La Catedral
by Agustín Barrios Mangoré
La Catedral is the masterpiece of the Paraguayan guitarist-composer Agustín Barrios Mangoré and the most celebrated South American work in the guitar repertoire. Originally conceived in two movements — the devotional Andante religioso, inspired by hearing Bach played on the organ in Montevideo Cathedral, and the virtuosic Allegro solemne — Barrios later added a Preludio saudade to create the three-movement suite known today. Its combination of Bach-inflected counterpoint, Romantic lyricism, and South American colour, realised within the idiomatic language of the guitar, places it among the supreme achievements of the instrument.
Editions
Belwin Mills
Stover, 1988
Standard performing edition, the most widely used text in international competitions and recitals.
Schott Music
Kazuhito Yamashita, 2000
Edition with fingering and interpretive notes by Kazuhito Yamashita, one of the foremost interpreters of Barrios.
Chanterelle
Richard Stover, 1995
Scholarly edition with contextual commentary on Barrios's life and the genesis of each movement.