Classical Guitar Pieces Every Classical Guitarist Should Know
1. Asturias played by John Williams
This piece, composed by Isaac Albéniz, is a cliché choice to start this list, but for me it was the inspiration that kickstarted my continued passion for the guitar. When I first heard John Williams' rendition of Asturias, I was blown away. It was a revelation to me as a young kid, in only my first or second year of playing guitar. I had no idea that the classical guitar could be played in this way and it was all that I wanted to be able to do. While Asturias is definitely one of the most overplayed pieces of the classical guitar repertoire, I still reflect fondly on its influence on me as a young guitar student.
2. Bagatelle 1 played by Stephanie Jones
Learning to play Bagatelle 1 by William Walton was a challenge. When I first attempted to learn it in my first year of university, I quickly became discouraged by its difficulty and gave up. However, I returned to the piece in my Honours year. After many months of practice, I was finally confident enough to perform it for an audience. In fact, I even wrote my thesis on the Five Bagatelles and the later published orchestral arrangement by Walton himself.
You can also check out my own recording here: https://youtu.be/dAJW58IAmBU
3. Ponce Variations sur “Folia de España” et Fugue played by Marcin Dylla
One of the most unforgettable experiences of my life was seeing Marcin Dylla perform the Ponce Variations live while I was in high school. This was the first piece he played that night and to walk straight out, sit down, and perform close to half-an-hour of dense music like this, was incredibly impressive. I still rate Marcin Dylla’s concert as one of the top performances I have seen live.
4. Usher Waltz played by John Williams
The Usher Waltz by Nikita Koshkin is a piece that I have played many times. It holds special significance for me because I played it for my university audition and for several big performances in Year 12. It is a challenging piece that requires both technical skill and emotional depth. It is particularly cool because it is based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe that details the gradual descent into madness of Roderick Usher. This means there are passages that use a variety of techniques to convey this madness.
Bonus piece: Hellish Tattoo of the Heart - another Edgar Allan Poe inspired classical guitar work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZosIAnLWmAA
Finally, I would like to share with you this YouTube playlist that features some of my favourite classical guitar performances. These pieces have been a source of inspiration for me and I hope they will be for you too:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcX8lgkZiWj8YocaaJhfwck4Mu_5Bx2MF