Serenata Española by the famous pianist Joaquin Malats captures all of the nuances of Spanish classical guitar music that we have come to know and love.
I have made this transcription by combining the original transcription by Francisco Tarrega with the YouTube version played by Julian Bream. Bream in his usual style adds more spice and flair and I prefer his version therefore I spent many hours listening to and subsequently notating his live performance.
17 pages featuring:
Sheet music with tabs underneath (complete fingerings for both hands)
Sheet music only
Tabs only
Introduction
Joaquín Malats was born near Barcelona on March 5, 1872 in Spain. Malats passed away on October 2, 1922 in Barcelona but not before he had established himself as a notable composer and pianist.
Serenata Española is a well-known piece and holds a significant position in Malats’ musical ouvre. I listened to many wonderful performances on YouTube and found myself favouring the Bream brilliance over Tarrega’s original transcription. My transcription therefore represents a confluence of the works of two masters - Francisco Tarrega & Julian Bream.
Tips
Listen to Julian Bream & Edson Lopez play this on YouTube
Judicious use of rubato is encouraged in order to emphasise the ambience associated with a ‘serenade’
Pay strict attention to the length of bass notes in order to more clearly define the parts
Consider using a slur etude if the mordents are proving to be too technically challenging for the left hand to execute clearly and consistently