The Sonatina in A major by Federico Moreno Torroba is one of the most performed and most beloved works in the Spanish guitar repertoire — sunny, lyrical and perfectly written for the instrument. It was the first major work by a non-guitarist composer to enter the classical guitar's permanent concert repertoire.
A Landmark Premiere
The Sonatina was premiered on 7 April 1924 at Andrés Segovia's legendary Paris debut at the Salle de l'Ancien Conservatoire — a concert that transformed the classical guitar's standing in European musical life. Paul Dukas, Manuel de Falla, Albert Roussel and other leading figures of French and Spanish music were in the audience. Segovia had met Torroba in Madrid in 1918 and immediately asked him to write for the guitar; the Sonatina was the result.
Segovia recorded the first movement on 20 May 1927 — one of the earliest recordings of a 20th-century work written for the guitar. The published edition, edited by Segovia, has remained the standard text ever since.
The Movements
I. Allegretto — The opening movement is in classical sonata form: a first theme in A major, a second in E major, a development that moves through C, D, G and E major, and a recapitulation. Harmonically it is adventurous — augmented sixth chords, extended harmonies, chromatic modulations — while remaining within a Romantic idiom. It has remained a cornerstone of the concert repertoire since Segovia first performed it in 1924.
II. Andante — The slow middle movement is the most intimate of the three: lyrical, introspective, song-like.
III. Allegro — A brisk, energetic finale that closes the work with characteristic Spanish lightness.
Performed at Siccas Guitars
Playing it
The Sonatina rewards a guitarist who can sustain long melodic lines in the Allegretto while keeping the harmonic movement transparent underneath them. The slow movement needs a genuinely singing tone — not forced, just present. The finale asks for lightness and rhythmic clarity. Advanced intermediate repertoire; a standard competition and examination piece.
See the full Torroba guide and the companion piece Torija. Explore our classical guitar collection, each filmed in a video review.
