The Sonata (Omaggio a Boccherini), Op. 77 by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco was the first major work he wrote for classical guitar and one of the most important guitar sonatas of the twentieth century. Composed in 1934 for Andrés Segovia, it pays tribute to Luigi Boccherini — fellow Italian, composer of elegant chamber music, and a figure deeply associated with Spain — through four movements that channel his graceful spirit into a distinctly modern harmonic language.
The Homage
The title "Omaggio" signals tribute grounded in aesthetic kinship rather than quotation — the Sonata contains no direct borrowings from Boccherini's music. Instead, it channels his world: the galant elegance of his melodic writing, his love of dance forms (especially the minuet), his Italian lyricism, and the refined formal clarity of his chamber works. Boccherini spent much of his life in Madrid, which gives the homage a Spanish dimension that Castelnuovo-Tedesco reinforces through harmony and character. The second movement even incorporates a brief allusion to a Spanish dance theme, binding the Italian composer's legacy to the country he adopted.
The Four Movements
The opening Allegro con spirito follows sonata form with a high-spirited first theme and a more lyrical second — Classical architecture carrying a twentieth-century harmonic voice. The Andantino quasi canzone is the most Italian of the four, a sustained cantilena of deep warmth. The Tempo di Minuetto evokes Boccherini most directly — stately, gracious, ceremonious — while the closing Vivo ed energico unleashes blazing arpeggios interrupted by a march passage before the brilliant conclusion. The work is in D major throughout and runs approximately eighteen minutes.
Performed at Siccas Guitars
Playing it
The Sonata demands sustained interpretive command across four contrasting movements — the cantilena of the Andantino, the elegance of the Minuetto, the stamina of the finale. Advanced repertoire. This was the first of over 100 guitar works Castelnuovo-Tedesco would eventually compose.
See the full Castelnuovo-Tedesco guide and the Capriccio Diabolico.
