Recuerdos de la Alhambra

About This Song

Francisco Tárrega (1852–1909) was a Spanish composer and classical guitarist of the Romantic period. He is known for such pieces as “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” (Memories of the Alhambra) and is often called “the father of classical guitar.” Tarrega composed this work while visiting the La Alhambra in Granada, Spain in 1896. La Alhambra is the famous Moorish palace that overlooks Granada in southern Spain. Though originally built in the 9th century AD as a small fortress, the structure we see today was designed by the Moorish Sultan Abdallah ibn al-Ahmar in the year 1238. It is an architectural masterpiece and often referred to here in Spain as una joya (a jewel). The piece showcases a guitar tremolo, which supposedly represents the water fountains inside of La Alhambra. A single melody note is plucked consecutively by the ring, middle, and index fingers in such rapid succession that the result is an illusion of a waterfall. The A-section of the piece is written in A minor and the B-section is written in A major. (The audio for this score uses an instrumental sound sample to demonstrate the arrangement.)