# Favourite guitar concerto that ISN'T Concierto de Aranjuez



## ComposerOfAvantGarde

It seems like its the only one the majority of the classical music population knows. Yes it's a nice concerto, but my top three favourites are (in order):

1. Rodrigo: Concierto Madrigal
2. Villa-Lobos: Guitar concerto
3. Giuliani: Guitar concerto no. 1

And I am yet to listen to the concertos of Hovhaness and Leo Brouwer.


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## Polednice

The only other one I know is the Fantasia-something-Hombre.


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## Sid James

Guitar concertos are great! -

Favourites -

*Villa-Lobos* - Love all aspects of this, the lushness of the accompaniment & the cadenza, which sounds very hard to play (written for Segovia), and those vigorous rhythms of the last movement.

*Hovhaness* #2 (haven't heard #1) - relaxing stuff, blending neo-classicism, new age, the last movement with strong Middle Eastern vibes, makes me think I'm in a colourful market there.

*Castelnuovo-Tedesco* #1 - His "greatest hit," a relaxing work in the neo-classical mould that comes across not far away from the composer's idol, Boccherini.

Australian composer's works for guitar & orch. - *Peter Sculthorpe*:_ Nourlangie_, *Nigel Westlake*: _Antarctica Suite_ - these are great, written for John WIlliams, aspects of modern landscape painting in sound.

*Vivaldi *did quite a few, there is a famous one for guitar alone and also one for two guitars (& many versions of this, eg. for guitar and flute)

Also* Fasch *and* Krebs,* I've got theirs on disc with some of Vivaldi's, they are Baroque and more kind of formal, less fun and bright as Vivaldi's. Less memorable for me too.

I would like to hear, don't remember hearing Guiliani's & also Paganini's. Also there are a few classical works now featuring electric guitar/s...


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## Crudblud

Does Villa-Lobos' _Introdução aos chôros_ count? I heard that the other day and it was seriously gorgeous, then again; it may not have been virtuosic enough to warrant the "concertante" designation.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Polednice said:


> The only other one I know is the Fantasia-something-Hombre.


That's "Fantasia para un Gentillhombre."


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## moody

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> That's "Fantasia para un Gentillhombre."


I bet he's glad you told him that--there aren't enough gentilhombres around these days.


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## moody

Manuel Ponce's Concierto del Sur is worth a listen. Also Gaspar Cassado arranged Boccherini's Cello Concert No.6 for guitar and orchestra., The famous Segovia recording is available ahain along with the Ponce and the Gentilhombre.


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## Art Rock

Not mentioned yet, and well worth hearing, Malcolm Arnold's concerto.


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## neoshredder

Better yet how about a concerto for electric guitar? Too modern I guess for anything big yet in that area except for Yngwie Malmsteen.


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## moody

Go with you, that's not better yet at all !


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## neoshredder

Well I'll settle for guitar without the disortion or the effects I guess. But I play electric guitar. So obviously I would love to see that added to the classical repertoire. But I guess neo-classical metal will be close enough.


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## starthrower

I like John McLaughlin's concertos.


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## Art Rock

neoshredder said:


> Better yet how about a concerto for electric guitar? Too modern I guess for anything big yet in that area except for Yngwie Malmsteen.


Scheduled for my blog (unusual concertos): Terje Rypdal's concerto for two electric guitars and orchestra.


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## tdc

At the moment (after Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez) I'd say my favorites are Rodrigo's Sones en la Giralda, Vivaldi's Concerto in D, and Roberto Sierra's Folias.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

I've been trying to find that record I have of Torroba's guitar concerto, BUT I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE AND NOW I AM ANGRY!


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## moody

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I've been trying to find that record I have of Torroba's guitar concerto, BUT I CAN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE AND NOW I AM ANGRY!


Oh!Oh! everyone, take cover quickly.


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## moody

moody said:


> Go with you, that's not better yet at all !


That was supposed to read ;Get away with you, that's not better yet at all! Put it down to my age.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

moody said:


> Oh!Oh! everyone, take cover quickly.


Dont worry I found it.


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## Itullian

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Dont worry I found it.


bet it was in the last place you looked.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Itullian said:


> bet it was in the last place you looked.


No it was the second place I looked. I looked in one more place after that.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

^Becuase I wanted to see if I had any recordings of Shostakovich's first piano concerto.


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## Lukecash12

Did Ginastera write a guitar concerto? Would be great if he did; And it would be nice if Granados wrote one, too.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

Lukecash12 said:


> Did Ginastera write a guitar concerto? Would be great if he did; And it would be nice if Granados wrote one, too.


I don't think Granados (or his contemporary Albeniz) even wrote guitar music. Although Albeniz did say that his own piano music sounds much better on guitar than piano.


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## moody

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I don't think Granados (or his contemporary Albeniz) even wrote guitar music. Although Albeniz did say that his own piano music sounds much better on guitar than piano.


I think a lot of guitar players adapted it for themselves.
Gnattali wrote a Concertinofor guitar and piano in three movements.The note say it's romantic, languorous and sentimental and i suppose it is., you ought to like that.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

moody said:


> I think a lot of guitar players adapted it for themselves.
> Gnattali wrote a Concertinofor guitar and piano in three movements.The note say it's romantic, languorous and sentimental and i suppose it is., you ought to like that.


I hope it doesn't sound like Elgar!


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## Chrythes

I wish Barrios wrote a concerto.


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## moody

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I hope it doesn't sound like Elgar!


With a name like Gnatalli, I wouldn't think so and I bet he doesn't even look like him.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

moody said:


> With a name like Gnatalli, I wouldn't think so and I bet he doesn't even look like him.


Thank goodness!


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## Lunasong

neoshredder said:


> Better yet how about a concerto for electric guitar? Too modern I guess for anything big yet in that area except for Yngwie Malmsteen.


Michael Daugherty _Gee's Bend_ 2008
 YouTube playlist
_Located on the Alabama River in one of the poorest areas of the South, Gee's Bend, Alabama (also know as Boyken) is a small, isolated town inhabited primarily by African-Americans who are descendants of Civil War slaves. Living in isolation forced the residents of Gee's Bend to develop their own traditions and find ways to survive. This included creating unique quilts that incorporated bold colors, abstract patterns and leftover fabrics. In recent years, the quilts of Gee's Bend have gained significant national attention. They have been shown in museums and heralded as "some of the most miraculous works of modern art in America" which "blur the boundaries between folk and contemporary art".

My composition is a patchwork of various crosscurrents: I Intertwine American guitar rock and southern folk music with contemporary classical music to create a colorful and unique tapestry of sound._

My favorite is III. Washboard, which features the woodwind section with the guitar providing the supporting foundation.

More about.


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## Guest

Hans Werner Henze has a guitar concerto titled "An Eine Äolsharfe." I wouldn't call it my favorite, but I do like it. Stephen Goss is working on one, which should be quite something according to early reports. Also, Robert Beaser has composed one for Eliot Fisk, and it looks/sounds darn near unplayable (by mere mortals) based on the YouTube clips of Fisk playing some solo bits from it!


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## Lukecash12

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> I don't think Granados (or his contemporary Albeniz) even wrote guitar music. Although Albeniz did say that his own piano music sounds much better on guitar than piano.


Albeniz published a guitar version of his suite Espagnole.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

^I didn't know that. Interesting.


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## Guest

Lukecash12 said:


> Did Ginastera write a guitar concerto? Would be great if he did; And it would be nice if Granados wrote one, too.


No, but Ginastera did write a guitar sonata.


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## Guest

Lukecash12 said:


> Albeniz published a guitar version of his suite Espagnole.


Mmm...I don't think so. Numerous people have made their own transcriptions, but I've never heard of Albeniz himself doing so. Please point me to the source. He once said that he thought his music sounded better on the guitar, though!


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## Philip

BROUWER, BROUWER, BROUWER, Concerto de Toronto:





Rodrigo, Fantasia para un gentilhombre (my favourite of his):





Vivaldi, his concertos are very enjoyable and short.

Villa-Lobos, Ponce...

You may be interested in the Concierto Barroca by Roberto Sierra (studied with Ligeti)


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