A Historical Overview of Guitar Repertoire

A Historical Overview of Guitar Repertoire

The guitar, an instrument with a rich history and diverse repertoire, has evolved significantly since its inception. Its journey from the late 15th century to the present day showcases a remarkable transformation in design, playing techniques, and musical styles.

The Renaissance Era: The Birth of the Guitar

The origins of guitar repertoire trace back to the late 15th century in Spain. During this time, the guitar was developed as an alternative to the lute, which had strong associations with the recently banished Moors. The early guitar, known for its four courses (sets of two identically tuned strings played together), underwent a significant evolution with the addition of two more courses. This led to the creation of the “vihuela de mano,” an instrument played with fingers rather than a pick or quill.

The emergence of the vihuela de mano allowed for more sophisticated music, coinciding with the rise of contrapuntal music, largely sacred compositions. Composers such as Luis Milan and Alonso Mudarra wrote high-quality pieces for both the vihuela de mano and the four-course guitar. These works found greater favor in France and Italy, where the competing vihuela was absent.

The Golden Age of the Vihuela

The vihuela’s popularity was reflected in collections like Milan’s “El Maestro” (1535), a book of fantasias (free contrapuntal works). Another notable composer, Luys de Narvaez, arranged vocal pieces by the celebrated French composer Josquin Desprez, adding inventive variations that elevated the instrument’s technique.

Transition to the Baroque Era

By the end of the 16th century, the vihuela had declined, and the guitar gained another course, totaling five (ten strings). This new instrument, known as the “guitarra Espanola,” became hugely popular across Europe, particularly in the courts of France and Italy. The works of Spanish composer Gaspar Sanz, such as his “Galliardas,” “Canarios,” and “Passacalles,” are among the most idiomatic and exciting for the then-new five-course instrument.

During the Baroque period, the guitar lost ground to the harpsichord, Baroque lute, and organ, which were the leading instruments. However, composers like Boccherini wrote many works for guitar, especially some fine pieces with string quartet. A lot of the Baroque repertoire played on the guitar today was originally lute music, such as the four suites of JS Bach and the sonatas of Leopold Weiss.

The Classical Period: A New Era for the Guitar

The early part of the Classical period saw further changes to the guitar. Another bass course was added, and soon afterward, courses were dropped in favor of single strings, resulting in the standard six single strings used today. The clarity and sensitivity of the classical guitar were well-suited to the new musical language forged by Haydn and Mozart.

The main composers for the guitar at this time were Fernando Sor, Dionisio Aguado, and Mauro Giuliani. Sor produced a significant amount of repertoire, including full-scale forms like the “Sonata in D” Opus 14 and many sets of Variations, with his “Variations On A Theme Of Mozart” being one of the best-known. Aguado was famous for his brilliant technique, and his etudes are invaluable for developing control of the instrument. Giuliani wrote a guitar concerto displaying a fine balance between the melodic and virtuosic aspects of the instrument. Other composers of this period, like Carcassi, provided good concert repertoire with their etudes.

The Romantic Era and the Resurgence of the Guitar

In the early to mid-19th century, the guitar languished largely as a salon instrument. Developments in the piano and violin increased their volume, winning over many Romantic composers. However, the developments in opera by Wagner shifted public attention to large-scale musical events. It took another physical change to the guitar by Antonio Torres, who developed a special strutting system to strengthen the soundboard, resulting in a considerable increase in volume and tonal depth. This allowed Francisco Tarrega to develop a new technique for playing the guitar, forming the basis for modern technique.

As a composer, Tarrega wrote many works that have since become classics of the repertoire, such as the tremolo study “Recuerdos De La Alhambra.” His student Miguel Llobet made many transcriptions, including arrangements of folk music and large-scale piano works. Interestingly, Llobet also transcribed the music of the vihuela for the modern guitar, leading to a growth in interest in this period among players and scholars.

The piano music of Catalan composers Enrique Granados and Isaac Albeniz, though often played by pianists, is highly suitable for the guitar. Their works, such as “Leyenda” (also known as “Asturias”) by Albeniz and the “Danza Espanolas” and “La Maja de Goya” by Granados, make use of native rhythms and themes originating in the folk use of the guitar.

The 20th Century: The Guitar’s Global Recognition

The incomparable efforts of Andres Segovia throughout the 20th century brought international recognition to the guitar as a serious instrument for the performance of art music. Segovia’s self-taught technique and musicianship allowed him to commission large works specially written for the guitar, such as “Sonatina” by Federico Moreno Torroba and “Homenaje Pour Le Tombeau De Debussy” by Manuel de Falla.

Following de Falla, Joaquin Rodrigo emerged as a significant Spanish composer, known for his “Concierto De Aranjuez,” a full concerto for guitar and orchestra with a highly demanding solo guitar part. Outside Spain, music written for the guitar continued to grow in quality and quantity, with composers like Heitor Villa-Lobos in Brazil and Antonio Lauro in Venezuela contributing to the repertoire.

British guitarist Julian Bream continued the tradition set by Segovia, commissioning works from contemporary composers such as Benjamin Britten and William Walton. Major post-war composers like Brian Ferneyhough and Luciano Berio wrote solo pieces in the High Modernist language, further establishing the guitar’s reputation by showing its ability to keep up with the latest developments in contemporary music.

The Guitar in the Contemporary Ensemble

Another aspect of the guitar repertoire that flourished in the 20th century was its use in small mainstream ensembles, beyond guitar duos and trios. Early examples include Anton Webern’s “Drei Lieder” for soprano, clarinet, and guitar, and Pierre Boulez’s “Marteau Sans Maître” for alto voice and small ensemble, which makes extensive use of the guitar.

By the end of the 20th century, the guitar had become as likely to be found in a contemporary music ensemble as a piano, indicating its full emancipation after a rather chequered history.

Conclusion

The guitar has undergone a remarkable evolution from its beginnings in the Renaissance to its prominent place in the 20th century and beyond. Its repertoire has expanded significantly, reflecting changes in musical styles, techniques, and the instrument’s construction. Today, the guitar continues to be a versatile and expressive instrument, cherished by musicians and audiences around the world.