SKU: A0.742405

Luigi Rinaldo Legnani (7 November 1790 – 5 August 1877) was an Italian guitarist, singer, composer and luthier.[1]

Born in Ravenna, Legnani was trained as a string player while very young but dedicated himself to guitar and voice. His debut as an operatic tenor was in Ravenna in 1807; his singing career spanned 17 years.[2] His career as a guitarist began with a concert in Milan in 1819; with his concerts in 1822 concerts in Vienna and return visits in 1833 and 1839 he tried to continue the guitar tradition established there by Mauro Giuliani.[3]

Legnani is perhaps best known for his 36 Caprices op. 20 for the guitar, which cover all the major and minor keys, and which were probably inspired by Paganini's 24 Caprices for the violin. He and Paganini were friends from the 1830s; while it was once thought that he and Paganini performed together in public (Powroźniak mentions a concert in Northern Italy in 1837),[4] there is no evidence to support this claim. After the 1850s Legnani retired from active performance and became an instrument maker, concentrating on guitars and violins. The Legnani model guitar was popular in Central Europe through the middle of the nineteenth century.

Legnani composed some 250 works, which were published in his lifetime throughout many of the major publishing houses in Europe. He died in Ravenna.