The Sonata, Op. 61 by Joaquín Turina is the most substantial work he ever wrote for the classical guitar — a three-movement Romantic sonata in D minor that balances flamenco pulse with formal European architecture. Composed in 1931 and dedicated to Andrés Segovia, it was premiered by Segovia at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome on 29 January 1932.
A Large-Scale Statement
Before Turina's Sonata, most classical guitar music consisted of character pieces and shorter forms. A genuine three-movement sonata — sustaining a substantial musical argument across roughly eight and a half minutes — was a rarity. Turina brought to the task everything that shaped his compositional voice: formal training in Paris under Vincent d'Indy, Impressionist harmony absorbed from French contemporaries, and above all the flamenco tradition of his native Seville. The result fuses these elements in a work that sounds Spanish to its core while carrying the full weight of a serious European concert form.
The Movements
The opening Allegro / Allegretto tranquillo contrasts a rhythmically assertive first subject with a more song-like second, underpinned throughout by a twelve-beat flamenco phrasing cycle that gives the movement its Andalusian character. The Andante provides the lyrical, introspective heart of the work. The Allegro vivo finale is the most overtly flamenco of the three, with the twelve-beat compás most prominent and the dance energy at its fullest.
Performed at Siccas Guitars
Playing it
The Sonata demands sustained technical and musical command across all three movements. Advanced to concert level. Understanding the flamenco compás that runs through the work — even for players from outside the tradition — transforms the performance.
See the full Turina guide and the Sevillana.
