Douze Études for guitar

Composed between 1924 and 1928 and first published by Éditions Max Eschig in 1953, Heitor Villa-Lobos’ (1887–1959) Douze Études for guitar represent one of the cornerstones of the guitar repertoire of the twentieth century. Although they explore specific technical aspects such as arpeggios, scales and chords, each study also boasts a unique and original musical character, thanks to its combination of Brazilian and European cultures. This edition by Frédéric Zigante analyses every one of these aspects and provides detailed notes for each of the individual studies, covering different areas, such as: • the didactic goals of the piece; • the various issues in the musical text (agogics, dynamics, technique, study and interpretation); • the composer’s sources of inspiration; • a formal analysis of the music. Fingerings have been added to the music, with particularly attention paid to those for the right hand, rarely found in Villa-Lobos’ originals. This edition has been designed as a didactic work, intended for guitarists who want to familiarize themselves with this masterpiece by the Brazilian composer.