Tárrega was in many ways the father of the modern guitar. During his lifetime the collection of small, quiet instruments of varying shapes had standardised on a large and sturdy form that we know today. Tárrega was something of jose of all trades. He was a teacher, enthusiastically organising club meetings and concerts; he was a performer, popularising the new guitar; he arranged many pieces for the instruments; and he wrote a range of music for technical study and performance, the most famous of which is Recuerdos de la Alhambra, a musical portrait of the cool courtyards of Granada’s Moorish palace.