Concierto de Aranjuez
by Joaquín Rodrigo
Composed in 1939 and premiered in Barcelona the following year, the Concierto de Aranjuez is the most performed guitar concerto in the repertoire and one of the most frequently performed concertos of any kind. Rodrigo, blind since the age of three, drew on the landscape and royal gardens of Aranjuez for its evocative imagery. The central Adagio — built on a haunting cor anglais theme and a deeply expressive guitar response — has transcended the classical world, inspiring Miles Davis's Sketches of Spain and countless popular arrangements. The outer movements balance brilliance and lightness with a deep Castilian character rooted in Spanish folk idiom.
Editions
Schott Music (Chester Music)
Pepe Romero, 1991
Authorised performing edition prepared in collaboration with Pepe Romero, incorporating Rodrigo's own performance markings and endorsed by the Rodrigo Foundation.
Ediciones Joaquín Rodrigo
Cecilia Rodrigo, 2003
Definitive edition overseen by the composer's daughter, with detailed editorial notes, facsimile pages, and the authoritative guitar part with optional fingerings.