When Andrés Segovia set out to build a serious modern repertoire for the guitar, he turned to the composers he most admired — and few gave him more than the Mexican Manuel Ponce (1882–1948). Their decades-long friendship produced some of the richest and most ambitious guitar music of the twentieth century, and made Ponce one of the instrument's essential voices.
The father of Mexican concert music
Ponce is often called the founder of modern Mexican concert music. Trained in Mexico and then in Europe — in Bologna and Berlin, and later in Paris, where he studied with Paul Dukas — he combined a thorough European technique with a deep love of Mexican folk song. His famous melody Estrellita became so popular that many took it for a traditional tune rather than the work of a living composer. But it is through Segovia that his name became inseparable from the guitar.
The Segovia partnership
For Segovia, Ponce wrote a remarkable body of work, ranging widely in style. Some pieces look back lovingly at earlier eras — most famously a suite Ponce composed "in the style of" the baroque lutenist Sylvius Leopold Weiss, which for a time fooled the musical world into thinking it was a genuine rediscovery. Others are fully Romantic or modern in voice. This range was deliberate: between them, composer and performer were building a whole library for an instrument that had lacked one.
His essential works
- Variations on "Folía de España" and Fugue — a vast, magnificent set of variations, one of the summits of the guitar repertoire.
- Sonata III and Sonata Romántica — large-scale works of real symphonic ambition.
- Sonatina Meridional and Sonata Mexicana — infused with the colours and rhythms of Mexico.
- Concierto del Sur — his guitar concerto, written for Segovia.
His style
What unites this varied output is craftsmanship and warmth. Ponce had a gift for long, singing melody and rich harmony, and even his most demanding pieces are deeply grateful to play. His music asks for a singing tone and a sense of architecture — the ability to shape a large structure while never losing the thread of the tune.
Where to get the sheet music
Ponce died in 1948, so in countries with a 70-year copyright term (including the EU) his music is now in the public domain — see our guide to free classical guitar sheet music. Elsewhere, check your local term; some editions remain under publisher copyright.
FAQ
Who was Manuel Ponce?
A Mexican composer (1882–1948), often called the father of modern Mexican concert music and a key figure in the guitar repertoire.
What is his connection to Segovia?
Segovia was his close friend and champion; Ponce wrote much of his guitar music for him.
What is his most famous guitar work?
The Variations on "Folía de España" and Fugue, alongside his sonatas and the Concierto del Sur.
