Composers who wrote music for the classical guitar. Read some history about various composers and a number of songs that they left us.
Spanish guitar and the lute
After years of being subordinate to the lute, a period followed, where the guitar became more and more popular. The guitar changed from "instrument used by the normal people", to instrument that's (also) used by the rich and fortunate. Eventually, there is even music written for Orchestra, with a role for solo guitar . This was 'normaly' only done for the piano, wind instruments and string instruments like the chello or violin. The guitar has slowly grown to an 'adult' instrument.
Lute
Popularity of guitar music
In the 16th century not many people composed for the guitar. Alonso Mudarra (c. 1546) was one of the composers who wrote music for the Renaissance guitar. Gaspar Sanz (around 1674) did this for the Baroque guitar in the 17th century. Late 18th early 19th century guitar music got a 'boost': Fernando Sor (1778-1839), Mauro Guilliani (1781-1829), Matteo Carcassi (1792 – 1853), Fernando Carulli (1770 – 1841) wrote music, published learning methods and gave concerts. The guitar had become very popular and guitar concerts where given more often. This period is called the Classical or early Romantic period.
When Antonio de Torres made the last changes to the classical guitar, around 1860, there came a whole new stream of romantic music, written especially for solo guitar and later also work for guitar and Orchestra.
Francisco Tárrega
Francisco Tárrega
The best-known composer/guitarist from this period is Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909). He wrote a considerable number of great music pieces for solo guitar (he played a Torres guitar). He also 'translated' work that was written for the piano by his good friend Isaac Albeniz. This piano music with a Spanish approach also sounded perfect on the Spanish guitar. Francisco Tárrega was also a guitar teacher and a couple of his students became famous musicians or composers. For example: Miquel Llobet (1878-1938) and Andres Segovia (1893-1987).Andres Segovia
Andres Segovia
Andres Segovia travelled the world and became the man who brought the guitar to the great concert halls in the 20th century. Although he was not known as a composer, he was the one who tried to lift the guitar study at the level of piano and violin studies. During his first professional concert in Madrid, he played work for solo guitar by Francisco Tárrega and work of Johann Sebastian Bach. Although his family not supported him, he studied the guitar for the rest of his life. Many composers, including Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, wrote work for him. In 1986 he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.Other well-known composers for the classical guitar are: Agustin Barrios Mangore (1885-1944 Paraguay), Federico Moreno Torroba (1891-1982 Spain), Leo Brouwer (Cuba 1939), Manuel Ponce (1882-1948 Mexico), Heitor Villa Lobos (Brazil 1887-1959), Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999 Spain).
Joaquin Rodrigo
Joaquin Rodrigo
Joaquin Rodrigo needs a extra entry because, in January 1939, he started composing his masterpiece Concierto de Aranjuez, the first concert for the classical guitar with Orchestra. 
Beautiful music for classical guitar
Francisco Tárrega:
- Recuerdos de la Alhambra
- Capricho Árabe
- Danza Mora
Miquel Llobet:
- Respuesta-Impromptu
- El testament d'Amèlia
- Cançó del lladre
Agustin Barrios Mangore:
- La catedral
- Choro da Saudade
- Las Abejas
Heitor Villa Lobos:
- Suite popular brésillienne
- multiple Choros
Joaquin Rodrigo:
- Concierto de Aranjuez
- Tres Piezas Españolas
Read more about the Spanish guitar:
http://historyofthespanishguitar.blogspot.com
http://thespanishguitars.blogspot.com
Check out this video of Lagrima by Tarrega :
