Pavel Steidl is a classical guitar

Classical guitar

The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...

ist who was born in Rakovnik

Rakovník

Rakovník is a town in the western part of the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic located between the cities of Prague and Plzeň. It has a population of approximately 16,000.- Trade and business :...

, Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...

 (now in the Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

), but has lived in the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 for many years. After winning first prize at the 1982 International Guitar Competition of Radio France in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, Steidl began his career as a professional musician.
Steidl is known for using overtone singing

Overtone singing

Overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, or harmonic singing, is a type of singing in which the singer manipulates the resonances created as air travels from the lungs, past the vocal folds, and out the lips to produce a melody.The partials of a sound wave made by the human voice can be...

 in some works, such as Domeniconi's

Carlo Domeniconi

Carlo Domeniconi is an Italian guitarist and composer known as a concert artist in both the classical and jazz idioms. Born in Cesena, Italy, he received his first instruction with Carmen Lenzi Mozzani at the age of 13...

 Hommage à Jimi Hendrix, op. 52.

Facial Gestures

Pavel Steidl often uses unique gestures during his performances (both facial gestures, and motions with hands and body).

Positive/Neutral Perception

Some people feel that Steidl's gestures give an additional dimension to his playing, e.g. showing his expressive involvement in the music, being a personal way of helping his phrasing become lyrical (with voice-gestures - using the guitar, but "expressing like a singer"), serving to underline certain melodies and their character, or hinting at crescendo in held chords (even though the strings' vibrations are getting softer), expressing fun/joy, entertaining, etc.

Negative Perception

There are also very negative views on his facial expressions. Some audience members find that what Steidl himself thinks may be entertaining, comes across as rather distracting, or even inappropriate. In the case of 19th century music, some feel he is creating a disrespectful caricature, by mocking and insulting the stylistic expression of the very music that he is playing.

Recordings

• Luigi Legnani - 36 caprices op. 20, Fantasia op. 19 - Naxos 1998 / Cat.8.554198
• Napoleon Coste - Guitar Music Vol.3 - Naxos 2000 / Cat.8.554353
• N. Paganini - Sonate&Ghiribizzi for guitar - Frame 2001 Italy
• J. K. Mertz - Bardeklange - Frame 2003

Photos

• Masterclass Photos (from Ligita 2005)
• Concert Photos (at Ligita 2005)
• Festival Internacional De La Ciudad De Chihuahua
• Masquerade hall of chateau Český Krumlov International Music Festival Český Krumlov (23.8.2006): 1, 2, 3, 4
• Photos (hollabolla Kulturmanagement)

Interviews

• Interview by Jarka Halkova, Český rozhlas (November 2005) (Audio Interview)

External links

• Official Homepage