I carefully chose my words ‘get to know’ because I just started a series of posts recommending that guitarist students play repertoire within their technical level. If you’re a beginning or intermediate player, don’t rush out to buy the scores for these masterpieces (unless it’s just for analysis/study purposes). But definitely check them out. Listen to performances on youtube and research their composers, time periods, and back-stories.
I chose these specific pieces because (1) They are technically and musically demanding even for an advanced player (2) They’re at least slightly of the beaten path of the standard ‘classical guitar favorites’ compilations. Classical guitar students have heard these pieces, but usually not newcomers to the instrument. (3) They’re some of my long-standing, tried and true favorites. I enjoy listening to them now as much as I did when I first started exploring classical guitar repertoire.
1. Bach’s E Major Lute Suite, Fugue in Am, and/or Chaconne in D minor. It’s too hard to pick a single favorite Bach work for the guitar. The classical guitar as we know it today didn’t exist in Bach’s time, so all of the repertoire we play has to be transcribed. Luckily, Bach’s works for the lute fit very nicely on the guitar. Not all guitar transcriptions are equal, though, and the version you choose can make or break your experience. Frank Koonce’s transcriptions are one reliable place to start.
2. Five Bagatelles by William Walton. This set is one of my all-time favorite works for the classical guitar. The word bagatelle means ‘a short, unpretentious piece of music’, which is a humble title for a work that’s had such a big impact on classical guitar. William Walton was a gifted and meticulous English composer. He was such a perfectionist and composed so slowly that he produced a fairly small collection of compositions in his lifetime. We should consider ourselves luckily that he found the classical guitar worthy of his pursuits. Walton didn’t play guitar, but he collaborated Julian Bream while composing these pieces to be sure they fit the instrument.
4. Concierto del Sur by Manuel Ponce. This is my personal favorite guitar concerto, even though Rodrigo’s Aranjuez is by far more famous. If you don’t have an orchestra at your disposal, some versions of scores include audio files for you to play along with a recording of an orchestra. Playing along with a recorded orchestra is really fun and challenging, it’s sure to inspire your practicing and improve your ear. If you like Ponce’s style but prefer a solo work, check out Sonatina Meridional.
5. Quatre Pièces Brèves by Frank Martin. These four short, intense pieces steer clear of typical guitar music cliches and have a palate-cleansing effect in a recital program. French composer Frank Martin originally wrote them with Segovia in mind. Segovia ignored the first draft, and, apparently having taken offense at the initial snub, Martin refused Segovia’s later request for a copy.
6. Noctunal by Benjamin Britten. Every serious classical guitarist should be familiar with this work, as had a huge impact on classical guitar composition in the 20th century. Here’s another interpretation by Paul Galbraith on an eight-string guitar.
7. Invocacion y Danza by Joaquin Rodrigo - Rodrigo is most famous for his Concierto Aranjuez, but he has written many other pieces for guitar. This piece is my favorite work of his, and narrates a spooky tale full of romance and sorcery.
8. Vals No. 3 and Vals No. 4 by Augustin Barrios Mangore - Barrios also wrote the more popular favorites ‘La Catedral’ and ‘Julio Florida’, which I also love. These two waltzes are playful in mood, challenging to master, and fun listening for all sorts of audiences.
9. Cuban Landscape with Rain for Guitar Quartet by Leo Brouwer - Brouwer is a prolific Cuban composer whose work spans an impressive range of styles. My favorites of his, like this one, combine Cuban influences with colorful techniques and ‘outside-the-box’ compositional thinking. If you’re not already familiar with his music, check out his extensive list of repertoire. He’s written solo works you can explore if finding quartet members poses issues.
10. Tango Suite for Two Guitars by Astor Piazzolla. Astor Piazzolla, was a famous Argentinian Tango composer, arranger, and bandonean player. Piazzolla wrote this suite later in his career especially for the guitar duo Sergio and Odair Assad. Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas (Fours Seasons of Buenos Aires) are a popular solo guitar alternative, though they were originally written for Piazzolla’s own quintet of violin (viola), piano, electric guitar, double bass and bandoneon.
Even for the pros, classical guitar repertoire tends to demand a longer incubation period than other guitar styles and other classical instruments. Learning all the pieces on this list would be an impressive and possibly impractical feat even for a dedicated university music student. I have performed only a few of the above pieces myself, but they’re all on my ‘bucket list’ for classical guitar.
Here are some honorable mentions that are less epic, more approachable technically, and easier to digest. Many of them are also ‘off the beaten path’ from a newcomer’s perspective.
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Misionera and Danza en E Minor - Jorge Morel
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Cavatina - Stanley Myers
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Un testamen d’amelia - Miguel Lobet
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Suite del Recuerdo - Jose Luis Merlin
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The Mysterious Barricades - Couperin
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Paisaje Abierto - Edin Solis
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Batucada - Isaias Savio
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Guardame las Vacas - Luis de Narváez
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Fantasia - Alonso Mudarra
What classical guitar repertoire is on your ‘bucket list’? What pieces sparked your interest in classical guitar, and are they still your favorites?Are there any long-time favorites that you feel your ready or almost ready to finally learn?
