Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687 – 1750) is known to guitarists as the greatest baroque composer for the lute, yet most are only familiar with the earlier portion of Weiss’s prolific output found in the British Library in London. Inspired by a forty-year friendship with the late Douglas Alton Smith - a major figure in the scholarly study of the history of the lute - guitarist, composer, and head of the guitar program at Temple University in Philadelphia, Allen Krantz explored the Weiss manuscripts found in other European cities, particularly the Dresden editions which contain the fifteen sonatas that Weiss produced from the late 1730s to the end of his life. Transcriptions of three of those fifteen late sonatas are featured in this book in modern standard notation along with the original lute tablature as found in the Sächsische Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek, Dresden. While the baroque lute’s tuning makes some works awkward or impossible on the guitar, the three works presented here—Sonatas No. 35 in D minor, No. 42 in A minor and No. 45 in A Major— are in their original keys which happen to be guitar-friendly. The author’s generous and scholarly “Preface” provides thorough historical and performance notes for the music in this volume. While just three of Weiss’s 109 multi-movement lute sonatas are represented here, the importance of this publication cannot be overstated. It contains some of the greatest music of a masterful lutenist— Weiss once faced-off with J. S. Bach on keyboards in a counterpoint improvisation contest—now made accessible to the modern classical guitarist.

Silvius Leopold Weiss - The Complete Lute Sonata IX in C Major, Dresden MS for Classical Guitar, Transcribed, Arranged and Marked for Solo Classical Guitar by Richard F Sayage, in association with Savage Classical GT.A book of delightful and challenging classical guitar music for the classical guitarist looking for new guitar music by Weiss, the master lutenist. Fully marked and fingered, 13 pages of music. Beginner to Advanced.

Silvius Leopold Weiss - The Complete Lute Sonata IV in G Major, London MS for Classical Guitar, Transcribed, Arranged and Marked for Solo Classical Guitar by Richard F Sayage, in association with Savage Classical GT.A book of delightful and challenging classical guitar music for the classical guitarist looking for new guitar music by Weiss, the master lutenist. Fully marked and fingered, 13 pages of music. Beginner to Advanced.

Silvius Leopold Weiss - The Complete Lute Sonata II in D Major, London MS for Classical Guitar, Transcribed, Arranged and Marked for Solo Classical Guitar by Richard F Sayage, in association with Savage Classical GT.A book of delightful and challenging classical guitar music for the classical guitarist looking for new guitar music by Weiss, the master lutenist. Fully marked and fingered, 13 pages of music. Beginner to Advanced.

This collection of arrangements for solo guitar is an ideal introduction to Weiss's music. The ten varied pieces were carefully chosen for their musical character and technical suitability at intermediate and advanced levels. Preserves the original ornamentation and left-hand slurs. Core repertoire for Grades 6-8 of ABRSM's guitar syllabus.