VIVALDI: Lute Concerto in D Major RV93 (arr. For 2 guitars in G Major) :CARULLI: Largo et Rondo from 6 Petits Duos Op34 No2: D.SCARLATTI: Keyboard Sonatas in Bm K173, and F Major K78 (arr for 2 guitars) :FRESCOBALDI :Aria detta la Frescobalda F3.32: GIULIANI: Rossiniana No1 Op119 Extract: ALBINONI: Adagio in Gm.
Valerie Duchateau (all guitars)
Edition Duchateau Voisin
This is one of, at the moment 6 albums covering many areas of the most important music for our instrument. In this case however most of it was not originally guitar music, but here have mostly been arranged for 2 guitars, both of which are played by Valerie Duchateau.
Everything here should be largely familiar to most of you and so we begin with the complete 3 movements of Vivaldi’s Lute concerto in D Major (here in G). The performances are very good indeed, and the recording nice and clear .The interpretation is, as you might expect, absolutely fine, and she does a good job of creating the piece on 2 guitars. A good opener to this album.
The Carulli is perhaps the one that some of you won’t know, but it is very Classical in feel, as anyone who knows the style of this composer will realise, and although a large amount of this man’s music might be a bit of a strain on the ears, the odd piece is absolutely fine.
The two Scarlatti sonatas, like the huge majority of his keyboard sonatas are fabulous music and at times it is hard to accept that they weren’t written for the guitar (or guitars) as they nearly always sound so correct on the guitar. The performance of both is impeccable too.
Girolamo Frescobaldi’s Aria Detta la Frescobalda is thought of as the first set of variations on an original theme, written in 1627 for keyboard. The work is beautiful and quite striking in its clever writing and again sounds like it was written for the guitar, it sounds that natural in that context.
The large set of Giuliani Rossiniana are split over 6 opus numbers , each being of considerable length, based as they are on Rossini’s melodies. The first one, as recorded here, Op119, is the last portion, nearly 9 minutes in length, although that is only a little more than half of the actual work, and along with its companions is certainly one of Giuliani’s most remarkable compositions.
Finally Albinoni’s famous Adagio in Gm is a wonderful close to the album, and the arrangement is very clever and works beautifully on the guitar, and is nicely recorded too.
So in essence this is a very fine set of recordings and if the other volumes are as good, then this set is certainly one to look out for.
Chris Dumigan
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