'A lush, intricate success - meaningful for Messiaen enthusiasts and enjoyable for those new to his work. I highly recommend it.' This review from Fanfare magazine is one of several in the international press to have recognised the achievement of Ciro Longobardi while in the midst of recording the complete piano music of Olivier Messiaen, in a cycle which is now issued complete for the first time, and at budget price. The piano music of Messiaen spans times and idioms ranging from the Debussyan Pr�ludes of 1928-9, written when the composer was barely out of his teens, through to the jewel-like Petites Esquisses d'Oiseaux from 1985-one of his last works before his death in 1992. While every bar of the music is distinctively and instantly 'Messiaen', that idiom evolved a good deal over the years, and came to a kind of peak as well as a crisis in the Catalogue d'Oiseaux from the late 1950s. This 13-movement cycle is the only one of Messiaen's major works to end in darkness and despair, with the lonely song of the warbler piercing a pitch-black Brittany seascape, accompanied only by the mournful boom of a lighthouse and the endless rolling of waves against a stony shore. Messiaen could 'paint' such pictures in sound as vividly as a Debussy or a Richard Strauss before him, but he could also lift his gaze towards a heaven which was as real for him as the earth below. Hence both the all-encompassing power and tender sincerity of the Vingt Regards, composed during the depths of the Second World War, which retains enduring popularity even among musicians and audiences who are challenged either by musical complexity or by direct appeal to the emotions. This set is thus the fruit of years of living with the music, as well as the years spent recording it. Ciro Longobardi has performed Messiaen in recital and at festivals across Europe, throughout a career spanning three decades, which began with his prize-winning appearance at the International Gaudeamus Competition in Rotterdam in 1994.

Including many world-premiere recordings, the first-ever album dedicated to the music of a 16th-century lutenist-composer from Padova: a sequence of virtuosic, restlessly inventive fantasias and dances. The music on this album is drawn from a 1582 collection, Novae tabulae musicae testudinariae hexachordae et heptachordae. The frontispiece shows a figure, likely Barbetta himself, casting a broken lute into the fire, beneath which reads a defiant inscription: 'I shall never willingly entrust the lute to the ignorant or the envious, but to one born of flame shall I commit it - for neither ignorance nor envy shall ever be able to achieve what he can.' Beyond the collection itself, little is known about it's author, Cecilio Cesare Barbetta (c. 1540-c. 1623). Living and working in the university city of Padova, Barbetta was evidently exposed to German cultural models through the members of the German nobility who passed through the city. Many of his 14 Fantasias are intricate four-part contrapuntal works, requiring both technical mastery and a deep understanding of musical structure from the performer. By contrast, Barbetta also wrote (or elaborated) not only traditional Italian dances like the Saltarello but also pieces with exotic character, such as the Moresca, a traditional Moorish dance from North Africa. This album has been a labour of love for the Japanese lutenist Mikiya Kaisho, whose booklet essay details his work in transcribing Barbetta's music from facsimiles of the original tablatures. 'My hope was to craft a musical narrative,' he writes, 'carefully designed to allow anyone to enjoy the lute's delicate and intimate resonance in daily life, on a journey through a vibrant and multifaceted sound world.'

Romanticism had many faces. Mozart's spirit still floated through musical life, and Beethoven's mighty music set the benchmark for every Romantic composer. Mozart's legacy was carried forward by two great pianists: Hummel, a pupil of Mozart, and Ries, a pupil of Beethoven. They each steered Romanticism in a different direction. Newspapers across Europe wrote of the 'wild Romanticism' of the bohemian Ries, now seen as a forerunner of Schumann. Meanwhile, the virtuoso Hummel enchanted and astonished his audiences. Around 1815, at the time of the Congress of Vienna, he was the most famous pianist in the world, and Liszt was crazy about his music. Schubert, by contrast, was the creator and embodiment of personal expressiveness in the Romantic era. He performed only in private circles and had no interest in empty virtuosity, even though he was a superb pianist whose instrument, according to contemporaries, would sing under his hands. This new recording presents the Piano Quartet in G major by Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778-1837), the Piano Quartet in F minor by Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838), and the Adagio & Rondo Concertante by Franz Schubert (1797-1828).

This recording by Ciconia Consort, Couleurs de France, offers a rare and evocative journey through four lesser-known works for string orchestra by three prominent 20th-century French composers: Andr� Jolivet, Jacques Cast�r�de, and Daniel-Lesur. Jacques Cast�r�de's connection to his French predecessors is evident in his use of modal, chromatic, and diatonic scales. A student of Olivier Messiaen, Cast�r�de nonetheless forged a highly personal harmonic style within an extended tonal idiom, characterized by melodic clarity and accessibility. His compositions seem to harmoniously blend the various French styles of the 20th century. In his work, we hear the sonic fingerprints of Arthur Honegger, Daniel-Lesur, and his teacher Messiaen - all woven into a coherent, lyrical whole. Throughout his life, Andr� Jolivet aimed to "restore to music it's original, ancient meaning, when it served as a magical, incantatory expression of the religious beliefs of human communities."* His later compositions continued this exploration, seeking music's original function as an emotional, ritualistic, and celebratory form of expression. His Symphonie pour cordes, commissioned by French radio and television, was composed in 1961 and premiered on January 9, 1962. The symphony demands exceptional technical skill from all performers. It is written in a freely atonal idiom and is characterized by intense dissonance. Daniel Jean Yves Lesur (1908-2002) was a French composer, organist, and teacher, closely linked to the group La Jeune France, alongside Olivier Messiaen and Andr� Jolivet. His music often reflects a balance between tradition and modernity, combining rich harmonic language with a sense of spiritual depth. Lesur's output includes choral works, chamber music, and orchestral compositions, yet he remains less widely known than some of his contemporaries. Among his instrumental works is the S�r�nade pour cordes (1949), a luminous piece that highlights his lyrical style and refined craftsmanship. Written for string orchestra, it embraces classical clarity while exploring colorful modal harmonies, characteristic of Lesur's personal voice. This recording is the fifth CD on Brilliant Classics by the Ciconia Consort (The Hague String Orchestra), a Dutch string orchestra conducted by Dick van Gasteren, an internationally active conductor who was Bernard Haitink's assistant during the Mahler Festival Amsterdam in 1995.

Son of the better-known Georg Muffat, Gottlieb was also hawked around the courts of Europe by his father as a boy wonder of music, anticipating the course of Mozart's early years under the self-interested care of Leopold. However, when at home, Gottlieb Muffat grew up in Vienna under the careful tutelage of Johann Joseph Fux, master of music at the Hofkapelle, a relationship which deepened once Georg died in 1704, when Gottlieb was just 14 years old. In due course Fux pulled strings to get his talented pupil an official post, and this album of keyboard partitas offers ample proof that his faith in Gottlieb Muffat was justified. Their date is uncertain: during his lifetime, only two collections of his music were published, and after 1739 he seems to have broken off composition, focusing his energies on performing and teaching at the Hofkapelle. Listeners familiar with the keyboard partitas by JS Bach will find a certain degree of common ground in the elegant sequence of French-style dances which are headed by a more exploratory Prelude. Muffat's counterpoint may not be so rigorous, but his ear for a well-turned melody offers satisfying reward in it's own right. The use of French, English and even Spanish titles to individual movements underlines the imaginative and fanciful qualities of the collection: see for example Postillon in the Suite in F major; Coquette in the Suite in A major; a Hornpipe in the Suite in D minor and the Intrada to the Suite in F. As well as enthusiastically received albums of Pasquini, Gabrieli, Vivaldi and above all Frescobaldi, Roberto Loreggian has previously recorded the 1739 collection of Componimenti Musicali to which this new recording forms a sequel. Of his collection of Partitas by Telemann, Fanfare commented: 'Without seeming driven, his playing is lively and well-articulated, and he is always sensitive to Telemann's stylistic variety, whether it is tending, at any given moment, to the courtly or to the common.'

Anton Rubinstein (1829-1894) was a towering figure in 19th-century music: a virtuoso pianist, conductor, composer, and educator whose influence extended well beyond his own works. Born in Russia, Rubinstein gained international fame as a pianist of almost legendary ability, rivaled only by Franz Liszt. He was also instrumental in establishing a Russian school of music, founding the St. Petersburg Conservatory in 1862, where he trained a new generation of composers and performers. As a composer, Rubinstein was remarkably prolific, writing symphonies, operas, chamber music, and countless works for piano. While his style is rooted in the German Romantic tradition, particularly Mendelssohn and Schumann, Rubinstein's music often reflects his own expansive temperament, with a combination of lyrical expressiveness and dramatic power. Among his chamber works, the two cello sonatas hold a special place. The Cello Sonata No.1 in D major, Op.18 (1852) reflects the youthful Rubinstein's energy and lyricism. Written in three movements, it showcases both the cello's singing qualities and the pianist's virtuosity. The writing is full of warmth, charm, and soaring Romantic melodies, though some critics have noted it's more traditional, German-influenced character. Still, it demonstrates Rubinstein's gift for crafting heartfelt, expressive music that gave performers a chance to shine. More ambitious is the Cello Sonata No.2 in G minor, Op.39 (1857), composed only five years later but revealing greater maturity and depth. Structured in four movements, it has a broader scope and darker, more dramatic character. The interplay between cello and piano is more intricate, with the instruments treated as equal partners. It's passionate themes, stormy climaxes, and lyrical slow movement make it a more compelling work, often considered Rubinstein's finest chamber composition. Though not as frequently performed today as works by Brahms or Chopin, Rubinstein's cello sonatas remain valuable contributions to the Romantic repertoire, offering a glimpse into the artistry of a composer who bridged Russian and European traditions. Played with passion and tenderness by Matilda Colliard and Stefano Ligoratti.

Carlo Mannelli (Rome, 1640-1697) spent the major part of his life in Rome where he also worked during the opera performances and religious events. As a violinist nicknamed Carlo del Violino and Carluccio di Pamfili, he played the first violin in the most famous Roman musical ensembles of the period. Arcangelo Corelli, who often played under Mannelli, described him as one of his most influential teachers. For several years, Mannelli was leader of the famous Congregetione di S. Cecilia. The Trio Sonatas Op. 2 consists of 14 Sonatas. They are in 4, 5 or 6 movements. They display a freshness of melodic invention and sometimes daring harmonic surprises, a great tonal richness and unexpected, highly expressive chromatic phrases. The Ensemble Giardino Di Delizie is a Roman female Baroque group, founded in 2014 by the violinist Ewa Anna Augustynowicz, researching and performing forgotten treasures from the Italian and Polish Baroque. They played in such ensembles as Europa Galante, Les Elements, Quatuor Mosa�ques and others. Their previous recordings of instrumental works by Lonati, Stradella, Colista and Leonarda met with enthusiast critical acclaim in the international press: 'The performance sounds completely natural, full of spontaneity and bursting energy. It's clear the group really likes this music and does not merely try and lecture it. ' (Lonati, 95590 theclassicreview. Com). 'Giardino di Delizie... take an energetic and imaginative approach to this fine music... playing with sensitivity and considerable musicality. ' (Colista, 96033, earlymusicreview. Com). 'A garden of delights, sensitively and beautifully performed, perfect for any lover of the Baroque. ' (Gems of the Polish Baroque, 95955, MusicWeb International) Critical praise for Giardino di Delizie: 'Ewa Anna Augustynowicz and her plaintive Baroque violin are the stars here. Nevertheless, she is in like-minded and similarly capable company. ' Fanfare (Stradella, 96079) 'Wonderfully engaging, especially when played with such imaginative musicality as it is here. ' Early Music Review (Stradella, 96079)

The history of large-scale works for clarinet, cello and piano began with the two trios composed by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1797 and 1803. Soon after Beethoven's trios were published, several of his contemporaries were also inspired to compose trios for these instruments. Adalbert Gyrowetz (1763-1850), a prolific Bohemian composer active in Vienna, wrote chamber music that aligned with the elegant, balanced style of the Classical period. His clarinet trios often follow the model popularized by Beethoven and others: clarinet, cello, and piano. They highlight the clarinet's lyrical qualities while maintaining a conversational equality among the three instruments. Gyrowetz's music tends to favor charm and clarity over dramatic intensity, providing insight into the salon culture of early nineteenth-century Vienna. Johann Heinrich Volckmar (1770-1840), though less widely remembered, contributed to the clarinet trio genre with works that blend Classical formality with touches of early Romantic color. His trios display a clear sense of melody, often assigning the clarinet bright, song-like lines while the piano provides both harmonic support and moments of virtuosity. Volckmar's writing exemplifies how regional composers outside the central canon engaged with the clarinet's expressive potential, even if their works remained on the periphery of mainstream concert life. Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838), a student and close associate of Beethoven, represents a later stage in the trio tradition. His clarinet trios show a more Romantic sensibility, with broader structures, heightened contrasts, and more demanding instrumental writing. Ries imbues his works with dramatic flair and lyrical warmth, reflecting both Beethoven's influence and his own individual voice. Together, the trios of Gyrowetz, Volckmar, and Ries trace the clarinet's evolution from Classical elegance to Romantic expressivity within the chamber music setting. Played on period instruments by the Trio Origo. Trio Origo was formed for a performance of Beethoven's Trio Op.11 in 2004 when it's members were students of the Sibelius Academy. The trio has since then focused on performing Classical and Romantic works on period instruments. Trio Origo's recording of two trios by Beethoven was released in 2020 on Brilliant Classics (BC, 96215).

Fernando Sor (1778-1839) was a Spanish guitarist and composer often regarded as the "Beethoven of the guitar" for the refinement and expressive range of his music. Trained in Barcelona, Sor first pursued a broader career in opera and instrumental music before turning decisively to the guitar, an instrument that, during his lifetime, was gaining recognition in concert halls and private salons alike. After political upheaval forced him into exile, Sor settled in Paris and later London, where he became one of the most respected guitarists and teachers of his era. His works display a mastery of classical form, elegance of melody, and a distinctive clarity that continues to captivate audiences and players today. Among his many works for guitar, the Pieces de societe hold a special place. Published in 1830 in Paris, this collection was conceived not only for professional musicians but also for the flourishing amateur market. The title itself-literally "pieces for society"-reflects their social function: short, charming works intended to be played in intimate gatherings, where the guitar was often a centerpiece of musical entertainment. The pieces range from graceful minuets and waltzes to lyrical romances, each showcasing Sor's gift for combining accessible textures with subtle sophistication. While technically approachable, the Pieces de societe still embody Sor's characteristic elegance: balanced phrasing, inventive harmonic progressions, and refined voice leading. They illustrate how Sor adapted his art to the tastes of the salon without compromising musical quality. Today, these works provide valuable insight into nineteenth-century guitar culture and remain staples in the repertoire of students and professionals alike. Played by Leonardo de Marchi, one of the foremost guitar players of Italy.

The most comprehensive set ever compiled of instrumental music by Respighi, featuring classic scores such as The Pines of Rome alongside hidden treasures of chamber music. All modern recordings made by native Italian musicians between 2009 and 2015: both an ideal starting and destination point for anyone looking to explore the vibrantly coloured musical world of Respighi. Italy's landscape and history supplied Ottorino Respighi with a deep and seemingly inexhaustible well of inspiration and material on which to draw. Works as superficially diverse as the elegantly neoclassical Ancient Airs and Dances, and the opulently orchestrated extravaganza of the Roman trilogy, are united by Respighi's care for his native heritage, and his curation of it as a living object. He is, in this sense, no less centrally an Italian composer than those of his colleagues dedicated to continuing the opera tradition, from Bellini to Puccini. Yet there is so much more to Respighi than those two collections. There is the hour-long Sinfonia Drammatica which finds Respighi at his most Straussian. There is the pulsating and neoclassical Toccata for piano and orchestra, the contrasting delicacy of the orchestral triptych after paintings of Botticelli, the withdrawn beauty of his Church Windows sequence, and a sequence of concertante works for violin and orchestra, none of which fit neatly into the 'romantic concerto' template. Perhaps the least known and most intriguing work in his orchestral output is his dark and brooding Metamorphoseon, commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky in 1930 and thus long predating Richard Strauss's postwar elegy of (almost) the same name. The piano and chamber works of Respighi illuminate complementary aspects of his identity, such as his feeling for long-breathed melody and drama in the violin sonatas, and the deft turns of phrase in his student-era piano pieces. When these recordings first appeared, they attracted enthusiastic praise from reviewers, especially the orchestral series masterminded by the conductor Francesco la Vecchia. 'La Vecchia directs with obvious affection, and the playing has engaging spirit and no mean grace... Desiree Scuccuglia gives a red-blooded and formidably secure account of the solo part [of the Concerto misolidio]' (Gramophone). 'There is no question that these musicians understand and love Respighi's idiom. La Vecchia negotiates the music with a definite point of view, carefully balancing the composer's unique blend of 20th-century orchestral colours and ancient modal chant.' (Fanfare)

Christlieb Siegmund Binder (1723-1789) was a German composer, organist, and harpsichordist active in Dresden during the mid-18th century. He belonged to the musical circle surrounding the Saxon court, which at the time was a major cultural hub, closely tied to both German and Italian traditions. Though not as widely remembered as his contemporaries Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach or Johann Adolf Hasse, Binder's works reflect the stylistic shift from the late Baroque to the empfindsamer Stil and early Classicism. Among his surviving works, the Six Harpsichord Sonatas stand out as his most notable contribution to the keyboard repertoire. These pieces display a balance between contrapuntal craftsmanship and a more galant, expressive style. Unlike the ornate fugues and suites of the earlier Baroque, Binder's sonatas emphasize clear melodic lines, graceful ornamentation, and a lighter texture, qualities that aligned with the taste of Dresden's aristocratic audiences. Each sonata reveals Binder's sensitivity to expressive nuance. The slow movements often highlight a singing quality, echoing the influence of opera, while the faster movements showcase rhythmic vitality and elegant figurations well suited to the harpsichord's brilliance. Though less technically demanding than some of Domenico Scarlatti's sonatas, they nevertheless require finesse and attention to articulation, as the musical interest lies in subtle contrasts of mood and character. Binder's sonatas also provide a window into the transitional aesthetic of the 1740s and 1750s. They combine traces of learned counterpoint-expected from a Dresden organist trained in the Lutheran tradition-with the charm and immediacy of the galant style. In this sense, his music bridges the world of J.S. Bach with the more modern sensibilities of Haydn and Mozart. Played on a Mascheroni harpsichord by P. Taskin, 1769, by Paolo Gazzola. Born in Piacenza in 1992 he obtained a Master of arts in music performance in Organ at the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana with Stefano Molardi.

Franz Liszt (1811-1886), though primarily known for his groundbreaking work as a pianist and composer, had an indirect but meaningful relationship with the harp. While he did not compose extensively for the instrument, he recognized it's expressive capabilities and occasionally incorporated it into his orchestral and vocal works. His appreciation for the harp's unique timbre is especially evident in pieces like the Dante Symphony and Les Preludes, where the harp adds a celestial or ethereal texture that complements his dramatic musical narratives. Liszt's circle of influence also brought him into contact with harpists of his time, and he occasionally arranged pieces that could be adapted for the harp. His transcription of Schubert's Ave Maria, for instance, has become a popular work among harpists. Though he never wrote solo harp compositions, the lyrical and arpeggiated nature of his piano writing shares similarities with harp technique, suggesting an understanding of the instrument's expressive qualities. This beautiful program presents arrangements of works by Liszt which are especially suitable for performance on the harp: Ave Maria, Schubert's Standchen, 6 Consolations, 3 Liebestraume, Angelus. The harp arrangements are by several famous harp players and composers from the end of the 19th century. Beautifully played by Anna Pasetti, one of the leading harp players of today. As a musicologist, she is the author of about 300 publications on the history of the harp and it's repertoire (including 5 monographs), but she also has numerous recordings to her credit, mostly dedicated to the unknown harp repertoire that she herself rediscovered.

The viola da gamba is not dead, despite a claim to the contrary in the Dictionary of Musicians by German composer, organist and cellist Ernst Ludwig Gerber (1746-1819). From the 16th century to the end of the 18th, the viola da gamba experienced a true apotheosis, becoming the favoured instrument for bourgeois entertainment, particularly in Germany, France, Italy and England, even if the instrument's origins lie in the Spanish Renaissance. Because of these associations with the aristocracy, but also because of advances in musical style that demanded more from the role of the lower member of the string family, the gamba lost ground to the newer cello during the French Revolution. Limited interest in the instrument persisted through the 19th century, until a rebirth occurred thanks to German cellists Christian Dobereiner (1874-1961) and Paul Grummer (1879-1965), and later the Austrian Karl Maria Schwamberger (1905-1967) and Swiss cellist August Wenzinger (1905-1996), a pupil of Grummer's and a founder, in 1925, of one of Germany's first early music ensembles. Wenzinger was appointed cello and viola da gamba teacher at Basle's new Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where Giacomo Nones (1929-2017) and Jordi Savall (b.1941) would become his pupils. Dobereiner was one of the most important pioneers at the dawn of modern research into historical performance practice, considered to have revived both the viola da gamba and the baryton from obscurity. From his Sarabande, in Handelian style, only the solo part has survived, and the basso continuo has been reconstructed by Matteo Malagoli. Alexander Tcherepnin (1899-1977) was an important Russian pianist and composer. He invented his own harmonic language, combining major and minor hexachords in a pentatonic scale that blended old Russian patterns and Georgian (Caucasian) harmonies. During a stay in France he became friends with Paul Grummer and in 1969 published a lovely Sonata da chiesa for viola da gamba and organ dedicated to Grummer and his daughter Sylvia. Giuseppe Selmi (1912-1987) was a gifted concert cellist, performing both with orchestra and piano. As a composer, he wrote several works for solo cello, with piano and with harp (he played in a duo with his wife Maria Dongellini). Following the gift of a viola da gamba (built by Paolo Leonori in 1952) from his wife in the 1970s, he became a passionate advocate for the instrument, writing works for it with harp or solo. Giacomo Nones (1929-2017) dedicated himself from a young age to classical music and the popular music from his native Trentino, studying violin, organ and viola da gamba, as well as musicology and organology. He has edited transcriptions and publications of Renaissance and Baroque music and has collaborated with various early music ensembles. Passionate about contemporary music, in particular 'computer music', he wrote his 10 small Algorithms for two viols with the use of a computer according to theories by the Russian mathematician Rudolf Zaripov. His only other viola da gamba works are the very different Partitas on the Lutheran chorale Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan for gamba and organ, and the Fantasia for solo viol on the Kyrie of the Gregorian 'Orbis factor' Mass. Riccardo Giavina (1937-2019) was a Piedmontese pianist and composer, later a teacher and headmaster at the 'Bonporti' Conservatory of Trento and Riva del Garda. A friend of Giacomo Nones, in April 1977 he dedicated his three short pieces for three viols (soprano, tenor and bass) to the other composer. Written in late Renaissance style, they are aimed at extending the original literature for viola da gamba into the 20th century. - Recorded April 2022 in Silvelle; July, August & December 2023 in Ponte nelle Alpi; and January 2024 in Trento (Italy) - Booklet in English contains liner notes and a profile of each of the composers - Matteo Malagoli plays a viola da gamba by Marco Salerno (Rome - Barcelona, 2004) - Cristina Centa plays a Salvi harp - Stefano Rattini plays a harpsichord by Fabrizio Acanfora (Naples, 1997) and at the Carlo Vegezzi-Bossi organ (1907; restored Mascioni, 2000) of the Trento Philharmonic Society

Preludes, dances, nocturnes and vibrant miniatures for guitar from the composer of the Concierto de Aranjuez. In the modern era, no single work embodies Spain in music more than the Concierto de Aranjuez, as Miles Davis effectively acknowledged by making his own version of it the centrepiece of his iconic Sketches of Spain album. However, Rodrigo wrote a good deal more for guitar than this ever-popular concerto. There are four more concertos, and over 20 solo works. The solo works span the entire breadth of his long career, from the Zarabanda lejana of 1926 to Dos pequen�as fantasias (Two Little Fantasies of 1987. Rodrigo always drew on history and heritage rather than rejecting them, and many of these pieces take their inspiration from the lute and vihuela compositions of the Spanish renaissance. There is often a self-consciously antique flavour to both the gestures and harmonies. Yet many other pieces belong unmistakably to their time - such as the gripping and virtuosic Toccata of 1933, which remained hidden among the papers of the guitarist Regino Sainz de la Maza until 1997, when it was performed for the first time. Rodrigo's period of high maturity as a composer fell in the 50s and 60s, and from this period date the high points of his solo-guitar catalogue, such as the Tres piezas espa�olas, dedicated to Segovia, the haunting Junto al Generalife, the complex Triptico, and most of all the Invocacion y danza (homenaje a Manuel de Falla), which rapidly became a repertoire piece for guitarists after Rodrigo wrote it in 1961 for a composition competition organised by French radio. The Italian guitarist Giulio Tampalini has made several acclaimed albums for Brilliant Classics, such as a collection of the complete guitar music by Respighi and Mozzani. 'If you have ever had even the slightest inclination towards the guitar, you have to hear this this album. It is simply breathtaking. This is a guitar album for the ages, and I hope that Tampalini and Brilliant Classics will see fit to give us more.' (Fanfare, September 2017)

A high-grade transfer to LP for a 2018 album of popular songs in delightful transcriptions by Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996), and played by an Italian guitarist who has made a speciality of this repertoire. 'My music is like a garden, and I am the gardener. Listening to my music can be compared to walking through a garden and experiencing the changes in light, pattern, and texture.' Widely considered to be the greatest composer in the classical music tradition in modern Japan, Toru Takemitsu merged Japanese and Western instruments and techniques to create a unique sound world. During the post-war years, in his youth, Takemitsu came into contact with Western music through radio broadcasts the American occupying forces - not only jazz, but especially classical music by Debussy and Schoenberg. 'Every afternoon they broadcast three hours, of beautiful classical music - Bruno Walter, Toscanini, or Paul Whiteman from the Hollywood Bowl. I listened to radio every day. My first teacher was the radio.' Takemitsu found a meeting place between pop and classical music in his scores for almost a hundred Japanese films such as Kurosawa's acclaimed Ran. The guitar also took a starring role in several of in concert works, such as the concerto To the Edge of Dream, and solo pieces such as Towards the Sea. But these transcriptions belong to a lighter genre, and make an affectionate homage to songwriters from George and Ira Gershwin to Lennon and McCartney. Londonderry Air, Over the Rainbow and The Internationale will not be found together on very many song albums, but Takemitsu's taste was as broad as his sensibility was refined. Amours perdues is a classic example of the postwar French chanson, by Joseph Kosma, while What a Friend (we have in Jesus) is a revivalist hymn from 1850s America. Andrea Dieci has recorded Takemitsu's 'own' concert music for the guitar more than once, lending his performance of these transcriptions a particular authority.