Ferdinando Carulli

Ferdinando Maria Meinrado Francesco Pascale Rosario Carulli (9 February 1770 – 17 February 1841) was an Italian composer for classical guitar and the author of the influential Méthode complète pour guitare ou lyre, op.

At the age of twenty, Carulli discovered the guitar and devoted his life to the study and advancement of this instrument.

As there were no professional guitar teachers in Naples at the time, Carulli developed his own style of playing.

In addition to his own music, he published the works of such other prominent guitarists including Filippo Gragnani, whom he befriended and who later dedicated three guitar duets to Carulli.

Many of the pieces now regarded as Carulli's finest were initially turned down by publishers who considered them too difficult for the average recreational guitarist.

Nevertheless, several of Carulli's published works point at the likely quality and sophistication of his concert music, the Six Andantes Op.

The latter studies were intended to exploit the guitar's accompanying capabilities, and to be used by both singer-guitarists amateurs, and voice teachers who were not proficient figured bass readers.

Arguably his most famous work is a duet for guitar and flute, which was recorded by Alexander Lagoya and Jean-Pierre Rampal, although his Duo in G Op.34 achieved a measure of indirect fame in Britain as the theme tune of cult 1980s science fiction/television game show The Adventure Game.