In his quest to compile an anthology of the best pieces by vihuela composers, David Grimes encountered the rich complexity of the music of Luys Milan. He also noticed many discrepancies in fingering and in the notes themselves in various existing transcribed editions. Following a period of exhaustive research the author prepared this authoritative guitar edition of the fifty fantasias in Milan's seminal 1536 book, El Maestro. The resulting edition provides a more accurate sense of the virtuosity of this music. These extraordinary pieces are presented here in standard notation only with extensive historical and performance notes. Of this collection the author writes," It is my sincere hope that this new edition will help bring this glorious repertoire to the attention of more of today's many outstanding performers, and that Milan's fantasias will more often take their deserved place on recital programs, alongside the masterworks of John Dowland and Francesco da Milano."

Following on from James Tyler's The Early Guitar: A History and Handbook(OUP 1980) tthis collaboration with Paul Sparks (their previous book for OUP, The Early Mandolin, appeared in 1989), presents new ideas and research on the history and development of the guitar and its music from the Renaissance to the dawn of the Classical era. Tyler's systematic study of the two main guitar types found between about 1550 and 1750 focuses principally on what the sources of the music (published and manuscript) and the writings of contemporary theorists reveal about the nature of the instruments and their roles in the music making of the period. The annotated lists of primary sources, previously published in The Early Guitar but now revised and expanded, constitute the most comprehensive bibliography of Baroque guitar music to date. His appendices of performance practice information should also prove indispensable to performers and scholars alike. Paul Sparks also breaks new ground, offering an extensive study of a period in the guitar's history—notably c.1759-c.1800—which the standard histories usually dismiss in a few short paragraphs. Far from being a dormant instrument at this time, the guitar is shown to have been central to music-making in France, Italy, the Iberian Peninsula, and South America. Sparks provides a wealth of information about players, composers, instruments, and surviving compositions from this neglected but important period, and he examines how the five-course guitar gradually gave way to the six-string instrument, a process that occurred in very different ways (and at different times) in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Britain.

This book is aimed at beginner lute and guitar players interested in playing Renaissance lute music on either instrument. Lute and guitar tablature are included, along with notes on technique, biographies of lute composers from the 16th century, and general advice on buying, stringing and tuning a lute. The book starts with single-line melodies, before progressing to two-part and full repertoire pieces. Selections include works by great Renaissance composers such as John Dowland, Francesco da Milano, Alonso Mudarra, Francesco Spinacino and others, with music from England, Scotland, Italy, France and Germany. A useful chord chart is also included. Every piece in the book has been recorded for download by Rob MacKillop--in itself, an album worth owning. Includes access to online audio.

Classical Guitarists fills a void in the special world of the classical guitar. Although this realm is inhabited by world-class musicians, much of what they think and feel has never been captured in print. The interviewees, including Julian Bream, John Williams, Sharon Isbin, Eliot Fisk, David Starobin and David Tanenbaum are a select group at the peak of their prowess who speak openly and thoughtfully about their opportunities, accomplishments, and lessons learned. Each has made important contributions from establishing significant academic programs to broadening the audience for the classical guitar. The author shares his reviews of their most important recordings and New York City concerts during the 1990s, as well as discographies of their recordings. There are also interviews with Harold Shaw, the most prominent artist manager in the history of the classical guitar and several of today's most important composers for the guitar, including Pulitzer Prize winners George Crumb and Aaron Jay Kernis. An introductory chapter provides an historical perspective on classical guitar and a postscript explains how to create a basic repertoire of recordings.

Chronological surveys of national musical cultures (in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Germany, England, and Spain), genre studies (Mass, motet, madrigal, chanson, instrumental music, opera), as well as essays on intellectual and cultural developments and concepts relevant to music (music theory, printing, the Protestant Reformation and the corresponding Catholic movement, humanism, the concepts of "Renaissance" and "Baroque").

First published in 1980, Traditions of the Classical Guitar has been described as the first book to examine in detail the many traditions of one of today's most popular instruments. With its central focus on Andres Segovia's pioneering work in establishing the guitar as an international concert instrument, it goes on to examine in detail its subsequent developments with reference to great artists such as Bream, Williams, Diaz and Yepes.Traditions of the Classical Guitar continues to be a classic of twentieth-century guitar scholarship, offering a challenging assessment to perceptions of the guitar's progress throughout the ages. It is also a timely reminder of the glorious years of Segovia's concert career between 1909 and 1987; Segovia himself said of the work: "e;Graham Wade has shown his love for the guitar from the first page to the last; true love and understanding"e;.

Provides instruction on three important tasks that early music performers often undertake in order to make their work more noticeable and appealing to their audiences. First, the book provides instruction on using early sources - manuscripts, prints, and treatises - in score, parts, or tablature. It then illuminates priorities behind basic editorial decisions - determining what constitutes a 'version' of a musical piece, how to choose a version, and how to choose the source for that version. Lastly, the book offers advice about arranging both early and new music for early instruments, including how to consider instruments' ranges and various registers, how to exploit the unique characteristics of period instruments, and how to produce convincing textures of accompaniment.

In compiling this landmark sourcebook, Finnish guitarists Hannu Annala and Heiki Matlik consulted more than 70 music texts as well as dozens of composer resumes acquired from the musical information centers of several countries. During the writing process, which lasted for more than three years, they received additional information from many modern composers, including Leo Brouwer and Reginald Smith Brindle among others. In addition, several internationally renowned performing guitarists provided valuable information; these include Magnus Andersson (Sweden), Remi Boucher (Canada), Margarita Escarpa (Spain), Aleksander Frauchi (Russia) and David Tanenbaum (USA) among others.The authors' aim was to write a well-structured book with separate chapters for each instrument, such as the Renaissance and Baroque guitar, the Renaissance and Baroque lute, the vihuela, etc. This unique structure enables the reader to easily discover which composers wrote for a certain instrument during any given period.In addition to the composers one would expect to find in such a comprehensive listing, the book documents several historical and modern composers for whom little previous information has been available. the book's list of more than 400 guitar and lute concertos dating from the Baroque era to the present day is a totally unprecedented.Short introductions regarding guitar and lute-like instruments as well as their basic histories are provided at the beginning of the book. the authors hope that the Handbook of Guitar and Lute Composers will serve as a practical guide for both amateurs and professionals, encouraging further study of the history of these instruments and expanding the repertoire heard on today's concert stage.