El Carbonerito

This solo piece for classic guitar is a musical theme with five variations based on an ancient nursery melody very popular in Spain and Spanish America. This musical theme is based on an ancient Spanish romance, whose oldest form appears in a gothic parchment dating from the 15th century. The most recent or modern version of this romance is from the last third of the 19th century. The version given here, "Little Coal-Heaver Boy," is one of the best known. This arrangement was a mandatory piece in the thirteenth edition of the renowned International Guitar Contest sponsored by French Radio in 1987-1988. These variations were dedicated to Robert J. Vidal, contest founder and were composed in Puerto Rico in the year 1986. They are presented here in notation only. The recording was made in 1988 by Scott Tennant. Intermediate to advanced in difficulty.