From Italy FC081

Italian Virtuosi performed on authentic
19th-Century instruments
Compositions by Mario Giuliani, Francesco Molino,
Luigi Moretti, Ferdinando Carulli;
Eleonore Pameijer-flute
Dario Macaluso-guitar

It is

Dario Macaluso & Eleonore Pameijer

In the second half of the sixteenth century, the guitar underwent an intense transformation, both in how it was used technically and stylistically as well as physically. In a revolution spanning several decades, counterpoint was abandoned in favor of a clear distinction between melody and accompaniment. The baroque guitar, which was previously fitted with five double strings, evolved into the eighteenth-century six-stringed guitar.

The flute also changed considerably during this period. The baroque transverse flute, a simple wooden pipe with holes in it, developed into an instrument with an ingenious system of keys, the Boehm flute, on which one could play effortlessly in any major or minor key.

In the eighteenth century, the guitar found favor with the court and the aristocracy, becoming popular in the salons of the prosperous bourgeoisie. The music of this period is characterized by the so-called Stile Galante, reflected in the compositions of Ferdinando Carulli, Mauro Giuliani and Niccolò Paganini. The new century saw the rise of the composer as a virtuoso, a cosmopolitan, and a passionate and frequent guest at salons in the most elegant cities in Europe, able to bewitch and amaze the audience with his brilliant performances.

In most modern salons, it became customary to include the guitar in performances of chamber music. Many composer-guitarists became extremely popular with publishers because of their considerable output of numerous volumes of chamber music combined with guitar, varying from duets to sextets. The works for flute (or violin) and guitar proved most sought after, as publishers needed only to publish one edition which could then be used by several different instruments. The combination of flute and guitar turned out to be a succesful one, as both instruments have a pleasing, gentle sound. On this CD Eleonore Pameijer and Dario Macaluso present several extraordinary compositions from this period.

Mauro Giuliani (1780-1829) Grand Duo Concertante op. 85
1. Allegro maestoso
2. Andante molto sostenuto
3. Scherzo
4. Allegretto espressivo

Francesco Molino (1768-1847) Tre Duetti op. 61
Duet 1
5. Andante marcato
6. Rondo (Allegro non troppo)
Duet 2
7. Andante
8. Polonaise (Allegretto vivace)
Duet 3
9. Cantabile sostenuto
10. Rondo Ecossais (Allegretto ben marcato)

Luigi Moretti (18th/19th century) Duetto op. 17
11. Andante sostenuto
12. Rondò

Ferdinando Carulli (1770-1841) Tre Duetti op.104
Duet 1 in D major
13. Larghetto espressivo
14. Poco Allegretto
Duet 2 in G major
15. Andante sostenuto
16. Allegretto
Duet 3 in C minor
17. Largo
18. Allegretto