from medieval music, such as the 14th-century piece "Laude alla Vergine", to Wagner, but also includes Tuscan and other European folk songs. He transcribed classical music intended for other instruments for the guitar. He also wrote his own compositions.
Meschi was a near anarchist, pacifist, and nature lover who dressed in linen both summer and winter. A tireless walker, tall and handsome, he wore a beard with long reddish-blond hair, his bare feet in Franciscan footwear. The British press of the 1920s described him as "The Last Troubadour". Although he often performed for the best social circles and even for royalty, Meschi never commercialized his music. Proud of his ascetic lifestyle, at concerts he settled for a small donation. "Of the unnecessary, I do not care", he said, and "Musicians should create music also for the poor, in fact, mainly for the poor." A noise, a conversation carried on during his performance was sometimes enough for him to refuse to play again.