Emma Rush Brings Forgotten Guitar Virtuosa to Life with The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten

In the hands of Emma Rush, a guitar becomes not only an instrument but a time machine. With the release of her latest album The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten, Rush is not just performing—she’s rewriting the history books. This meticulously curated album marks the first-ever full-length recording dedicated to 19th-century guitar virtuosa Catharina Josepha Pratten, a trailblazing figure whose legacy has long been overlooked.

Rush, hailed as “one of Canada’s premier classical guitarists,” has a passion for unearthing forgotten voices in music. “Pratten was so prolific as a performer, composer, educator, and publisher,” she explains. “She taught Queen Victoria’s daughter, invented chord notation systems, and endorsed the first signature series guitar.” And yet, Pratten's contributions have largely been erased from the canon. “I intend to set the record straight,” Rush asserts.

With The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten, Rush goes beyond tribute. The album includes seven never-before-recorded works by Pratten, as well as music by her father, her husband, her contemporaries, and even her students. “I wanted an album that showed Pratten’s work in context—to give a picture of the guitar scene in London in the 1800s,” Rush says. The result is a vivid musical portrait of an era through the lens of a woman who defined its sound.

Among the standout selections is “Absence,” a hauntingly beautiful piece in open E minor tuning. “It’s technically rich, emotionally deep, and absolutely one of my favorites,” says Rush. The album also features “Evening Song,” a delicate work that highlights Pratten’s lyrical sensibility, as well as a substantial nine-minute fantasia on Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor—a piece that showcases both the complexity of Pratten’s arrangements and her virtuosity as a performer.

To bring the music to life as authentically as possible, Rush recorded using two rare 1850s guitars closely linked to Pratten. One bears her handwritten label, and the other is a Boosey & Sons “Pratten model,” one of just 13 known to exist today. “To hold and play instruments she endorsed—it’s like reaching through time,” says Rush.

This project is the latest in Rush’s growing catalogue of historically informed and socially conscious work. Her 2020 album Wake the Sigh introduced audiences to rare compositions by women from the Romantic era, while 2023’s A Dream of Colour celebrated Canadian Impressionist painter William Blair Bruce through new commissions. “I’m always trying to find music by unusual composers, hidden gems from the past, or create new work,” Rush says. “My goal is to expand the classical guitar repertoire in meaningful ways.”

Rush will debut The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten live at her album launch concert in Hamilton, Ontario, on June 14, where both historic guitars will make an appearance. Additional shows and a new series of music videos filmed in Victorian-era settings are also on the horizon.

More than an album, The Life and Times of Catharina Pratten is a reclamation of musical heritage. “She really defined the guitar in Britain for most of the 19th century,” Rush says. “And now, finally, she can take her rightful place in our musical memory.”

Explore more at emma-rush.com and listen to “Evening Song” on Spotify and YouTube now.

🎙️ For an in-depth conversation with Emma Rush about her inspirations, discoveries, and the making of this remarkable album, listen to the full interview on The Savoir Faire Audio Experience—available now wherever you stream your podcasts.