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Brilliant Classics

Novecento Guitar Variations

$18.99

Details

Composer
Boris Vladimirovic Asafiev, Leonardo Balada, Oscar Bellomo, Lennox Berkeley, Ermanno Brignolo, Franc
Artist
Cristiano Porqueddu
Format
CD
Label
Brilliant Classics
Released
Apr 30, 2026
Catalog #
BRI96651
UPC
5063758966511

About

The dazzling Sardinian guitarist returns to the studios for a breathtaking compendium of variation sets, many of them never recorded before, by many of the most enduring names in guitar composition of the last century. Through the course of his long partnership with Brilliant Classics, Cristiano Porqueddu has attracted superlatives and enthusiasm from all corners of the critical press and listeners everywhere. There's no denying the ability of Cristiano Porqueddu,' wrote David Hurwitz in Classics Today, citing the guitarist's 'rich sound and dexterous handling of his instrument.' His colleague Jed Distler noted that Porqueddu's 'nuanced articulation allows him to sustain and spin out legato lines as if his fingers had bows.' Porqueddu's collection of 20th-century variation sets surveys a kaleidoscopic variety of styles and idioms, demonstrating in the process the guitarist's own breadth of vision as well as his virtuosic technique and insightful musicianship. He begins with a monster of the form: the 45-minute sequence of variations on a theme of Fernando Sor, by the US composer Mark Delpriora. Musician and listener are taken on an astonishing tour de force of invention, as Sor's melancholy tune becomes the raw text for vivid pastiches and parodies in the style of canon composers from Beethoven through to Schoenberg and Busoni. Characteristically, set the challenge to 'follow that', Porqueddu does just that, with a work of his own, which takes it's inspiration from Foucault's Pendulum. On the following discs, the withdrawn, lyrical chromaticism presents a compelling contrast with both the Russian romanticism of Boris Asafiev preceding him, and the implacable shadows of the Raighines by Ermanno Brignolo. This last work was composed for Porqueddu himself, while John Duarte's Variations on a Catalan Folksong were composed in 1956 at the suggestion of John Williams; and it is in this distinguished lineage that Porqueddu belongs. Some of the following works inspire wonder at their intricacy (both executive and compositional), such as the interwoven Variants on Two Themes of Bach by Reginald Smith-Brindle, while others major on charm, such as the first set of Mozartiana composed by Porqueddu's teacher, Angelo Gilardino. There's something for everyone.

Tracklist 65 tracks

  1. 1 Theme: Menuet (Op. 24 No. 1) 03:22
    Track
    1
    Title
    Theme: Menuet (Op. 24 No. 1)
    Duration
    03:22
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  2. 2 Variation 1: Marcia (Pensando a Beethoven) 01:17
    Track
    2
    Title
    Variation 1: Marcia (Pensando a Beethoven)
    Duration
    01:17
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  3. 3 Variation 2: Sonatinetta (Pensando a Clementi) 02:42
    Track
    3
    Title
    Variation 2: Sonatinetta (Pensando a Clementi)
    Duration
    02:42
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  4. 4 Variation 3: Ländler (Pensando a Schubert) 02:26
    Track
    4
    Title
    Variation 3: Ländler (Pensando a Schubert)
    Duration
    02:26
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  5. 5 Variation 4: Etude I (Pensando a Schumann) 01:38
    Track
    5
    Title
    Variation 4: Etude I (Pensando a Schumann)
    Duration
    01:38
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  6. 6 Variation 5: Nocturne (Pensando a Chopin) 03:21
    Track
    6
    Title
    Variation 5: Nocturne (Pensando a Chopin)
    Duration
    03:21
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  7. 7 Variation 6: Canon (Pensando a Klengel) 02:52
    Track
    7
    Title
    Variation 6: Canon (Pensando a Klengel)
    Duration
    02:52
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  8. 8 Variation 7: Etude II (Pensando a Schumann) 01:12
    Track
    8
    Title
    Variation 7: Etude II (Pensando a Schumann)
    Duration
    01:12
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  9. 9 Variation 8: Ballade (Pensando a Brahms) 03:00
    Track
    9
    Title
    Variation 8: Ballade (Pensando a Brahms)
    Duration
    03:00
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  10. 10 Variation 9: Scherzo (Pensando a Berlioz) 04:27
    Track
    10
    Title
    Variation 9: Scherzo (Pensando a Berlioz)
    Duration
    04:27
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  11. 11 Variation 10: Marche Funèbre (Pensando a Wagner) 08:42
    Track
    11
    Title
    Variation 10: Marche Funèbre (Pensando a Wagner)
    Duration
    08:42
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  12. 12 Variation 11: Berceuse (Pensando a Fauré) 03:34
    Track
    12
    Title
    Variation 11: Berceuse (Pensando a Fauré)
    Duration
    03:34
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  13. 13 Variation 12: Prelude (Pensando a Scriabin) 01:44
    Track
    13
    Title
    Variation 12: Prelude (Pensando a Scriabin)
    Duration
    01:44
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  14. 14 Variation 13: Intermezzo (Pensando a Schönberg) 03:21
    Track
    14
    Title
    Variation 13: Intermezzo (Pensando a Schönberg)
    Duration
    03:21
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  15. 15 Variation 14: Fugue (Pensando a Busoni) 05:05
    Track
    15
    Title
    Variation 14: Fugue (Pensando a Busoni)
    Duration
    05:05
    Composer
    Mark Delpriora
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  16. 16 I. Prologo 01:18
    Track
    16
    Title
    I. Prologo
    Duration
    01:18
    Composer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  17. 17 II. Del Sentire 01:30
    Track
    17
    Title
    II. Del Sentire
    Duration
    01:30
    Composer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  18. 18 III. Estrema Ratio 01:25
    Track
    18
    Title
    III. Estrema Ratio
    Duration
    01:25
    Composer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  19. 19 IV. Berceuse 03:00
    Track
    19
    Title
    IV. Berceuse
    Duration
    03:00
    Composer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  20. 20 V. Burlesco 00:59
    Track
    20
    Title
    V. Burlesco
    Duration
    00:59
    Composer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  21. 21 VI. Grenzsituationen 02:10
    Track
    21
    Title
    VI. Grenzsituationen
    Duration
    02:10
    Composer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  22. 22 VII. Epilogo (Tema) 01:37
    Track
    22
    Title
    VII. Epilogo (Tema)
    Duration
    01:37
    Composer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  23. 23 Metamorfosis de la Soledad 10:36
    Track
    23
    Title
    Metamorfosis de la Soledad
    Duration
    10:36
    Composer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  24. 24 Lento with Variation 04:11
    Track
    24
    Title
    Lento with Variation
    Duration
    04:11
    Composer
    Leonardo Balada
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  25. 25 Theme with Variations after Tchaikovsky 03:46
    Track
    25
    Title
    Theme with Variations after Tchaikovsky
    Duration
    03:46
    Composer
    Boris Vladimirovich Asafiev
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  26. 26 Theme and Variations, Op. 77 08:20
    Track
    26
    Title
    Theme and Variations, Op. 77
    Duration
    08:20
    Composer
    Lennox Berkeley
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  27. 27 Raighínas 11:10
    Track
    27
    Title
    Raighínas
    Duration
    11:10
    Composer
    Ermanno Brignolo
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  28. 28 Introduction 01:54
    Track
    28
    Title
    Introduction
    Duration
    01:54
    Composer
    John W. Duarte
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  29. 29 Variation 1 00:43
    Track
    29
    Title
    Variation 1
    Duration
    00:43
    Composer
    John W. Duarte
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  30. 30 Variation 2 01:55
    Track
    30
    Title
    Variation 2
    Duration
    01:55
    Composer
    John W. Duarte
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  31. 31 Variation 3 00:44
    Track
    31
    Title
    Variation 3
    Duration
    00:44
    Composer
    John W. Duarte
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  32. 32 Variation 4 01:53
    Track
    32
    Title
    Variation 4
    Duration
    01:53
    Composer
    John W. Duarte
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  33. 33 Variation 5 01:10
    Track
    33
    Title
    Variation 5
    Duration
    01:10
    Composer
    John W. Duarte
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  34. 34 Variation 6 02:54
    Track
    34
    Title
    Variation 6
    Duration
    02:54
    Composer
    John W. Duarte
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  35. 35 Variation 7 01:52
    Track
    35
    Title
    Variation 7
    Duration
    01:52
    Composer
    John W. Duarte
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  36. 36 Variation 1: Lento e pensoso 01:28
    Track
    36
    Title
    Variation 1: Lento e pensoso
    Duration
    01:28
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  37. 37 Variation 2: Risoluto, ma non troppo mosso 01:11
    Track
    37
    Title
    Variation 2: Risoluto, ma non troppo mosso
    Duration
    01:11
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  38. 38 Variation 3: Andantino scorrevole e sommesso 01:07
    Track
    38
    Title
    Variation 3: Andantino scorrevole e sommesso
    Duration
    01:07
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  39. 39 Variation 4: Allegro non troppo, ma assai energico 00:51
    Track
    39
    Title
    Variation 4: Allegro non troppo, ma assai energico
    Duration
    00:51
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  40. 40 Variation 5: Andantino appena mosso 01:37
    Track
    40
    Title
    Variation 5: Andantino appena mosso
    Duration
    01:37
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  41. 41 Variation 6: Allegretto 01:07
    Track
    41
    Title
    Variation 6: Allegretto
    Duration
    01:07
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  42. 42 Variation 7: Andante piùttosto lento 01:31
    Track
    42
    Title
    Variation 7: Andante piùttosto lento
    Duration
    01:31
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  43. 43 Variation 8: Agitato 01:08
    Track
    43
    Title
    Variation 8: Agitato
    Duration
    01:08
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  44. 44 Variation 9: Non troppo lento, con forte scansione 01:50
    Track
    44
    Title
    Variation 9: Non troppo lento, con forte scansione
    Duration
    01:50
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  45. 45 Variation 10: Rapido e lieve 01:29
    Track
    45
    Title
    Variation 10: Rapido e lieve
    Duration
    01:29
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  46. 46 Variation 11: Mosso, legato 00:50
    Track
    46
    Title
    Variation 11: Mosso, legato
    Duration
    00:50
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  47. 47 Variation 12: Liberamente, come preludiando 02:01
    Track
    47
    Title
    Variation 12: Liberamente, come preludiando
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  48. 48 Theme and Variations 04:59
    Track
    48
    Title
    Theme and Variations
    Duration
    04:59
    Composer
    Eli Magen
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  49. 49 Variazioni Sulla Follia 07:13
    Track
    49
    Title
    Variazioni Sulla Follia
    Duration
    07:13
    Composer
    Alberto Mariani
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  50. 50 Thème et variations 08:24
    Track
    50
    Title
    Thème et variations
    Duration
    08:24
    Composer
    Fernande Peyrot
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  51. 51 10 Variations on an Armenian Theme 10:49
    Track
    51
    Title
    10 Variations on an Armenian Theme
    Duration
    10:49
    Composer
    Oscar Bellomo
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  52. 52 Comme des variations 11:55
    Track
    52
    Title
    Comme des variations
    Duration
    11:55
    Composer
    Franco Cavallone
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  53. 53 Di tante lagrime … 09:04
    Track
    53
    Title
    Di tante lagrime …
    Duration
    09:04
    Composer
    Franco Cavallone
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  54. 54 Theme: Andantino semplice 01:08
    Track
    54
    Title
    Theme: Andantino semplice
    Duration
    01:08
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  55. 55 Variation 1: Burlesco 00:59
    Track
    55
    Title
    Variation 1: Burlesco
    Duration
    00:59
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  56. 56 Variation 2: Agile 00:58
    Track
    56
    Title
    Variation 2: Agile
    Duration
    00:58
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  57. 57 Variation 3: Grazioso 01:47
    Track
    57
    Title
    Variation 3: Grazioso
    Duration
    01:47
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  58. 58 Variation 4: Dolce e cullante 01:52
    Track
    58
    Title
    Variation 4: Dolce e cullante
    Duration
    01:52
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  59. 59 Variation 5: Come un mormorio 01:35
    Track
    59
    Title
    Variation 5: Come un mormorio
    Duration
    01:35
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  60. 60 Variation 6: Risoluto 01:06
    Track
    60
    Title
    Variation 6: Risoluto
    Duration
    01:06
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  61. 61 Variation 7: Agitato 01:41
    Track
    61
    Title
    Variation 7: Agitato
    Duration
    01:41
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  62. 62 Variation 8: Reverie 03:39
    Track
    62
    Title
    Variation 8: Reverie
    Duration
    03:39
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  63. 63 Variation 9: Allegro vorticoso 02:33
    Track
    63
    Title
    Variation 9: Allegro vorticoso
    Duration
    02:33
    Composer
    Angelo Gilardino
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  64. 64 Variants on 2 Themes of J.S. Bach 17:24
    Track
    64
    Title
    Variants on 2 Themes of J.S. Bach
    Duration
    17:24
    Composer
    Reginald Smith Brindle
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu
  65. 65 Variazioni su El Testament d'Amelia di Llobet 11:12
    Track
    65
    Title
    Variazioni su El Testament d'Amelia di Llobet
    Duration
    11:12
    Composer
    Kevin Swierkosz-Lenart
    Performer
    Cristiano Porqueddu