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Barcelona Music Museum

The guitar: a permanent dialogue between popular and art music

The Museum’s guitar collection is regarded as one of the best in the world. Photo by Rafael Vargas.

The Museum’s guitar collection is regarded as one of the best in the world. Photo by Rafael Vargas.

At the end of the 16th century, the guitars and hand violas of the Renaissance became transformed into a simpler, more versatile instrument. In 1586, Joan Carles i Amat published the first known treatise on the guitar. He describes two styles of five-string guitar playing: the Castilian and the Catalan. The six-stringed version became popular in the 18th century, for sophisticated music and for dances and accompanying songs.

OBJECTS

<p>Baroque guitar, known as the Guitarra de los Leones (Spain), <em>c.</em> 1700. Photo by Rafael Vargas.&nbsp;Barcelona Music Museum.</p>

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Lion-ornamented guitar
Lion-ornamented guitar
<p>The Museum exhibits the guitar that belonged to Vict&ograve;ria dels &Agrave;ngels. Photo by Eduard Selva.&nbsp;Barcelona Music Museum.</p>

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Pagés guitar
Pagés guitar
<p>Guita. Photo by Eduard Selva.&nbsp;Barcelona Music Museum.</p>

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Guitar "Pascuala" and Anselm C
Guitar "Pascuala" and Anselm Clavé's Guitar
<p>Guitar by Antonio de Torres Jurado (Seville), 1859. Photo by Rafael Vargas.&nbsp;Barcelona Music Museum.</p>

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Torres guitar
Torres guitar
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