Fernando Sor (1778 - 1839) is best known for his guitar music, and this Op. 35 collection contains some of his most popular efforts, especially among amateur performers. It is divided into two books, each containing 12 etudes, or exercises. Most average from one to two minutes in length, and each focuses on a technical aspect or mood and is designed for guitarists of lesser ability. Thus, the demands placed on the soloist in these pieces are well within reach of virtuoso players, though interpretive challenges may be another matter. This collection demonstrates that Sor was able to write music of relative simplicity that could appeal to a wide audience and convey a range of moods and expression.

The composer begins with three slow etudes marked, respectively, Andante, Andantino, and Larghetto. The last of these is one of the more popular items in the first book. It has a charm in its simple, slow theme, even though it may not wear well on repeated hearings. Sor follows it with a lively but hardly fast-paced piece in G major, marked Allegretto, an attractive if slightly stiff creation. The composer's style here and, in fact, in all the etudes divulges the influence of both Haydn and Mozart, though not in an overwhelming manner.

The D major Sixth is another popular piece, its innocence and child-like character having strong appeal. No. 9 (Andante) is one of the longest pieces in either book—lasting about three minutes—and also a favorite among performers. The march-like No. 11 (Allegretto) is short but charming, also a frequent choice of guitarists.

Among those etudes in the second set that have attracted attention are Nos. 13 (marked Andante but actually quite lively), 16 (Moderato—jauntily march-like), 17 (Moderato—relaxed and slightly melancholy), and 21 (Andante—appealing in its simple, catchy tune). Without a doubt, however, the most popular piece in either of the two books is No. 22, an Allegretto whose descending melody has both a Medieval sense of song and a nineteenth century feel for melancholy. In the end, this modest set of etudes must be regarded as one of the most important efforts of its type in the guitar repertory.

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22.Allegretto (Segovia edition no.5)

After his return to Paris from travel abroad in 1826, Sor began publishing works for the guitar, and continued doing so right up to the year of his death in 1839. This piece is part of a set of 24 Exercises, probably written well after 1826. Andrés Segovia, the iconic twentieth century virtuoso guitarist, assembled and edited pieces from among this collection as well as from Sor's Opp. 6 and 29 (Studies), and 31 (Lessons), entitling the group Studies (20).

This B minor Etude is marked Allegretto and appears as No. 5 in the Segovia collection. Listeners hearing performances or recordings of both the Sor and Sor/Segovia versions will notice little difference between the two. It is the latter rendition, however, that has popularized the piece, not to mention Segovia's own brilliant performances of it. The work features a lovely, somewhat melancholy main theme, supported by serene running accompaniment. The music more than vaguely recalls the mood and style of the famous first movement of the Beethoven "Moonlight" Sonata, though the pacing in the Sor piece is livelier, and its duration, at slightly over two minutes, is considerably shorter.

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