THEORETICAL STUDY AND PERFORMING EDITION OF SONATA III BY JAVIER G. COMPEÁN

Mexican composer Javier G. Compeán finished Sonata III, his most recent composition for solo guitar, in December 2015. Since the composition of his first such work in 2003, the composer has been experimenting with texture, register, dynamic range, extended techniques, harmonic possibilities, timbre, and form in his solo guitar music. In Sonata III, Compeán applied the experience he gained in previous compositions for guitar. This work represents the composer’s current style, in which he returns to a more traditional language but continues to experiment with the technical capabilities of the instrument. Sonata III is Compeán’s most ambitious guitar composition and one of the most important twenty-first century contributions to the Mexican guitar literature. This research focuses on the production of a performing edition of Sonata III. This research also includes a comprehensive analysis of Compeán’s solo guitar music to provide context for guitarists so that they can better understand the composer’s style