It’s difficult to picture the current president of the United States inviting a classical guitarist to perform at the White House (where the president lives). But in 1979, when Jimmy Carter was president, Andrés Segovia, age 86, was invited to perform in that stately and historic building. After all, it was Segovia!
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The video of the concert, which included nine pieces, is far from ideal; apparently it was preserved on the old Betamax format, which was not the most robust medium to begin with. But it’s still fun to see the Maestro in this setting, playing a short piece by Fernando Sor in this clip. —Blair Jackson