Napoléon Coste

French guitarist and composer who learned from his mother, performed in the Philharmonic Society of Valenciennes at the age of 18, and then played with Sagrini. Coste then turned to Paris for residence. His playing was compared to that of Sor's. The compositions he scored were arranged primarily for fantasias in counter point. Pieces included rondeaux, fantasias, serenades, etudes, waltzes, et al. His guitar was oversized compared to those of the time and he tuned the guitar lower than others with an even lower seventh string added to his instrument. ~ Keith Johnson