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 (41–50)

Arabesque RhapsodyFrancisco Tárrega

José Luis González, Capricho Arabe – Francisco Tarrega

Arabesque RhapsodyFrancisco Tárrega

Composed by Francisco Tárrega, “Capricho Árabe.” As the title suggests, it evokes Arabian imagery—magic carpets and lamps unfurl before you.

Think of it as an adult version of Disney’s Aladdin.

It’s a fantastical piece that I think anyone can enjoy.

Please give it a listen!

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A Fantasia for a Certain Noble DeityJoaquín Rodrigo

Pepe Romero plays Fantasia para un gentilhombre by Joaquin Rodrigo

A Fantasia for a Certain Noble DeityJoaquín Rodrigo

Rodrigo, who wrote the most famous classical guitar concerto, the Concierto de Aranjuez, also composed another splendid concerto: the Fantasía para un gentilhombre.

It incorporates various forms of Spanish dance.

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In Praise of DebussyManuel de Falla

Gabriel Bianco plays Hommage a Debussy by Manuel De Falla

In Praise of DebussyManuel de Falla

Through the triangular trade with the Americas and Africa, Latin music began to blend with the music of Africa and of Central and South America, and this in turn influenced classical music.

Debussy’s adoption of the habanera rhythm from Cuba is well known, but this piece was the one that brought that rhythm into guitar music, marking the starting point of Central and South America’s emergence as a great powerhouse of the guitar.

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SarabandeJ.S.Bach

Göran Söllscher – Sarabande from Bach’s Partita in C minor, BWV 997

SarabandeJ.S.Bach

Sarabande is one of Bach’s well-known pieces on the piano.

While it’s wonderful on piano or harpsichord, the guitar has a special charm too.

The guitar’s tone makes it feel familiar and everyday.

Although Bach is famous for church music, when played on guitar his music feels approachable, so I recommend it to everyone.

Please give it a listen.

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SceneryEmilio Pujol

Paisaje

SceneryEmilio Pujol

Tárrega’s distinguished pupil Pujol also left many wonderful works.

This piece, played with arpeggios even more beautiful than those in “Romance (Forbidden Games),” shifts through various keys, painting in sound a succession of landscapes from central to southern Spain.

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Sarabande from Cello Suite No. 6 (unaccompanied)J.S.Bach

Harutaka Mochizuki, Hideaki Kondo “el idioma infinito”

Sarabande from Cello Suite No. 6 (unaccompanied)J.S.Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach, a master of Baroque music, also produced a large number of works that have become important repertoire for the modern classical guitar.

Among the guitar arrangements of pieces originally written for instruments other than guitar or lute, many feature distinctive harmonies that cannot be heard on instruments like the violin.

There are also several superb performances of famous cello works arranged for guitar.

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SonataManuel Ponce

Manuel Maria Ponce – Sonata III

SonataManuel Ponce

Latin music that crossed over to the United States also blossomed in Mexico.

Many pieces with a distinctive folk-like resonance unlike other classical genres went on to become one of the hallmarks of the classical guitar, and Ponce’s sonata is a masterpiece that embodies both modernity and national character.

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