Isaac Albéniz and the guitar: transcription practices from piano to guitar repertoire

This exposition explores selected piano works by Isaac Albéniz through the perspective of guitar transcription, combining stylistic analysis with practical arrangement. The first part outlines the main characteristics of Albéniz’s compositional style, including modal harmony, rhythmic vitality, Spanish national idioms, elements of Andalusian tradition and cante jondo, as well as traces of French impressionism in music. Understanding these stylistic features provides an essential foundation for approaching his music on the guitar.The second part offers a historical overview of guitar transcriptions of Albéniz’s works, situating them within the broader tradition of adapting piano repertoire for the instrument. Existing arrangements for solo guitar and guitar trio are examined and analytically discussed, with particular attention to texture, register, rhythm, articulation, and the treatment of idiomatic guitar techniques. The study evaluates different transcription strategies and their musical effectiveness.The final part presents the author’s own transcriptions for guitar trio and duo. These arrangements aim to balance fidelity to the original piano scores with idiomatic writing for the guitar. The exposition includes notated musical examples, comparative score excerpts, and audio recordings of both the original piano performances and the newly created guitar versions. Through analytical commentary and practical demonstration, the study seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of Albéniz’s music and its creative transformation within the guitar repertoire. keywords: classical guitar, cante jondo, guitar transcriptions, guitar duo, guitar trio, Spanish music, Classical guitar, Isaac Albéniz