MusiCurate Recuerdos de la Alhambra - Tarrega - Classical Guitar - Book

Composer: Francisco de Asis Tarrega Eixea
Format: Book
Instrumentation: Classical Guitar

"Recuerdos de la Alhambra" was composed by Tarrega in 1899 as a Name Day gift for Dona Concha Gomez de Jacoby, who was his student and patron. He gifted it to her under the title Improvisacion !A Granada Cantiga Arabe (Improvisation. To Granada! Arabic Song) and included the following note: "Since I can't offer you a gift of more value on your saint's day, accept this little poetic impression felt by my soul before the grand marvel of the Alhambra of Granada that we admired together. The piece gained popularity as Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories of the Alhambra) through an early 20th-century publication, which was edited by the composer and dedicated as an homage to the French guitarist Alfred Cottin.

Francisco de Asis Tarrega Eixea (1852-1909) was a Spanish composer and classical guitarist revered as one of the fathers of modern classical guitar. As a child, he fell into an irrigation canal and injured his eyes, which left him with impaired vision for the rest of his life. This incident influenced his focus on music, as his father believed it would provide him with a stable career even if he lost his sight entirely. He showed early musical talent and studied at the Madrid Conservatory, later becoming a celebrated performer and influential teacher. He composed numerous pieces which remain staples in the classical guitar repertoire. He also transcribed works by other composers for the guitar, expanding its repertoire and refining modern guitar techniques.
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