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.
Newly engraved from early editions
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 760159
New Critical Edition
Op. 16 to 22
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1025078
New Critical Edition
Op. 23 to 28
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1025077
Andrés Segobia Edition
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 291601
for guitar or lyre-guitar
for: 1–2 guitars
Music score
Item no.: 769970
op. 55
for: 2 guitars
Item no.: 331127
New Critical Edition
Op. 30 to 40
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1025074
Neue Karl Scheit Gitarren Edition
for: 2 guitars
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 617954
op. 9
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 735647
Sudien und Übungen
for: Guitar
Score
Item no.: 257418
New Critical Edition
Op. 50-52, 54, 56-59
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1025072
New critical Edition
17 Guitar Solos without Opus Numbers
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1019056
New Critical Edition
Easy to Intermediate Studies
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1025081
(O cara armonia)
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 418265
New Critical Edition
Op. 42 to 48
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1025073
Musik für Gitarre
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 113171
26 pieces for guitar
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 637582
35 Easy to Intermediate Original Works for Guitar
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 736571
Musik für Gitarre
for: 2 guitars [flute, guitar]
Score, Parts
Item no.: 113349
New Critical Edition
Op. 10 to 15(c)
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1025079
New Critical edition
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1019060
for: Classical guitar
Score
Item no.: 390822
Musik für Gitarre
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 112871
38 Songs
A Collected Edition
for: Voice, guitar
Ensemble score
Item no.: 225831
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 463574
6 Bagatelles op. 43
for: Classical guitar
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 689503
New Critical Edition
Guitar Solos
Opp. 1-5, 7-9
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1025080
Edition Schott
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 740763
for: 4 guitars (quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 129644
for: Classical guitar
Item no.: 205318
12 very easy Exercises
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 728087
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 754387
Collected Works 13 & 14
All Sor´s guitar duos with the original fingering
Pocket Score Edition
for: 2 guitars
Study score
Item no.: 1019055
op. 16, 21, 30 und 40
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 382315
Book & Online Audio
for: Guitar
Music score (with tabs), online playback
Item no.: 463024
for: Ukulele
Music score
Item no.: 1008011
op. 6
for: Guitar
Item no.: 355163
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 743070
Edition Schott
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 726791
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 722502
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1632268
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 722505
aus "3 Duos", op. 55 (Nr. 1)
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score, audio files (pdf/mp3 download)
Item no.: 1214
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 725189
from the Sonata op. 22
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 739825
aus "Trois petits divertissements pour deux Guitares", op. 61 (Nr. 1)
for: 2 guitars
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 1629
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1113581
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1583476