Are you a fan of the wonderful Spanish composer Fernando Sor (1778-1839), who François-Joseph Fétis dubbed “the Beethoven of the guitar”? Browse our sheet music and scores, and discover the wide world of the composer who first brought the guitar to Europe’s concert halls with Stretta Music today!
Fernando Sor was born into a military family, but any thoughts of a military career were swiftly extinguished when his father introduced him to Italian Opera. It was also his father who introduced him to the guitar, an instrument that at the time, was only really played at home, in bars and in canteens. He studied harmony and counterpoint, but since it was not yet taught academically, Sor had to teach himself to play the guitar.
Unfortunately, Sor did not fit in well in the musical circles of Charles IV’s court, but luckily he was accepted into the artistic circle of the 13th Duchess of Alba, where he met and worked with musicians like Dionisio Aguado . During the French invasion, in line with the oath of allegiance he swore to Napoleon I in 1810, Sor composed mainly nationalist music, and in 1813, when the French were expelled from Spain, he was sent into exile.
His first stop was Paris, where Fernando Sor’s works were published in the “Journal de Musique Étrangère pour la Guitare ou Lyre”, the “Journal of Foreign Music for Guitar or Lyre”, which made him very popular. Despite his popularity, he was not offered a position as composer for the band of the King of France’s Court, so he moved to London, where he had many more musical opportunities, and quickly distinguished himself as a singing teacher, and composer of Italian Arias and Ballet.
After a stay in Russia, Sor returned permanently to Paris in 1826, where he continued to compose and wrote his Método de guitarra española, his “Method of the Spanish Guitar”. He died in Paris in 1839 and is buried in Montmartre Cemetery.
He is best known for the Fernando Sor Guitar Works, and out of his friendship and collaboration with Dionisio Aguado came the wonderful work for two guitars Les Deux Amis, “The Two Friends”, in which the two guitar parts are written as “Sor” and “Aguado”.
Fernando Sor wrote in the classic style, very much influenced by the French “style galant”. He used many “suspensions” in his music, similar to those of Haydn and Mozart. Today however, Sor’s works are generally performed in a more romantic style. Alongside his guitar works, his ballets, choral music and orchestral works are particularly popular.
Neue Karl Scheit Gitarren Edition
for: 2 guitars
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 617954
26 pieces for guitar
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 637582
New Critical Edition
Op. 10 to 15(c)
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1025079
Musik für Gitarre
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 112871
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1632268
Italian Duets and The Three Canons
in Two Books
Softcover
for: Voice, piano
2 music scores
Item no.: 1667895
Hardcover
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1019197
Introduction et Variations sur un Thême de Mozart
Biblioteca de la Guitarra
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 148847
for: 3 guitars
Ensemble score
Item no.: 347899
Mittelstufe
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 242482
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 249999
Variées et un Menuet
Musik für Gitarre
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 113373
Newly engraved from early editions
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1672348
Complete Works 8
for: 2 voices, piano
Item no.: 363765
for: Accordion
Score
Item no.: 253767
On a theme from Mozart´s Magic Flute
Urtext
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 601525
Newly engraved from early editions
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 190954
op. 14
for: Guitar
Item no.: 1666948
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1667574
op. 28, 29/9
for: für Gitarre
Item no.: 113366
for: High voice, piano [guitar]
Score (Hardcover)
Item no.: 1633278
Stücke Europäischer Meister
Die Gitarre
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 413230
for: STREICH- UND ZUPFINSTRUMENTE GITARRE GITARRE SOLO
Item no.: 393016
for: GES GIT (KLAV)
Softcover
Item no.: 112561
Mit methodischen Hinweisen zur technischen Bewältigung und zum Vortrag
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 407900
for: Guitar
Item no.: 1671838
for: Guitar
Item no.: 1677016
Edición Ibérica
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 303370
op. 6
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393675
para guitarra
Edicion Ibérica 197
for: Classical guitar
Music lesson book
Item no.: 376297