The life of the guitar has always been linked with Spain. In the Renaissance, the Spanish abandoned the lute centuries before the rest of Europe in favor of the predecessors of the modern guitar. Spanish guitar composers, such as Gaspar Sanz, made valuable additions to the guitar repertoire with a distinctly Spanish flavor; Spanish virtuosos popularized the guitar as a solo instrument in the late 18th century, and Spanish guitar makers perfected the form of the classical guitar in the mid-19th century, reintroducing the instrument to the international consciousness through the efforts of great composers and virtuosos such as Francisco Tarrega (1852-1909), whose playing technique and compositional style forever changed how the guitar is seen, heard, and played. Other great Spanish composers followed in his wake, such as Joaqu�n Turina, Federico Moreno Torroba, and Joaqu�n Rodrigo, firmly establishing the 19th and 20th century tradition and style of the Spanish guitar.