Het werk van gitaarvirtuoos Mauro Giuliani voor twee gitaren wordt op dit album uitgevoerd door het bekende gitaarduo Claudio Maccari en Paolo Pugliese. Mauro Giuliani (1781-1828) was een tijdgenoot van Schubert en één van de vele Italiaanse gitaarvirtuozen die zijn eigen land moest ontvluchten om aandacht te krijgen. Hij kwam in Wenen terecht waar hij regelmatig in deftige salons speelde en bijdroeg aan de rage die de gitaar daar werd. Als componist schreef hij vooral voor eigen gebruik: zo'n 200 stukken alles bij elkaar. Sommige van zijn concerten voor gitaar en orkest zijn ook nu nog populair. Hij heeft ook nogal wat duetten voor twee gitaren geschreven; sommige daarvan zijn gebaseerd op zowel Italiaans als Duits-Oostenrijks materiaal. Paolo Pugliese en Claudio Maccari treden sinds 1988 op als duo en bespelen authentieke instrumenten. Ze hebben ook Giuliani's gitaarconcerten opgenomen Uitvoerenden: Claudio Maccari, Paolo Pugliese (Gitaar)
CD 1: Sinfonia nell'opera La Gazza Ladra del M. Rossini
1. Allegro Maestoso 1:42
2. Allegro 5:48 Sinfonia nell'opera l'Assedio di Corinto del M. Rossini
3. Allegro Vivace 0:28
4. Marcia Lugubre dei Greci 2:33
5. Allegro assai 6:20 Sinfonia nell'opera Elisabetta Rigina di Inghilterra del M. Rossini
6. Andante Maestoso 1:41
7. Allegro vivace 5:31Sinfonia nell'opera la Cenerentola del M. Rossini
8. Maestoso 2:01
9. Allegro 5:20 Sinfonia nell'opera Il Pirata del M. Bellini
10. Allegro con fuoco 0:36
11. Andante Maestoso 1:21
12. Allegro agitato 4:34 Ouverture de l'opera La Vestale par M. Spontini
13. Andante sostenuto 1:48
14. Presto assai agitato 4:49
15. Ouv erture de La Clemence de Titus-musique de Mozart 4:57
16. Gran Pot-Pourri Op. 67 11:37
Total Time: 61'06
CD 2:
1. 16 Oesterreichise Nationale Ländler für zwei Guitarren op. 16a 7:06
2. Ländler für zwei Guitarren op. 55 4:37
3. XII Ländler con finale per una, o due Guitarre op. 75 4:37
4. 12 Ländler con finale per una, o due Guitarre op. 80 5:37
5. 12 Neue Ländler con finale per una, o due Guitarre Op. 92 4:29
6. XII Ländler per due chitarre op. 94 4:48
7. Auswahl der beliebtesten Deutschen von Apollo-Saal WoO, 2G-3 11:38 III Rondo Op. 66
8. Allegretto 3:31
9. Grazioso 4:37
10. Allegretto 5:32
11. Le Avventure di Amore op. 116 6:50
12. Tarantella del Sig. Lanza ridotta ed abbellita per due chitarre da Mauro Giuliani ... 4:01
Total Time: 67'29
CD 3: Variazioni Cancertanti op. 130
1. Introduzione: Maestoso 1:3 9
2. Tema e variazone 9:18 Gran Variazioni Concertanti Op. 35
3. Introduzione: Andante sostenuto 1:31
4. Tema d' una mazurka e variazioni 7:33 Tre Polonesi Concertanti op. 137
5. Allegretto, Trio, Allegretto 2:59
6. Allegretto, Trio , Allegretto 3:02
7. Allegretto, Trio, Allegretto 3:16 La Lira Notturna op.69
8. Maestoso, Trio, Maestoso 1:34
9. Allegretto, Trio, Allegretto 2:02
10. Andante sostenuto 1:13
11. Allegro, Trio, Allegro 1:27
12. Polonese, Trio, Polonese 2:59
13. Allegro, Trio, Allegro 2:23
14. Maestoso 2:42
15. Andantino Grazioso 1:45
16. Allegretto 1:55
17. Andantino 1:11
18. Allegro spiritoso 1:53
19. Allegretto 1:34
20. Allegro 1:37
21. Andantino 1:42
22. Allegro 1:37
23. Grazioso 1:11
24. Allegretto 1:59
25. Andantino 1:11
26. Allegretto 2:34
27. Andantino grazioso 2:05
Total Time: 64' 51
Mauro Giuliani Complete work s for guitar duo: Duo Maccari-Pugliese. This CD is a must-have recording of essential listening for anyone interested in the early romantic guitar. It consists of a 3-CD set and over 3 hours of music, with an attractive cover and liner notes. Giuliani needs no introduction, as one of the most important guitar composers of all time, and these duo works comprised a large portion of his total output, and much of his best material. The Duo Maccari-Pugliese is recognized as a leading ensemble in the field, and are sought out for their expertise by performers and researchers world-wide, including John Williams. The performances are magnificent, capturing the operatic nature of many of the works and played in a style appropriate to the time period. The duo plays with dynamics, tightness, and blazing speed where required to serve the music. All of the guitars used are period instruments, including museum-quality guitars by Guadag nin i, Pons, and Fabricatore, and the CD notes indic ate which guitars were used. The period guitars are strung with gut strings and tuned to A430, in order to closely reproduce the instrument timbre of the day. The guitars themselves also contribute substantially to the ambiance and the interpretation, as they respond very differently than the modern guitar. As a complete set, it features the full range of Giuliani's output: concert virtuoso works such as the Concert Variations op. 130 and 35, operatic fantasies (where Giuliani had unprecedented access to Rossini in person and to his manuscripts, and wrote probably the best rendition of Rossini works for guitar by anyone), and the many short "Landler" pieces on CD 2 probably intended for the popular audience, as well as such gems as the "Three Rondos" op. 66, and the 3 Polonaises op. 137, among others. The only omissions from being a "complete" work, are two of Giuliani's reduction arrangements of his own orchestral works, a s th e full versions can be heard on the duo's "Co mple te Guitar Concertos" CD. In addition to listening for enjoyment, guitarists who are looking for duet works to play will appreciate being able to sample the complete output.
