Heritage Series - WGC - WORLDWIDE GUITAR CONNECTIONS

TRADITIONAL KOREAN, Arirang

LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE Arirang is often regarded as the unofficial anthem of Korea. Known throughout Asia—and, more recently, the rest of the world—it doesn’t have a single fixed version. Its lyrics and style vary widely across regions and dialects. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Arirang is said to have around 3,200 variations. This version of Arirang for solo guitar combines European compositional techniques with sounds inspired by traditional Korean instruments such as the kkwaenggwari.

£2.95

SPENCER COLLECTION, A Selection

LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE This short compilation presents some of Fabricio Mattos' findings in the remarkable Spencer Collection at the Royal Academy of Music in London. The Spencer Collection was assembled by Robert Spencer — lutenist, guitarist, musicologist, and professor — who was one of the leading figures in the early music revival in England. Comprising manuscripts, early editions, historical documents, and musical instruments, the collection includes thousands of meticulously selected and catalogued items, many of which have the potential to reshape our understanding of the lute and guitar’s evolution over the centuries. Includes 18th- and 19th century works by Parrini, Ferandiere, Trentin and other anonymous composers.

£5.95

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DOMENICO CIMAROSA, Sonata in D-minor C.79

LEVEL: ADVANCED Domenico Cimarosa was one of the most prolific opera composers of the 18th century and played a key role in shaping the tradition of opera buffa. After launching his career in his native Naples, he spent many years traveling across Europe, eventually receiving an invitation from Empress Catherine II to serve as court composer in Saint Petersburg. Following a successful tenure in Russia, Cimarosa returned to Italy, pausing in Vienna where Emperor Leopold II appointed him Kapellmeister and introduced him to the librettist Giovanni Bertati. From this fruitful collaboration emerged 'Il Matrimonio Segreto', Cimarosa’s most celebrated opera and a landmark of the Neapolitan operatic tradition. Sonata C.79 exemplifies Cimarosa’s mature compositional voice — energetic, poised, and masterfully crafted. This transcription retains the original’s lyrical clarity and formal elegance while introducing technically demanding passages that challenge and reward the performer, appealing equally to professional performers and advanced students seeking works of both musical depth and technical interest from this important period of European music history.

£3.95

TOMASO ALBINONI, Sonata da Chiesa (SO.27)

LEVEL: ADVANCED Tomaso Albinoni was a Venetian violinist, singer, and composer who devoted his life almost entirely to composition, particularly in the genres of sonata, concerto, and opera. He was a prominent figure of the Italian Baroque style, and his music was widely admired by his contemporaries, including Johann Sebastian Bach, who used Albinoni’s bass lines (basso continuo) as material in his harmony lessons. The sonata featured in this publication is part of a set of six sonatas published in Amsterdam in 1708. This particular arrangement is derived from a manuscript preserved in Dresden, Germany. These works are examples of sonata da chiesa (church sonata), a form first distinguished in the early 1600s to contrast with the sonata da camera (chamber sonata). While sonate 'da chiesa' were ideally free of dance movements and considered more "serious" or sacred, they often display clear rhythmic and stylistic influences from Baroque dances such as the sarabande and gigue, even when not explicitly labeled as such. This is a great addition to advanced players looking for longer Baroque works for concerts, recording projects, and competitions.

£5.95