One normally thinks of the celebrated Spaniards when considering classical guitar music, but the 19th-century Italian Mauro Giuliani was highly regarded as a virtuoso and a composer.
This set draws together three different areas of his composition, performed by different guitarists. Tullia Cartoni presents a dozen Scottish and Irish airs: "Coming Through the Rye" sounds stilted, though "The Bluebells of Scotland" strikes a better balance between the folksy and the genteelly technical.
Played by Elena Càsoli, the études are teaching exercises possessed of a lilting formality that lends itself perfectly to the instrument. Massimo Scattoli's delivery of sinfonia pieces based on Rossini operas reveals a courtly sensibility expressed through pleasing flourishes.
Download this: The Bluebells of Scotland; Sinfonia after Semiramide
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