Barrios, Agustín – Free Sheet Music and TABs for Classical Guitar

All about Agustín Barrios, Guitarist and Composer

Agustín Barrios Mangoré (5 May 1885 – 7 August 1944) was a virtuoso guitarist and prolific composer.  

Early Musical Brilliance

Agustín Barrios was born in Villa Florida, Paraguay. 

Right from the start, his parents nurtured his love of music and the arts.  But the young Barrios taught himself to play guitar.

He played South American folk music until he started lessons with Gustavo Escalada.  This opened his eyes to a whole new world, as Escalada introduced him to the works of Francisco Tárrega, Sor and Aguado.  

It’s clear that Barrios’ musical brilliance shone from a young age. At 15, he became the youngest university student in Paraguayan history. As well being talented in music, he loved maths, literature, and graphic art.  He spoke Spanish and Guarani, and could read English, German and French.

In early life, he made a living in theatres, playing incidental music for shows and silent films.  Around this time, he became friends with the actor Paravicini who taught him makeup and costume. 

Nitsuga Mangoré

He used those theatrical skills later when he assumed an alter ego called Nitsuga Mangoré.  (Nitsuga is Agustín spelled backward.) Thereafter, he declared himself a Chief of the Guarani tribe. 

From 1930-34, he performed as Nitsuga Mangoré. Billed as the ‘Paganini of the guitar from the jungles of Paraguay’, he wore traditional dress. This was resplendent, with feathers and a bow and arrow.

He felt mystically empowered to share the music of the forest with his audience.

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Early-Intermediate Sheet Music By Barrios

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Intermediate Sheet Music by Barrios

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Advanced Sheet Music by Barrios

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Driving Ambition

Driven by ambition, Barrios’ career blossomed as he toured the world. He visited major cities in South America, Europe and North America, and lived in Buenos Aires. He also performed extensively in Brazil.

Once settled in El Salvador, he wrote a guitar method to instruct selected students (1940). They were called the Twelve Mangoréanos.

Audacious Style

Barrios was one of the most prolific composers of guitar music. His works were largely late-Romantic in style. He performed his original pieces alongside transcriptions of Grieg, Mendelssohn and Chopin.

His audacious fusion of folk and classical challenged norms.  His phenomenal performances captivated audiences both with their technical mastery and expressive style.

For example, his “Choro de Saudade” is a sublime expression of nostalgia and longing.  It embodies the soul of South American music.

He crafted demanding pieces that pushed the boundaries of the guitar.

Improvising and Recording

Barrios’ concerts included copious improvisation and he wrote very little down.

He felt that there was no need to publish. He said that much of his work was accessible “only to concert players whom you can count on the fingers of one hand.”

His great supporter was Borda y Pagola. He became so frustrated that he locked Barrios in a room until he notated some of his compositions.

But Barrios was among the first classical guitarists to make gramophone recordings. We can still hear these today. Many published editions of his work are transcriptions from those recordings.  

What Guitar Did Agustín Barrios Play?

Barrios didn’t have access to quality instruments while he was living in Paraguay. But by 1910, he was living in Buenos Aires, and playing some of the finest guitars of the time.

He usually toured with two guitars. Several of them had an extra 20th fret.

He was derided by many for using metal strings. These had rubber beads (‘sordina’) threaded down to the bridge.

Andrés Segovia was reported to have said of them, “I wouldn’t know what to do with that wire fence”.  

Popular Guitar Works by Barrios

La Catedral is perhaps Agustín Barrios’ most famous composition. It consists of three movements and was inspired by Bach.  It’s believed he wrote it after a visit to the Cathedral of San José in Montevideo.

While La Catedral may be most widely played, Julia Florida is one of his most loved pieces. This beautiful barcarolle perfectly conjures the feeling of a boat gently rocking.

Barrios wrote Julia Florida for his student, Julia Martinez de Rodriguez. ‘Florida’ was a family nickname. It means ‘bloomed’. In other words, she grew very fast in adolescence!

Some of his other most popular pieces are:

1. Vals Op. 8 No. 4: “Vals No. 4” is celebrated for its technical demands and lyrical beauty.
2. Una Limosna por el Amor de Dios: Translated as “An Alm for the Love of God”, this piece has a haunting tremolo.
3. Danza Paraguaya: A lively and rhythmically complex piece that reflects Barrios’ roots.
4. Choro da Saudade: The melancholy and nostalgia of the Brazilian choro style.
5. Sueño en la Floresta: A tremolo piece known for its dreamy and ethereal quality.
6. Mazurka Appassionata: Passionate and virtuosic, this showcases Barrios’ romantic style.
7. Gavota al Estilo Antiguo: Barrios blends classical form with his distinct musical voice.
8. Villancico de Navidad: A lyrical Christmas carol.

These works are celebrated for their technical brilliance, emotional depth, and cultural richness.

John Williams, Berta Rojas and the Barrios Legacy

Barrios was celebrated by the public for his virtuosity. Yet he struggled to be welcomed into the classical guitar fraternity of the day. His work dropped from public recognition after his death.

John Williams

In 1977, the concert guitarist John Williams sparked a Barrios renaissance. He played his music on TV, and released an album dedicated to the composer. It included many unpublished pieces and was instrumental in popularising Barrios’ music.

In 1995, he released “From the Jungles of Paraguay”. This included Julia Florida and Vals No. 4, which are now staples of the classical guitar repertoire.

Berta Rojas

Berta Rojas is now one of the foremost interpreters of Barrios’ music. She has performed and recorded his music extensively.

In 1994 she inaugurated the Agustín Barrios International Guitar Competition and Festival.

In 2011, she began a four-year project touring 20 countries “In the Footsteps of Mangoré”. The route followed the same itinerary as the composer.

She also spent 10 years on a project to play Barrios’ music to 154 schools in Paraguay. This reached 54,000 students.

In 2015, she played the soundtrack for the film “Mangoré – For the Love of Art.”

Further Reading

We can read more about Barrios’ legacy in two important books:

• “Six Silver Moonbeams, The Life and Times of Agustín Barrios Mangoré“. A fascinating, authoritative biography by scholar Richard Stover.
• The Diary of Agustín Barrios. A stunning volume of Barrios’ illustrations and facsimile diary entries. By Richard Pinnell and Frederick Sheppard.

Father of His Nation’s Guitar Music

Agustín Barrios Mangoré remains synonymous with innovation and passion. He demonstrated the limitless potential of the guitar.

His influence on Paraguayan guitarists is immense. He is revered as the father of his nation’s guitar music. And his music continues to resonate with classical guitarists globally.

He died as enigmatically as he had lived.  It’s possible he was poisoned by his wife’s lover.  Within hours, the story goes, his students stole his hand-written scores and scrapbooks.

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