This collection includes a set of ten Etudes-Homages, written between 1970 and 1977, and the tone poem Death of Icarus (Etude No. 11), written in 1982.

The Etudes-Homages represent the composer's personal exploration of Romantic virtuosity applied to the guitar, written during an important formative period in the composer's life. As such, they are not only studies in advanced instrumental techniques, but also studies in style. Each of the studies borrows the essence, if not the letter, of the composer honored in the homage, but seen through a wide-angle lens that provides context not necessarily present in the output of those composers. And so, for instance, the Homage to Aguado presents techniques dear to the great pedagogue, but as if he knew Regondi, Sagreras and Villa-Lobos. The Homage to Scriabin imagines the Russian mystic writing a quasi-Mahlerian study for Miguel Llobet. Barrios' neo-Baroquism is given a Schummanesque twist, and Tárrega develops his little Prelude in A major (whose initial cell is quoted at the beginning of the etude) after hearing some of the great jazz chord-melodists.

Apart from the initial motive in Etude No. 4, there is only one other literal quote in the set: the subject of the fugue in Etude No. 5 is based on the lovely theme of Eduardo Sainz de la Maza's Platero from his suite Platero y Yo.

Death of Icarus is a tombeau written in memory of the great guitarist Regino Sainz de la Maza. Its open-ended conclusion underlines the spirit of curiosity, optimism and risk-taking that defines the esthetics of the Romantic movement in general.

Ricardo Iznaola, 2000