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.
aus "24 Leçons Progressives", op. 31 (Nr. 7)
for: Guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 4704
aus "24 Leçons Progressives", op. 31 (Nr. 23)
for: Classical guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1149
aus "Six pêtites pièces pour la Guitare", op. 32 (Nr. 6)
for: Guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1555
für Gitarre
for: Guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 2938
from: Petites pièces progressives op. 44
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 759538
op. 31/23
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 727143
op. 44/24
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 727137
from: F. Sor, Introduction à l’étude de la guitare op. 60
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 722207
from: F. Sor, Méthode pour la guitare
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 722191
from: Introduction a l´étude de la guitare, op. 60
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 759534
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 722502
op. 32/1
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 727139
from: 24 Exercises trés faciles op. 35 (No. 2)
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 759540
aus "Six Valses", op. 44 (bis) (Nr. 1 und Nr. 4)
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score (pdf download)
Item no.: 1148
aus "Six Valses Composées pour L'Orchestre par differens Auteurs", op. 39 (Nr. 5)
for: 2 guitars
Sheet music
Item no.: 1554
op. 31, Nr. 1, 4, 18
for: Classical guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1525
nach der Studie h-moll, op. 35, 22
for: Double bass
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1025144
nach der Studie h-moll, op. 35, 22
for: Mandolin
Single part
Item no.: 1025143
nach der Studie h-moll, op. 35, 22
for: Mandolin orchestra
Single part Mandolin 1
Item no.: 1025152
nach der Studie h-moll, op. 35, 22
for: Mandolin orchestra
Single part Mandolin 2
Item no.: 1025149
nach der Studie h-moll, op. 35, 22
for: Guitar
Score
Item no.: 1025158
nach der Studie h-moll, op. 35, 22
for: Guitar
Score
Item no.: 1209003
nach der Studie h-moll, op. 35, 22
for: Mandolin orchestra
Single part(n)
Item no.: 1025147
nach der Studie h-moll, op. 35, 22
for: Mandolin orchestra
Single part Mandola
Item no.: 1209004
for: Guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1524
nach der Studie h-moll, op. 35, 22
for: Guitar
Score
Item no.: 1025145
op. 47, Nr. 1-3
for: Guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1830
op. 47, Nr. 4-6
for: Guitar
Sheet music
Item no.: 1831
nach der Studie h-moll, op. 35, 22
for: Guitar, mandolin orchestra
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 644798
for: Symphonic orchestra
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 226551
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 226552
ChorSolo part(s), Single parts
Item no.: 226553
for: VC GIT STR
Item no.: 226554
Complete Works 5
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Item no.: 366372
Complete Works 8
for: 2 voices, piano
Item no.: 363765
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 725189
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 743070
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 722505
MCM - Masterworks of Choral Music
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1019423
aus "3 Duos", op. 55 (Nr. 1)
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score, audio files (pdf/mp3 download)
Item no.: 1214
aus "Trois petits divertissements pour deux Guitares", op. 61 (Nr. 2)
for: 2 guitars
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3611
for: Guitar
Item no.: 418339
for: Classical
Score
Item no.: 253962
Altspanischer Tanz
Gitarre-Bibliothek Nr. 27
for: Guitar
Item no.: 184856
pour deux guitares
for: 2 guitars
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 3216
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1019331
Gitarre-Bibliothek Nr. 55
for: Guitar
Item no.: 200158
E
for: Guitar
Classical Guitar Score
Item no.: 1554761