Ask any guitarist: they will all know Mauro Giuliani. Ask a lover of music in general whether the name Giuliani rings a bell: the answer will most probably be “No”. This Giuliani (1781-1829) was one of many Italian guitar virtuosos. Today he is considered Italy’s most important guitarist. His oeuvre consists of over 200 works mainly for the guitar.
On these new recordings for Brilliant Classics you can hear five of these pieces. They are the three concertos for solo guitar and orchestra combined with two lesser known chamber works: the Gran Quintetto for guitar and strings in C major op. 65 and the Variazioni ……for guitar “terzina” and string quartet op. 102. The guitarists are Claudio Maccari and Paolo Pugliese. The Ensemble Ottocento provides the accompaniment on period instruments.
Both the third solo concerto and the Variazione su “Nume perdonami in tale instante”(from Generali’s Baccanli di Roma) are played here on the terzina guitar. This is a slightly smaller guitar than normally used: its pitch being a third higher.
Mauro Giuliani: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra No. 1 in A Major, Op. 30: I. Allegro maestoso
Mauro Giuliani: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra No. 1 in A Major, Op. 30: II. Siciliana (Andantino)
Mauro Giuliani: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra No. 1 in A Major, Op. 30: III. Polonaise (Allegretto)
Mauro Giuliani: Concerto for Guitar “terzina” and Orchestra No. 3 in F Major, Op. 70: I. Allegro moderato
Mauro Giuliani: Concerto for Guitar “terzina” and Orchestra No. 3 in F Major, Op. 70: II. Andantino alla Siciliana con variazioni
Mauro Giuliani: Concerto for Guitar “terzina” and Orchestra No. 3 in F Major, Op. 70: III. Polonaise (Allegretto)
Disk 2
Mauro Giuliani: Concerto for Guitar and Strings No. 2 in A Major, Op. 36: I. Maestoso
Mauro Giuliani: Concerto for Guitar and Strings No. 2 in A Major, Op. 36: II. Andantino
Mauro Giuliani: Concerto for Guitar and Strings No. 2 in A Major, Op. 36: III. Rondò (Allegretto)
Mauro Giuliani: Gran Quintetto for Guitar and Strings in C Major, Op. 65: I. Introduzione
Mauro Giuliani: Gran Quintetto for Guitar and Strings in C Major, Op. 65: II. Theme and Variations (on the aria “Nel cor più non mi sento”)
Mauro Giuliani: Gran Quintetto for Guitar and Strings in C Major, Op. 65: III. Polonaise
Mauro Giuliani: Variazioni su “Nume perdonami in tale istante” from Generali’s Baccanali di Roma, for Guitar “terzina” and String Quartet, Op. 102: Introduzione, Thema, Variations
