Antecedents of the Spanish guitar and a discussion of compositions for guitar by four composers with Hispanic origins

Chapter one of this research paper traces the evolution of lute and vihuela through the mediaeval and renaissance periods; it also highlights the contribution of some of the vihuela composers during renaissance. Chapter two highlights the life and career of virtuoso guitarist Fernando Sor and his contributions to the development of the classical guitar and his etudes. Chapter three focuses on the life and career of virtuoso guitarist, composer Heitor Villa-Lobos through a discussion of his combination of Brazilian popular music with European music. Chapter four focuses on the history of the tango and nuevo tango. It explores the compositional styles of Astor Piazzolla's "Bordel 1900" from the Histoire du Tango and discusses the similarities and differences between tango and nuevo tango using an analytical approach. Chapter five focuses on Jose Luis Merlin's life and his famous composition Suite del Recuerdo.