From the sultry Spanish sounds of the Concierto de Aranjuez to modern adaptations of 17th-century lute music, some of the greatest classical music sounds absolutely stunning on guitar.
1. Concierto de Aranjuez – Rodrigo
For a work as Spanish as Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, it might seem bizarre that many people’s first encounter with it linked to Yorkshire. But the concerto’s use in the 1996 movie Brassed Off! ensured that the popularity of this work sky-rocketed. The miners affectionately referred to it as ‘Orange Juice’, after finding it rather challenging to pronounce ‘Aranjuez’.
Here is John Williams playing the most famous 2nd Movement beautifully.
2. Guitar concerto in D – Vivaldi
This wonderfully playful Baroque concerto was originally composed for a lute, but the modern transposition for classical guitar is just lovely. Although Vivaldi spent the majority of his life in Venice, this concerto comes from his globe-trotting period. It was written in Bohemia, although its three short movements were never published in his lifetime.
3. Five Bagatelles – Walton
By no means an easy piece to master, Walton’s technically fiendish ‘Five Bagatelles’ (1971) is a minefield of quirky rhythms. By the 1970s, the classical guitar was enjoying immense popularity – but the lack of Spanish/Latin associations in the Five Bagatelles meant it never achieved great prominence in 20th-century guitar repertoire.
However, listen closely and the Bagatelles, with their unruly harmonies and tonality, are wistful, beautifully shaped – and they might just be classical guitar music at its best.
4. Libertango – Piazzolla
Recorded and published in 1974 in Milan, this sultry tango marks a change in style for composer Astor Piazzolla from classical tango to nuevo tango. Spicy rhythms and a fiendish melody have kept this one at the forefront of modern Tango, with countless brilliant interpretations to explore. The original score even features an accordion, adding a folky element to the music.
5. Recuerdos de la Alhambra – Tárrega
Despite the seeming simplicity of its enchanting melody, Recuerdos de la Alhambra really stretches the soloist to the limit with this piece. The left-hand positions required of the guitarist are rather awkward, involving all sorts of unusual stretches – plus, the use of tremolo is a technical challenge for any performer. But at its best, Recuerdos is passionate, charming and beautifully tender.