As Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco began to assume a more conspicuous presence in the musical world, he made the significant acquaintance of premier guitarist Andrés Segovia. Their subsequent friendship led in 1932 to the creation of the composer's first guitar works. The following year, Segovia suggested that Castelnuovo-Tedesco write a work in honor of his countryman Luigi Boccherini, who was well known The result was the Op. 77 Sonata, "Omaggio a Boccherini" (Homage to Boccherini). The work is dedicated to Segovia, who contributed his expertise to the fingerings.

Berlioz once observed that it is impossible to compose properly for the guitar unless one is a player (which he was—but ironically he wrote almost nothing for the instrument). There is some truth in his contention, but with a modicum of knowledge of the instrument's physical capabilities, a composer such as Castelnuovo-Tedesco (himself a pianist) was able to provide challenging and rewarding entries in the guitarist's repertoire; a truly competent guitarist knows where alternate notes lie on the fingerboard and is well-equipped to leap hurdles. In the present work, the connection between eighteenth and twentieth centuries is more in the vein of Stravinsky than Prokofiev; knotty forms of tonality are contained within the archaic rhythms. The current work opens with a highly chromatic and energetic first movement, somewhat in the tempo of a gavotte and based primarily around a rocking motif. Although in the guitar-friendly key of D major, the piece uses much barring for a sharper, less lyrical sound, further compounded by shifting meters. A long held dolce chord on the tonic leads to the Andantino movement in G minor, melancholy in nature though alleviated somewhat midway by an allegretto section. Another long-held D chord, this time acting as dominant, leads to the minuet, also in G minor. Here is a delightful nod to the age of elegance, the most securely tonal of the movements, with the trio in the parallel major of G. Also less tonally ambiguous than the opening sections is the vivacious perpetuum mobile of the finale, which requires great agility on the part of the player; this is brought into contrast with a more chromatic alla marcia. An unusual progression of full chords finally nestles itself into a perfectly voiced final cadence.

© All Music Guide