Lovely classics

Sweet, gentle tones and resonance: A selection of enchanting classical guitar masterpieces

Graduated from a music school / 21 years of piano experiencesatomi
I began playing the piano at the age of four and spent six years at a conservatory, focusing mainly on classical music while honing my skills. In addition to solo performance, I studied extensively in chamber music and two-piano repertoire, and I had the opportunity to perform twice on stage as a soloist in piano concertos. While not to the same extent as classical, I also learned jazz and pop through practical performance. I was active as a pianist in various settings, including instrumental and vocal/choral accompaniment, performance assistance for other departments, and recording sessions. Beyond the piano, I devoted five years to the trombone in a wind ensemble. I hope to draw on these experiences to share the charm of music with many people.
Piano-playing singer-songwriter / Executive Committee Member, Special Music Festival in Rinku OsakaHousui Sachiyo
I learned to hit the keys on a toy piano, started Electone lessons at six, and began piano at ten. I loved the piano so much that I declared, “I want to go to a music college!” and from junior high I studied vocal music, ear training, and music theory (though I never even took the entrance exam in the end). In my childhood, my saxophone-playing father introduced me to jazz, and my mother to rockabilly. I was utterly obsessed with classical music in junior high. In high school, my grandmother took me to hear live tango performances, and before I knew it I’d become an eclectic listener. Lately, influenced by my high-school-aged daughter, I’ve been listening to koto music and nagauta. I hold the rather rare qualification of ‘Music Proficiency Test Level 3, Western Music track.’

When people hear “guitar,” many probably picture an acoustic or electric guitar, but just as classical music forms the foundation of contemporary music, classical guitar is indispensable when talking about string instruments.

That said, for those who aren’t sure where to start listening, we’ve gathered beloved masterpieces from around the world—from gentle, soothing pieces to dazzling virtuoso works.

Please enjoy the classical guitar’s sweet, mellow timbre and its rich, resonant sound!

Sweet, gentle tones and resonance. A selection of enchanting classical guitar masterpieces (21–30)

Passacaglia in E minorRobert de Visée

Passacaille (Robert de Visée) guitarra: Raúl R. Monti

Passacaglia in E minorRobert de Visée

Visée was a French Renaissance composer.

As a piece that conveys the allure of French Renaissance music, Visée’s passacaglia is highly captivating.

It is in a minor key and faintly somber, yet it resonates within the distinctive, noble atmosphere of Renaissance music.

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MadroñosFederico Moreno Torroba

Federico Moreno-Torroba: Madroños

MadroñosFederico Moreno Torroba

Spanish guitar music, which swept the Latin world including Central and South America, saw Tárrega as one of the composers who produced a large number of masterpieces.

This is one of the lighter pieces for classical guitar, where virtuosic techniques—simultaneously playing bass lines, melody, and chords—are performed as a matter of course.

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Sweet, gentle tones and resonance. A selection of enchanting classical guitar masterpieces (31–40)

choroVilla-Lobos

David Russell Heitor Villa-Lobos Choro No.1

choroVilla-Lobos

With samba, bossa nova, and more, modern Brazil is a powerhouse of guitar music, and Heitor Villa-Lobos incorporated the distinctly South American, rhythmically strong musical character into guitar works.

His pieces that draw on Brazil’s folk genre choro connect directly to today’s Brazilian music.

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Inner SoundscapeKimura Dai

Inner Soundscape / Dai Kimura

Inner SoundscapeKimura Dai

After winning the Tokyo International Competition at the record-breaking age of 14 and making his CD debut at 17, he has appeared frequently on television and in the media, so many of you may already know him.

He is a major rising star in the Japanese guitar world and already exudes a commanding presence.

He has released many CDs and numerous publications.

The piece is an original composition of his—bright and exhilarating.

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Gran JotaFrancisco Tárrega

Tarrega Gran Jota – Lilit Mardiyan plays 1998 Paco Santiago Marin

Gran JotaFrancisco Tárrega

Many of Tárrega’s works remain an essential part of the classical guitar repertoire today.

His most famous piece is probably “Recuerdos de la Alhambra,” but the lesser-known “Gran Jota” is a large-scale work that combines the distinctive lyricism of the Romantic era with formidable virtuosity.

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Spanish DanceEnric Granados

Julian Bream | Danza Española No. 5: Andaluza | Enrique Granados

Spanish DanceEnric Granados

Granados is also counted among the Spanish national school and left numerous masterpieces for guitar.

His works later became one of the foundations of flamenco, and in particular, the Spanish Dances are pieces that strongly express a quintessentially Spanish character.

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Fantasia No. 2Fernando Sor

Fernando Sor – Fantasie no. 2 Introduction Guitar – Andrew Kobelak

Fantasia No. 2Fernando Sor

There are people who are little known in other classical genres but are regarded as great composers in the world of classical guitar.

Sor is one of them; alongside Germany’s Bach, he was among those who elevated Spain to a powerhouse of the guitar.

Sor’s Fantasias, written without being confined to strict forms, are not performed as often nowadays, but I consider them hidden masterpieces.

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