This article lists the classical guitar music in the classical guitar repertoire. It includes baroque guitar and vihuela music, but not lute music. This music is most commonly performed by classical guitarists and requires the use of a variety of classical guitar techniques to play.
During the Renaissance, the guitar was likely to have been used as it frequently is today in popular music, that is to provide strummed accompaniment for a singer or a small group. There also were several significant music collections published during the 16th century of contrapuntal compositions approaching the complexity, sophistication and breadth of lute music from the same period. Most Renaissance lute music has been transcribed for guitar (see List of composers for lute).
The baroque guitar (c.1600–1750) was a string instrument with five courses of gut strings and moveable gut frets. The first (highest pitched) course was sometimes a single string. It replaced the Renaissance lute as the most common instrument found in the home.
The romantic guitar, in use from approximately 1790 to 1830, was the guitar of the Classical and Romantic period of music, showing remarkable consistency in the instrument's construction during these decades. By this time guitars used six, sometimes more, single strings instead of courses. The romantic guitar eventually led to a different type of guitar in Spain: the fan-braced Spanish guitars of Torres, which may be seen as the immediate precursor of the modern classical guitar.
In the 20th century, many non-guitarist composers wrote for the instrument, whereas previously only players of the instrument had done so.
16th century 1535-36 Luis de Milán (c.1500–after 1561) Libro de musica de vihuela de mano intitulado El Maestro 1538 Luis de Narváez (1510–1555) Los seis libros del Delphin de música de cifra para tañer vihuela 1546 Alonso Mudarra (c.1508–1580) Tres libros de música 1547 Enríquez de Valderrábano (1500–1557) Libro de música 1547 Enríquez de Valderrábano (1500–1557) Silva de sirenas 1551 Adrian Le Roy (1520–1598) Premier livre de tablature de guiterre 1552 Diego Pisador (1509–1557) Libro de Música de Vihuela 1553 Grégoire Brayssing (fl. 16th century) Quart livre de tablature de guiterre 1554 Miguel de Fuenllana (?1500–1579) Orphénica lyra 1576 Esteban Daza (c.1537–1591) El Pamasso c.1580 Girolamo Giuliani (fl. 1580) Intabulatura de Chitara
17th century 1640 Giovanni Paolo Foscarini (fl. c.1621–c.1649) Li cinque libri della chitarra alla spagnola 1643 Francesco Corbetta (c.1615–1681) Varii capricii per la ghittara spagnuola 1646 Carlo Calvi (fl. 17th century) Intavolatura di chitarra, e chitarriglia 1650 Domenico Pellegrini (fl. 17th century) Soavi concenti di sonate musicali per la chitarra spagnuola 1659 Giovanni Battista Granata (c.1620–1687) Soavi concenti di sonate musicali per la chitarra spagnuola 1674 Gaspar Sanz (1640–1710) Instrucción de música sobre la guitarra española 1682 Robert de Visée (c.1650–1725) Livre di guittarre dédié au roy 1692 Ludovico Roncalli (1660?–1720?) Capricci armonici sopra la chitarra spagnola 1694 Francesc Guerau (1649–1722) Poema Harmónico
18th century 1716 François Campion (1680–1748) Nouvelles découvertes sur la guitare c.1730 Santiago de Murcia (1682–1735?) Codice Saldivar no. 4
19th century c.1802 Fernando Sor (1778–1839) Sonata op. 15b 1807 Simon Molitor (1766–1848) Große Sonate op. 7 1809 Mauro Giuliani (1781–1829) Grande Ouverture op. 61 1810 Ferdinando Carulli (1770–1841) Method for the guitar op. 241 1821 Fernando Sor (1778–1839) Variations on a Theme of Mozart op. 9 1825 Dionisio Aguado y García (1784–1849) Trois Rondos brillants op. 2 1847 Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806–1856) Bardenklänge op. 13 c.1850 Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806–1856) Elegie 1851 Johann Dubez (1828–1891) Fantaisie sur des motifs hongrois 1853 Matteo Carcassi (1792–1853) 25 Studies op. 60 1899 Francisco Tárrega (1852–1909) Recuerdos de la Alhambra
20th century
1900s ?1906 Ottorino Respighi (1879–1936) Variazioni
1910s
1920s 1920 Federico Moreno Torroba (1891–1982) Suite Castellana 1920 Manuel de Falla (1876–1946) Homenaje: Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy 1920 Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959) Chôros No. 1 1921 Agustín Barrios (1885–1944) La Catedral ?1921 Henri Collet (1885–1951) Briviesca 1923 Carlos Chávez (1899–1978) Three Pieces 1923 Federico Moreno Torroba (1891–1982) Sonatina in A major 1923 Joaquín Turina (1882–1949) Sevillana, Op. 29 1925 Manuel Ponce (1882–1948) Sonata mexicana 1925 Joaquín Turina (1882–1949) Fandanguillo, Op. 36 1926 Pierre de Bréville (1861–1949) Fantaisie 1927 Manuel Ponce (1882–1948) Sonata No. 3 1927 Cyril Scott (1879–1970) Sonatina 1928 Manuel Ponce (1882–1948) Sonata clásica 1928 Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959) Suite populaire brésilienne 1929 Manuel Ponce (1882–1948) Sonatina romántica 1929 Manuel Ponce (1882–1948) Variations and Fugue on 'La Folia de Espana' 1929 Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959) 12 Etudes
1930s ?1930 Óscar Esplá (1886–1976) Tempo di sonata 1931 Joaquín Turina (1882–1949) Sonata 1932 Manuel Ponce (1882–1948) Homenaje a Tárrega 1932 Joaquín Turina (1882–1949) Hommage à Tárrega, op. 69 1933 Antonio José Martínez Palacios (1902–1936) Sonata 1933 Frank Martin (1890–1974) Quatre Pièces Brèves 1935 Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895–1968) Sonata (Omaggio a Boccherini) 1939 Boris Asafyev (1884–1949) Prélude et valse 1939 Manuel Ponce (1882–1948) Sonatina meridional 1939 Joaquín Rodrigo (1901–1999) En los trigales
1940s 1940 Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959) Five Preludes 1942 Jarmil Burghauser (1921–1997) Six Czech Dances 1942 Joaquín Rodrigo (1901–1999) Entre olivares 1943 Jarmil Burghauser (1921–1997) Sonata in E minor 1944 Marius Flothuis (1914–2001) Twee stukken, op. 22 1948 José Ardévol (1911–1981) Sonata 1949 Erik Bergman (1911–2006) Suite, op. 32
1950s 1950 Federico Moreno Tórroba (1891–1982) Sonata-Fantasia 1951 Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959) Concerto for guitar and small orchestra 1952 Bruno Bartolozzi (1911–1980) Tre pezzi 1952 Lou Harrison (1917–2003) Serenado 1952 Alexandre Tansman (1896–1987) Cavatina 1953 Henri Gagnebin (1886–1977) Trois pièces 1954-5 Ettore Desderi (1892–1974) Sonata in mi 1955 Hans Erich Apostel (1901–1972) Sechs Musiken 1956 Reginald Smith Brindle (1917–2003) El Polifemo de Oro 1957 Lennox Berkeley (1903–1989) Sonatina, op. 52, no. 1 1957 Leo Brouwer (born 1939) Danza característica 1957 Roberto Gerhard (1896–1970) Fantasia: Interlude in Cantares 1957 Ernst Krenek (1900–1991) Suite 1957 Darius Milhaud (1892–1974) Segoviana, op. 366 1957 Maurice Ohana (1914–1992) Tiento 1957 Marilyn Ziffrin (born 1926) Rhapsody 1958 Camargo Guarnieri (1907–1993) Estudo nº1 1958 Hans Werner Henze (1926-2012) Drei Tentos 1958 Einojuhani Rautavaara (born 1928) Partita 1959 Tristram Cary (1925–2008) Sonata for Guitar Alone 1959 Giorgio Federico Ghedini (1892–1965) Studio da concerto 1959 Goffredo Petrassi (1904–2003) Suoni notturni 1959 Carlos Surinach (1915–1997) Sonatina
1960s 1960 Georges Auric (1899–1983) Hommage à Alonso Mudarra 1960 Francis Poulenc (1899–1963) Sarabande 1960 Joaquín Rodrigo (1901–1999) Sonata giocosa 1961 Henk Badings (1907–1987) 12 Preludes 1961 Cornelius Cardew (1936–1981) Piece (for Stella) 1961 Hans Haug (1900–1967) Prélude, tiento et toccata 1961 Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882–1973) Preludio 1961 Joaquín Rodrigo (1901–1999) Invocación y danza 1961 Rudolf Wagner-Régeny (1903–1969) Sonatine 1961 Thomas Wilson (1927–2001) Three Pieces 1962 Jean Absil (1893–1974) Dix pièces, op. 111 1962 Louis Andriessen (1939–2021) Triplum 1962 Girolamo Arrigo (born 1930) Serenata 1962 Leo Brouwer (born 1939) Danza del antiplano 1962 Leo Brouwer (born 1939) Tango 1963 Jean Absil (1893–1974) Suite, op. 114 1963 Benjamin Britten (1913–1976) Nocturnal after John Dowland, op. 70 1963 Stephen Dodgson (1924-2013) Partita 1963 Cristóbal Halffter (born 1930) Codex I 1963 André Jolivet (1905–1974) Deux études de concert 1963 Joaquín Rodrigo (1901–1999) Tres piezas españolas 1963-64 Maurice Ohana (1914–1992) Si le jour paraît... 1964 Jean Absil (1893–1974) Pièces caracteristiques, op. 123 1964 Leo Brouwer (born 1939) Elogio de la danza 1964 Federico Mompou (1893–1987) Suite compostelana 1965 Stephen Dodgson (1924-2013) with Hector Quine 20 Studies 1965 Alcidez Lanza (born 1929) modulos I 1965 Antonio Ruiz-Pipò (1934–1997) Cinqo Movimientos para la guitarra de diez cuerdas de Narciso Yepes 1967 Leonardo Balada (born 1933) Analogías 1967 Gottfried von Einem (1918–1996) Drei Studien, op. 34 ?1968 Richard Arnell (1917–2009) Six Pieces 1968 Mason Williams (born 1938) Classical Gas 1968 Richard Rodney Bennett (1936-2012) Impromptus 1968 Leo Brouwer (born 1939) Canticum 1968 Jarmil Burghauser (1921–1997) Sarabanda e toccata 1968 John W. Duarte (1919–2004) English Suite 1968 Tom Eastwood (1922–1999) Ballade-Phantasy 1968 John McCabe (born 1939) Canto 1968 Josep Mestres-Quadreny (born 1929) Perludi 1968 Leon Schidlowsky (born 1931) Interludio 1969 David Bedford (born 1937) You Asked For It 1969 Stephen Dodgson (1924-2013) Fantasy-Divisions 1969 Peter Racine Fricker (1920–1990) Paseo 1969 Elisabeth Lutyens (1906–1983) The Dying of the Sun
1970s
1970 1970 Jean Absil (1893–1974) Sur un paravent chinois, op. 147 1970 Jean Absil (1893–1974) Quatre pièces, op. 150 1970 Jean Absil (1893–1974) Petit bestiaire, op. 151 1970 Denis ApIvor (1916–2004) Discanti, op. 48 1970 Vicente Asencio (1908–1979) Collectici íntim 1970 Lennox Berkeley (1903–1989) Theme and Variations 1970 Jarmil Burghauser (1921–1997) Tesknice: Canti dell'Ansietà 1970 Tom Eastwood (1922–1999) Amphora 1970 Ferenc Farkas (1905–2000) Six pièces brèves 1970 Joseph Horovitz (born 1926) Ghetto Song 1970 Armin Kaufmann (1902–1980) Rhapsodie 1970 François Morel (born 1926) Me duele españa 1970 Reginald Smith Brindle (1917–2003) Variants on Two Themes of J. S. Bach
1971 1971 Malcolm Arnold (1921–2006) Fantasy, Op. 107 1971 Leo Brouwer (born 1939) La espiral eterna 1971 David Farquhar (1928–2007) Five Scenes 1971 Harrison Kerr (1897–1978) Variations on a Theme from "The Tower of Kel" 1971 Bruno Maderna (1920–1973) Y después 1971 Goffredo Petrassi (1904–2003) Nunc 1971 Alan Rawsthorne (1905–1971) Elegy 1971 Guido Santórsola (1904–1994) Sonata No. 2 "Hispanica" 1971 William Walton (1902–1983) Five Bagatelles
1972 1972 Jean Absil (1893–1974) Douze pièces, op. 159 1972 Denis ApIvor (1916–2004) Saeta, op. 53 1972 Luciano Chailly (1920–2002) Invenzione su quattro note 1972 Peter Maxwell Davies (1934–2016) Lullaby for Illian Rainbow 1972 André Jolivet (1905–1974) Tombeau de Robert de Visée 1972 Giles Swayne (born 1946) Canto 1972 Arthur Wills (born 1929) Sonata
1973 1973 Xavier Benguerel (born 1931) Versus 1973 Leo Brouwer (born 1939) Parabola 1973 Leo Brouwer (born 1939) Per suonare a duo 1973 Philippe Drogoz (born 1937) Prélude à la Mise à Mort 1973 Angelo Gilardino (born 1941) Tenebrae factae sunt 1973 Edward McGuire (born 1948) Music for Guitar(s) 1973 Per Nørgård (1932–2025) Libra 1973 Poul Ruders (born 1949) Jargon 1973 Reginald Smith Brindle (1917–2003) Memento in Two Movements
1974 1974 William Bolcom (born 1938) Seasons 1974 Robert Beaser (born 1954) Canti Notturni 1974-6 Axel Borup-Jørgensen (born 1924) Praeambula, op. 72 1974 Leo Brouwer (born 1939) Tarantos 1974 Carlos Chávez (1899–1978) Feuille d'album 1974 Jindřich Feld (1925–2007) Barbaric Dance 1974 Jindřich Feld (1925–2007) Sonata 1974 Edino Krieger (1928–2022) Ritmata 1974 Jorge Labrouve (born 1948) Nueva, op. 8 1974 Jorge Labrouve (born 1948) Enigma, op. 9 1974 Humphrey Searle (1915–1982) Five, op. 61 1974 Reginald Smith Brindle (1917–2003) Do Not Go Gentle... 1974 Reginald Smith Brindle (1917–2003) November Memories 1974 Richard Stoker (1938–2021) Sonatina, op. 42 1974 Toru Takemitsu (1930–1996) Folios
1975 1975 José Ramón Encinar (born 1954) El aire de saber cerrar los ojos 1975 Hans Gefors (born 1952) La boîte chinoise, op. 12:1