The brilliant style
Where Sor's music is poised and intimate, Giuliani's is extroverted and dazzling — written to thrill a concert audience. His best-known works show this concert flair to perfection:
- Grande Ouverture, Op. 61 — a sweeping, orchestral-sounding showpiece that opens with a slow introduction before launching into glittering virtuosity. One of the cornerstones of the solo repertoire.
- The Guitar Concertos — especially the Concerto in A major, Op. 30, which placed the guitar in front of a full orchestra as an equal soloist.
- The Rossiniane — a set of fantasies on themes by Rossini, blending operatic melody with guitar fireworks.
A method, too
Like Sor, Giuliani was a teacher as well as a performer, and his studies and exercises — including the famous 120 right-hand arpeggio studies of Op. 1 — remain a foundation of technical training. Generations of players have built their right-hand fluency on them. His music thus serves the same double purpose as Sor's: it entertains in the concert hall and instructs in the practice room.
His place in the repertoire
Together, Sor and Giuliani define the early-nineteenth-century guitar — the moment the instrument grew up. Giuliani's particular gift was to give it ambition and sparkle, to show that it could hold a large stage and stand beside an orchestra. That confidence still rings through his music today, and it is why the Grande Ouverture and the concertos remain favourites of virtuosi worldwide.
Where to get the sheet music
Giuliani died in 1829, so all of his music is in the public domain and free to download legally — see our guide to free classical guitar sheet music.
FAQ
Where did Giuliani work?
Chiefly in Vienna, the centre of Classical music, where he became the leading guitar virtuoso of his day.
What is his most famous piece?
The Grande Ouverture, Op. 61, along with his guitar concertos and the Rossiniane.
Is his music free?
Yes — Giuliani is in the public domain, so his works are legally available at no cost.
