French classical guitarist Ida Presti was a phenomenal player, and she has a fascinating story. Born in 1924, she began as a child prodigy and quickly rose to fame in the classical world in France. In 1952, she joined forces with her husband, Alexandre Legoya, and the two worked together until her untimely death in 1967, when she was just 43. Classical guitarist Alice Artzt was one of Presti’s best-known students and spoke with me at length about Presti’s transforming influence on her life and music. Here is a small excerpt from our interview.
Ida Presti was such a remarkable player that it’s unbelievable she’s not a household name.
Absolutely. She was astounding as a musician and performer. She could do anything at any speed, with a sound that was instantly beautiful. Once, I had just received a copy of a new classical piece. She saw it and said, “Oh, wow, a new piece! That looks nice.” And she sat down and played through the whole solo part, at high speed. I mean, it would have done for an LP recording. Her phrasing was gorgeous, beautiful. Everything there. And the funny thing is, she was so modest. I still remember her whipping through the pages. She stopped after about five or six pages and looked up like she was a kid doing something that was a little bit naughty. She said, “I’m sight reading you know,” and then on she went, right though to the end of the thing. I mean, nobody can do stuff like that. And yet she was such an innocent. She is the closest thing that I ever will know to a saint.
How did you meet Presti?
We heard this wonderful French duo was coming to New