The dances and sets of variations published in this volume come from the Codice Saldívar, a manuscript that was discovered by the Mexican musicologist Dr. Gabriel Saldívar y Silva in León (Mexico) in 1943. Although the title page of the manuscript is missing, we can assume with great certainty that it is the work of Santiago de Murcia. The manuscript dates from around 1732 and the handwriting, paper format and watermark are the same as those from another work by de Murcia. This collection demonstrates de Murcia's interest in a wide range of music for guitar and, like many other Spanish composers, the inspiration he found in the new sounds and rhythms brought home by the Spanish seafarers. The result is a rich and colourful feast of the baroque guitar repertoire.