Joaquín Rodrigo composed the concerto in 1954 at the request of the guitarist Andrés Segovia, who was evidently the gentleman referred to in the title. Its four movements are based on six short dances for solo guitar by the 17th-century Spanish composer Gaspar Sanz. Rodrigo expanded Sanz's themes to produce a work of over 20 minutes. Joaquín Rodrigo was always clear about how much to contribute with his work to maintain the clear ideas of Sanz and the essence of these dances: "A whole past of dances, in which old and new times end up intertwining, revives in these titles. I aimed for the harmonic language and sound climate not to hinder the spirit of those titles."