During a music history class at the conservatory, our instructor encouraged us to listen in particular to a Minuet by Handel, as performed by İdil Biret. Although the class was focus on Romantic period of the music, I initially struggled to understand why a work by a Baroque composer had been singled out. Yet, upon listening to the piece, I came to understand my instructor’s intention and was reminded of Vladimir Horowitz’s oft-quoted remark: “Every composer is a Romantic.” Biret’s performance deeply moved me and sparked a desire to perform the piece on guitar. I found the score, but the version she played in her concerts was based on her teacher Wilhelm Kempff’s version. Although the score I had was the original version; to remain faithful to the composer’s notation, I have preferred to arrange the piece for two guitars instead of solo guitar.
