Robert Kwiedacz is a young Polish classical guitarist whose sensitive, singing playing makes him a natural interpreter of the Romantic guitar literature. In this video he performs the Preludio en Do menor — the Prelude in C minor — by Agustín Barrios Mangoré on a 2025 Daniele Chiesa guitar.
About the Preludio en Do Menor
The Preludio en Do menor is Barrios at his most intimate. Where his concert showpieces dazzle with technique, this prelude speaks quietly: a melancholy melodic line winds through arpeggiated harmony, closer to a wordless song than to a study. The dark key of C minor — unusual and resonant territory on the guitar — gives the piece its veiled, inward colour.
Preludes like this one show why players treasure Barrios beyond his famous warhorses. He thought in melody first, and his harmonic language — late-Romantic, tinged with the popular music of South America — turns even a two-minute miniature into something listeners remember. If you are discovering his music, our introduction to Agustín Barrios and our Barrios repertoire guide map the essential works, from La Catedral to Julia Florida.
About Agustín Barrios Mangoré
Agustín Barrios Mangoré (1885–1944), born in Paraguay, was the first great Latin American guitarist-composer of the modern era — and by many accounts the first classical guitarist ever to record. He spent his life touring the Americas, composing as he travelled, and left behind some three hundred works that fuse European Romanticism with the songs and dances of his continent. Neglected for decades after his death, his music was rediscovered in the 1970s and now stands at the very centre of the repertoire.
The Guitar: Daniele Chiesa, 2025
Daniele Chiesa is an Italian-born luthier working in southern Spain whose guitars are prized for their balance of Spanish warmth and modern clarity — a voice that suits Barrios' songful writing especially well. Explore instruments like this 2025 example in our collection of classical guitars.
Watch the Performance
For more Barrios and the world he came from, browse our overview of famous classical guitar pieces.
