Romance de España — Classical Guitar in E Minor

"Romance" (also known as "Romance de España" or "Spanish Romance") is perhaps the most famous guitar piece in the world outside of classical guitar circles. Its authorship is disputed — it has been attributed to Rubinstein, Tarrega, and others — but its melody is universally recognizable: a lilting, wistful melody over arpeggiated chords in E minor. It has been arranged for orchestras, used in films, and recorded by virtually every classical guitarist of the 20th century. The piece consists of two sections: a melancholy E minor section (the melody that most people recognize) and a contrasting E major section (brighter, more ornate, with arpeggios climbing up the neck). The transition between minor and major represents the "past and present" or "sadness and hope" emotional arc of the piece. At advanced level, both sections must be played with absolute consistency of tone — no buzzes, no dead notes, every string ringing clearly in every arpeggio position. The left-hand position must remain stable throughout all the extended arpeggio shapes. The tremolo in some arrangements must be perfectly even, with the melody note always projecting above the accompaniment.