This album of 20th-century masterpieces for flute and guitar features works composed especially for this combination of instruments plus arrangements of works by Bartók and Ravi Shankar. Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Sonatine for Flute and Guitar is considered to be one of the finest compositions for this combination of instruments, contrasting joyfulness with poignant melodies. The warm sound of the alto flute is given expressive range in Takemitsu’s Toward the Sea, while Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango takes us on a journey from the form’s beginnings in the brothels of Buenos Aires, to its acceptance as one of the most loved musical art forms of the 20th century.

TELEMANN: Tafelmusik (Complete)

MAHLER: Adagio

ROSSINI : String Sonatas Nos. 1 - 6

The group of six orchestral works known as the Brandenburg Concertos, commissioned by and dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg, are among the greatest works of Johann Sebastian Bach. These are consummate examples of the art of Baroque composition, frequently using groups of solo instruments in a more complex and virtuoso fashion than ever before. The Concerto No. 5, with it's prominent and dazzling harpsichord part, is almost a Harpsichord Concerto in it's own right.

This album contains baroque masterpieces arranged for two guitars and performed by the German ARTISGuitarDuo, an exceptional, highly successful young duo, performing all over the world. Unequivocally the young and sympathetic ARTIS GuitarDuo gained a firm place in the international concert world. Their lively, emotional style of playing and blind understanding on stage create an intense, intimate atmosphere and turn a concert into a unique experience. True to the motto "the guitar is an orchestra" the two musicians cover the whole color range of their instruments. Invitations to numerous international music festivals and concert tours took the duo as artists, teachers and jurors to Italy, Belgium, Lithuania, Slovenia, Croatia, Scotland, Czech Republic, Kosovo and Poland. Invited by the Goethe-Institute, they already concerted as cultural ambassadors in Brazil, China and Andalusia. The guitar legend Pepe Romero praises the duo as "exceptional guitarists and extraordinary musicians." The critics write: "A musical unity in a most perfect way". Several prizes at international chamber music competitions as well as many audience awards confirm the outstanding quality of the duo. They successfully graduated with distinction from the music universities of Stuttgart (in the classes of Prof. Johannes Monno and Ivo& Sofia Kaltchev), Frankfurt (Prof. Michael Teuchert) and Hamburg (Prof. Olaf van Gonnissen) - in Hamburg as the first guitar duo in the history of the university.

Schmidt-Kowalski, T.: Sonaten fur Violoncello und Klavier

The relevance of the piano in Karol Szymanowski's work may hardly be underestimated. During his whole career the composer took the instrument into high consideration. As a result of that, piano music- starting from 1900 with the Nine Preludes Op. 1 and ending in 1934 with the Two Mazurkas Op. 62- runs like a red thread throughout his worklist. Though only twelve of his numbered works are meant for solo piano, we must take into account more than 100 songs with piano accompaniment, several chamber works for violin and piano, the Mythes Op. 32 being the most popular, and the Symphony No. 4 Op. 60 known as the Symphonie concertante for piano and orchestra. Andrea Vivanet began playing piano at age 8 and continued his studies at the Conservatorio di Musica Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina in Cagliari. He continued at the Conservatorio di Musica Girolamo Frescobaldi in Ferrara where he graduated with honors. He currently lives in Paris, where he pursues an active teaching and performing career.

CELEBRATE THE AMERICAN SPIRIT

BEETHOVEN: Cello Sonatas

VIVALDI : Oboe Concerti

Bach, J.S.: Romantic Bach (The)

WAGNER : Orchestral Highlights

Schmidt-Kowalski, T.: Impressionen / Meditationen / Leidensc

BRAHMS: Piano Trios Nos. 1 - 3