570778bk Castel-Ted1:557541bk Kelemen 3+3

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Page 1

Brasil Guitar Duo

CASTELNUOVOTEDESCO

Acclaimed by critics, the Brasil Guitar Duo was winner of the 2006 Concert Artists Guild International Competition.
With a full touring schedule on two continents and recordings and innovative programming featuring a seamless blend
of traditional and Brazilian works, the Duo has quickly emerged as one of the pre-eminent guitar duos of its generation.
Recital highlights in the United States include Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, NYCs downtown River to River
Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, Chautauqua Music Festival, Symphony Space and the Orange County (CA)
Performing Arts Center. Internationally, the Duo has performed at the Bermuda Guitar Festival, Asociacin Nacional
de Conciertos in Panama City, the Outreach Festival in Austrias Tyrol, and So Paulos Campos do Jordo International
Festival. The Brasil Guitar Duo has performed Castelnuovo-Tedescos Concerto for Two Guitars with the Houston
Symphony and Brazilian music with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas at Columbia Universitys Miller
Theatre.

Music for Two Guitars 1

The Well-Tempered Guitars

Sonatina canonica

The Brasil Guitar Duo plays Sergio Abreu guitars.

Joo Luiz: Sergio Abreu 1997, Rio de Janeiro Douglas Lora: Sergio Abreu 1990, Rio de Janeiro
Management: Steven Shaiman, Concert Artist Guild
sshaiman@concertartists.org http://www.concertartists.org/brasil_bio.htm

Brasil Guitar Duo

BRASIL GUITAR DUO wishes to thank the following people for their support:
Paulo Martelli, Sergio Abreu, Henrique Pinto, Fabio Zanon, Alice Artzt, Tom and Denise Dailey, Klaus Heymann and
Bonnie & Norbert Kraft of Naxos.
Special thanks to everyone at Concert Artists Guild in New York, and also to our family and friends who helped us to
make this recording a reality.

Get this free download from Classicsonline!

Sor: Divertissement, Op. 38, I. Andante Moderato
Copy this Promotion Code NaxP0ZHBWyjk and go to http://www.classicsonline.com/mpkey/sord3_main.
Downloading Instructions
1 Log on to Classicsonline. If you do not have a Classicsonline account yet, please register at
http://www.classicsonline.com/UserLogIn/SignUp.aspx.
2 Enter the Promotion Code mentioned above.
3 On the next screen, click on Add to My Downloads.

Brasil Guitar Duo Photo by Kriz Knack

M
Y
K

8.570778

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570778bk Castel-Ted1:557541bk Kelemen 3+3

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Page 2

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968)

Music for Two Guitars 1
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, born in Florence, studied
composition and piano at the Istituto Musicale Cherubini
and later at the Liceo Musicale of Bologna. His mentors
were Pizzetti and Casella, members of the influential and
progressive Societ Italiana di Musica, a group of
composers, including Malipiero and Respighi, with whom
Castelnuovo-Tedesco became closely associated.
Castelnuovo-Tedescos interest in writing for the guitar
began with his introduction to Andrs Segovia, who had
travelled to Italy with Manuel de Falla, at the Venice
International Festival in 1932. As a result he was to
compose over a hundred works for the instrument,
including concertos, chamber music, many solos and some
of the finest pieces for two guitars, the latter inspired by
the illustrious French duo, Ida Presti and Alexandre
Lagoya.
In 1939, as a result of Mussolinis anti-Jewish edicts,
Castlenuovo-Tedesco was obliged to seek refuge abroad,
but after settling in California he became a prolific writer
of film music between 1940 and 1956, in the same period
composing more than seventy concert works. As a
member of the faculty of the Los Angeles Conservatory
of Music, he numbered among his pupils Henry Mancini,
Nelson Riddle, Andr Previn, and the composer John
Williams.
A guitar tradition of duo playing stretches back to the
early nineteenth century when Fernando Sor wrote several
outstanding duets to perform with his friend, Dionisio
Aguado, while various other composer/performers such as
Mauro Giuliani and Fernando Carulli also composed fine
works for two guitars. In the twentieth century a number
of distinguished duos established an international
reputation, the most eminent being the famous duo of Ida
Presti and Alexandre Lagoya to whom CastelnuovoTedesco dedicated the works on this recording.
Sonatina Canonica, Op. 196, was written in 1961. The
composer, in a letter to the dedicatees, Presti/Lagoya, on
9th October, 1961, commented: This is a small work,

without pretensions, a Sonatina Canonica for two guitars

in three movements, and I hope that this is playableand
that also it will be pleasant to play! Probably there will be
some necessary adjustments...We can make any changes
that you wish. (Or you yourselves can make them without
consulting me.)
Though Sonatina Canonica may by its title suggest a
genre that pays tribute to past styles, it is actually a
thoroughly contemporary work, lyrical and sometimes
humorous in nature, with three contrasting movements.
The sonatina opening, grazioso e leggero (graceful and
light), first presents a virtuoso blending of guitar colours
and strong melodic themes. A central section introduces
skittish dotted rhythms with an elegantly ornamented
quasi Musette, followed by a vigorous recapitulation
which re-states elements of the central part. The slow
movement, Tempo di Siciliane, in 6/8, is one of the
composers most tender and inspired offerings for the
guitar, in which he skilfully deploys the guitar duo to
achieve not only the articulation of beautiful themes but
also the careful working out of sublime chordal effects.
Then comes Fandango en Rondeau, ritmico e deciso
(rhythmical and decisive), an energetic dance yet with
some moments of introspection, including a brief melody
indicated as expressive and a little passionate before the
main theme returns with its vivacity and excitement.
The Well Tempered Guitars, 24 Preludes and Fugues
for two guitars, Op.199 (1962), was also dedicated to
Presti-Lagoya. In May 1962 Castelnuovo-Tedesco wrote
to the duo announcing that having finished Prelude and
Fugue No. XIV, he was well on the way to completing the
entire set. Op. 199 proved to be a landmark in the guitars
history and the most ambitious undertaking for two guitars
ever conceived. The first edition was fingered by
Evangelos and Liza Assimakopoulos as Ida Presti died in
1967 at the age of 43. The variety of moods, colours,
techniques and styles within the set is immense, certainly
in one sense paying homage to the great precedent of

8.570778

J. S. Bach, but at the same time exploiting the depths of

Castelnuovo-Tedescos gifts for melodic inventiveness,
wit, vivacity, introspection and lyricism.
These twelve Preludes and Fugues were completed in
Beverley Hills, California, between 8th March and 11th
May, 1962, each movement being carefully annotated
chronologically by the composer, (and for that reason the
dates are provided below). There is an element almost of
a diary here in which Castelnuovo-Tedesco records his
moods and emotions throughout a short creative period
entirely dedicated to the production of this quite
extraordinary collection of pieces, so varied, colourful and
brilliant, ranging from the joyful to the melancholic.
Castelnuovo-Tedesco organizes his Preludes and Fugues
by selecting the keys for each in a cycle of rising fifths
(alternating minor and major).
Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in G minor were completed
respectively on 8th and 11th March, 1962. The Prelude,
marked Trs fluide, matches triplet patterns against
expressive chords. A middle section offers a contrast, the
time signature changing from 12/16 to 6/8. Throughout the
piece each guitar part shares the work-load equally, the
various elements being transferred between the two
players. The first Fugue of the set establishes the
composers own distinctive approach involving a melody
(molto espressivo) of some complexity especially
rhythmically. The countersubject as the second guitar
enters includes chromatic thirds, short fragments of scale
runs, and chords reminiscent of the Prelude. A middle
episode (pp dolcissimo) brings in gentle arpeggios
characteristic of Castelnuovo-Tedescos innovative
concepts of the guitar.
In Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in D major (14th and 15th
March) the Prelude, Trs soutenu et pompeux, in 2/4,
begins in a French style dotted rhythm, followed by a
contrasting short chordal episode which dissolves into
rippling demi-semi quavers. The Fugue is a lively Gigue
recreating the spirit of the eighteenth-century dance. A
brief coda (Tempo del Preludio) recalls aspects of the
Prelude.
Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in A minor (17th and 18th

March), and marked Andante molto mosso, begins with a

flowing accompaniment (uguale mormorando), over
which an expressive theme is played. The first guitar then
takes this accompaniment while the theme, with slight
modifications, is heard in the bass. From this opening, a
delicate conversation is woven, the fluidity of the first few
bars being shared between both parts in superbly blended
flowing lines. A contrasting short middle section offers a
momentary change of mood before the discourse is
resumed leading on to a gentle recapitulation in the form
of a coda, ending, as it began, mormorando. The Fugue
(modr et tranquille) begins towards the top of the
fingerboard, being answered, at the interval of a fifth, in
the middle register. The countersubject introduces a little
motif which becomes henceforth an integral structural
element. A middle section modulates through various keys
before returning to the subject and a lyrical coda.
In the Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in E major (19th and
21st March) the Prelude begins with a warm Italianate
melody articulated within flowing arpeggios. A central
section introduces three-voice chordal elements for both
partners before a remarkable passage in harmonics brings
the movement to a poetic conclusion. In contrast, the
Fugue is Allegretto giocoso (Tempo di Bourre), con
spirito, the predominant mood being that of wit and
playfulness.
With the Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in B minor (23rd
and 24th March) Castelnuovo-Tedesco provides another
flowing Prelude, Piuttosto mosso e agitato (somewhat
troubled and agitated), in 2/2 time, the first section
articulated in rising triplets. After a middle episode in the
style of a Funeral March, the basic scheme of the two
moods is repeated. The Fugue, rhythmically complex as
triplets and straight quavers interact, is marked not only
calmo but also dolce semplice e tranquillo (sweet
simple and quiet).
Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in F sharp major (25th and
27th March) offers a Prelude, marked Rapid and light,
with a straightforward scalic melodic line accompanied by
rapid semiquavers, the theme switching between guitars
and in different registers. As the piece progresses the tune

8.570778

grows more complex, becoming decorated with new

harmonies as well as a number of embellishments. This
Fugue takes the form of a resolute March in 2/2 time,
beginning with a strangely poignant upward climbing
melodic line full of developmental possibilities in terms
of complex harmonic modulations.
Bearing the same expression instructions as Prelude
No. 5 in B minor, the Prelude of the Prelude and Fugue
No. 7 in C sharp minor (23rd and 24th April) begins with
a little angular tune followed by a series of chromatically
descending chords, before modulating skittishly towards
more distant keys. The second guitar then takes the main
part accompanied by a pedal note in the treble. Having
stated his intentions, the composer is at liberty to bring the
two guitars together in contrapuntal and harmonic unity
before concluding with a finale which synthesizes all the
threads of the work. In clear distinction, the Fugue is very
moderate and melancholy, set in 4/4 time, the rhythmic
elements derived closely from the Prelude. The coda is
marked sustained and dramatic and then solemn and
sustained.
The Prelude of the Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in A flat
major (27th and 29th April) represents one of
Castelnuovo-Tedescos most graceful pastoral melodies,
andantino dolce e tranquillo, the theme in 6/8 being
accompanied either in the treble or the bass. A middle
section offers a slight change of both mood and tune
before progressing back for the recapitulation. The Fugue,
Allegretto grazioso in 6/8, begins with a lilting theme high
up on the fingerboard, though the texture soon develops
into rhythmic complexity. A middle episode presents the
main subject over one of the composers murmuring
accompaniments, once more distributing the highlight
evenly between the two partners, before the final page
reconciles all the elements in serene resolution.
The Prelude and Fugue No. 9 in E flat minor (29th
and 30th April) begins with a Prelude marked mesto,
funebre (sad, funereal), opening with chords accompanied
by sparse drum-like bass notes. This gives way to
downward arpeggios reminiscent of Sylvius Leopold

Weisss Tombeau sur la Mort de M. Comte de Logy, a

favourite transcription for guitar often performed by
Andrs Segovia. As the Prelude progresses, chords and
arpeggios are brought together. The Fugue, moderate and
sad, soon modulates to tonalities remote from E flat minor
in a truly twentieth-century manner. It is another work
which in its range covers the entire guitar fingerboard.
In Prelude and Fugue No. 10 in B flat major (3rd and
5th May) the Prelude, alla Rumba in 8/8 time, casts off all
inhibitions and enters into a lively dance, the bass
accompaniment being indicated as a little marked and
burlesque. A quasi recitativo insertion in the middle
provides a moment to catch ones breath followed by un
poco arioso high up on the guitars fingerboard and then
an exciting coda. The Fugue follows this mood with a
burlesque March, where the predominant mood is
established by a witty rhythmic motif at the beginning,
played con spirito. This device is set against staccato
quavers in an increasingly elaborate display of
counterpoint ultimately resolved by bold chords.
The Prelude in the Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in
F minor (7th and 8th May) is designated as lento, cupo e
spettrale, (slow, gloomy and ghostly), this mood being
created by rapid chords contrasted against a recitativo
melody. Of all the Preludes, this is the most impressionistically atmospheric. The Fugue, very moderate and sad,
in 6/4, begins with straight crotchets but rapidly becomes
rhythmically more complex, characterized by slightly
syncopated quavers, a feature which recurs throughout
the work. Harmonics provide a touch of delicate colour
towards the climax.
Beginning as quasi Fanfara, the C major Prelude of the
Prelude and Fugue No. 12 in C major (10th and 11th
May) soon advances into a tonality of flats, modulating
away from the open strings of the guitar into the sonorities
which unusual keys can provide for the instrument. The
Fugue, in 12/8, is graceful and flowing, con spirito, the
entire piece possessing a dance-like, Bachian exuberance.
Graham Wade

8.570778

570778bk Castel-Ted1:557541bk Kelemen 3+3

16/9/08

10:06 AM

Page 2

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968)

Music for Two Guitars 1
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, born in Florence, studied
composition and piano at the Istituto Musicale Cherubini
and later at the Liceo Musicale of Bologna. His mentors
were Pizzetti and Casella, members of the influential and
progressive Societ Italiana di Musica, a group of
composers, including Malipiero and Respighi, with whom
Castelnuovo-Tedesco became closely associated.
Castelnuovo-Tedescos interest in writing for the guitar
began with his introduction to Andrs Segovia, who had
travelled to Italy with Manuel de Falla, at the Venice
International Festival in 1932. As a result he was to
compose over a hundred works for the instrument,
including concertos, chamber music, many solos and some
of the finest pieces for two guitars, the latter inspired by
the illustrious French duo, Ida Presti and Alexandre
Lagoya.
In 1939, as a result of Mussolinis anti-Jewish edicts,
Castlenuovo-Tedesco was obliged to seek refuge abroad,
but after settling in California he became a prolific writer
of film music between 1940 and 1956, in the same period
composing more than seventy concert works. As a
member of the faculty of the Los Angeles Conservatory
of Music, he numbered among his pupils Henry Mancini,
Nelson Riddle, Andr Previn, and the composer John
Williams.
A guitar tradition of duo playing stretches back to the
early nineteenth century when Fernando Sor wrote several
outstanding duets to perform with his friend, Dionisio
Aguado, while various other composer/performers such as
Mauro Giuliani and Fernando Carulli also composed fine
works for two guitars. In the twentieth century a number
of distinguished duos established an international
reputation, the most eminent being the famous duo of Ida
Presti and Alexandre Lagoya to whom CastelnuovoTedesco dedicated the works on this recording.
Sonatina Canonica, Op. 196, was written in 1961. The
composer, in a letter to the dedicatees, Presti/Lagoya, on
9th October, 1961, commented: This is a small work,

without pretensions, a Sonatina Canonica for two guitars

in three movements, and I hope that this is playableand
that also it will be pleasant to play! Probably there will be
some necessary adjustments...We can make any changes
that you wish. (Or you yourselves can make them without
consulting me.)
Though Sonatina Canonica may by its title suggest a
genre that pays tribute to past styles, it is actually a
thoroughly contemporary work, lyrical and sometimes
humorous in nature, with three contrasting movements.
The sonatina opening, grazioso e leggero (graceful and
light), first presents a virtuoso blending of guitar colours
and strong melodic themes. A central section introduces
skittish dotted rhythms with an elegantly ornamented
quasi Musette, followed by a vigorous recapitulation
which re-states elements of the central part. The slow
movement, Tempo di Siciliane, in 6/8, is one of the
composers most tender and inspired offerings for the
guitar, in which he skilfully deploys the guitar duo to
achieve not only the articulation of beautiful themes but
also the careful working out of sublime chordal effects.
Then comes Fandango en Rondeau, ritmico e deciso
(rhythmical and decisive), an energetic dance yet with
some moments of introspection, including a brief melody
indicated as expressive and a little passionate before the
main theme returns with its vivacity and excitement.
The Well Tempered Guitars, 24 Preludes and Fugues
for two guitars, Op.199 (1962), was also dedicated to
Presti-Lagoya. In May 1962 Castelnuovo-Tedesco wrote
to the duo announcing that having finished Prelude and
Fugue No. XIV, he was well on the way to completing the
entire set. Op. 199 proved to be a landmark in the guitars
history and the most ambitious undertaking for two guitars
ever conceived. The first edition was fingered by
Evangelos and Liza Assimakopoulos as Ida Presti died in
1967 at the age of 43. The variety of moods, colours,
techniques and styles within the set is immense, certainly
in one sense paying homage to the great precedent of

8.570778

J. S. Bach, but at the same time exploiting the depths of

Castelnuovo-Tedescos gifts for melodic inventiveness,
wit, vivacity, introspection and lyricism.
These twelve Preludes and Fugues were completed in
Beverley Hills, California, between 8th March and 11th
May, 1962, each movement being carefully annotated
chronologically by the composer, (and for that reason the
dates are provided below). There is an element almost of
a diary here in which Castelnuovo-Tedesco records his
moods and emotions throughout a short creative period
entirely dedicated to the production of this quite
extraordinary collection of pieces, so varied, colourful and
brilliant, ranging from the joyful to the melancholic.
Castelnuovo-Tedesco organizes his Preludes and Fugues
by selecting the keys for each in a cycle of rising fifths
(alternating minor and major).
Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in G minor were completed
respectively on 8th and 11th March, 1962. The Prelude,
marked Trs fluide, matches triplet patterns against
expressive chords. A middle section offers a contrast, the
time signature changing from 12/16 to 6/8. Throughout the
piece each guitar part shares the work-load equally, the
various elements being transferred between the two
players. The first Fugue of the set establishes the
composers own distinctive approach involving a melody
(molto espressivo) of some complexity especially
rhythmically. The countersubject as the second guitar
enters includes chromatic thirds, short fragments of scale
runs, and chords reminiscent of the Prelude. A middle
episode (pp dolcissimo) brings in gentle arpeggios
characteristic of Castelnuovo-Tedescos innovative
concepts of the guitar.
In Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in D major (14th and 15th
March) the Prelude, Trs soutenu et pompeux, in 2/4,
begins in a French style dotted rhythm, followed by a
contrasting short chordal episode which dissolves into
rippling demi-semi quavers. The Fugue is a lively Gigue
recreating the spirit of the eighteenth-century dance. A
brief coda (Tempo del Preludio) recalls aspects of the
Prelude.
Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in A minor (17th and 18th

March), and marked Andante molto mosso, begins with a

flowing accompaniment (uguale mormorando), over
which an expressive theme is played. The first guitar then
takes this accompaniment while the theme, with slight
modifications, is heard in the bass. From this opening, a
delicate conversation is woven, the fluidity of the first few
bars being shared between both parts in superbly blended
flowing lines. A contrasting short middle section offers a
momentary change of mood before the discourse is
resumed leading on to a gentle recapitulation in the form
of a coda, ending, as it began, mormorando. The Fugue
(modr et tranquille) begins towards the top of the
fingerboard, being answered, at the interval of a fifth, in
the middle register. The countersubject introduces a little
motif which becomes henceforth an integral structural
element. A middle section modulates through various keys
before returning to the subject and a lyrical coda.
In the Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in E major (19th and
21st March) the Prelude begins with a warm Italianate
melody articulated within flowing arpeggios. A central
section introduces three-voice chordal elements for both
partners before a remarkable passage in harmonics brings
the movement to a poetic conclusion. In contrast, the
Fugue is Allegretto giocoso (Tempo di Bourre), con
spirito, the predominant mood being that of wit and
playfulness.
With the Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in B minor (23rd
and 24th March) Castelnuovo-Tedesco provides another
flowing Prelude, Piuttosto mosso e agitato (somewhat
troubled and agitated), in 2/2 time, the first section
articulated in rising triplets. After a middle episode in the
style of a Funeral March, the basic scheme of the two
moods is repeated. The Fugue, rhythmically complex as
triplets and straight quavers interact, is marked not only
calmo but also dolce semplice e tranquillo (sweet
simple and quiet).
Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in F sharp major (25th and
27th March) offers a Prelude, marked Rapid and light,
with a straightforward scalic melodic line accompanied by
rapid semiquavers, the theme switching between guitars
and in different registers. As the piece progresses the tune

8.570778

grows more complex, becoming decorated with new

harmonies as well as a number of embellishments. This
Fugue takes the form of a resolute March in 2/2 time,
beginning with a strangely poignant upward climbing
melodic line full of developmental possibilities in terms
of complex harmonic modulations.
Bearing the same expression instructions as Prelude
No. 5 in B minor, the Prelude of the Prelude and Fugue
No. 7 in C sharp minor (23rd and 24th April) begins with
a little angular tune followed by a series of chromatically
descending chords, before modulating skittishly towards
more distant keys. The second guitar then takes the main
part accompanied by a pedal note in the treble. Having
stated his intentions, the composer is at liberty to bring the
two guitars together in contrapuntal and harmonic unity
before concluding with a finale which synthesizes all the
threads of the work. In clear distinction, the Fugue is very
moderate and melancholy, set in 4/4 time, the rhythmic
elements derived closely from the Prelude. The coda is
marked sustained and dramatic and then solemn and
sustained.
The Prelude of the Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in A flat
major (27th and 29th April) represents one of
Castelnuovo-Tedescos most graceful pastoral melodies,
andantino dolce e tranquillo, the theme in 6/8 being
accompanied either in the treble or the bass. A middle
section offers a slight change of both mood and tune
before progressing back for the recapitulation. The Fugue,
Allegretto grazioso in 6/8, begins with a lilting theme high
up on the fingerboard, though the texture soon develops
into rhythmic complexity. A middle episode presents the
main subject over one of the composers murmuring
accompaniments, once more distributing the highlight
evenly between the two partners, before the final page
reconciles all the elements in serene resolution.
The Prelude and Fugue No. 9 in E flat minor (29th
and 30th April) begins with a Prelude marked mesto,
funebre (sad, funereal), opening with chords accompanied
by sparse drum-like bass notes. This gives way to
downward arpeggios reminiscent of Sylvius Leopold

Weisss Tombeau sur la Mort de M. Comte de Logy, a

favourite transcription for guitar often performed by
Andrs Segovia. As the Prelude progresses, chords and
arpeggios are brought together. The Fugue, moderate and
sad, soon modulates to tonalities remote from E flat minor
in a truly twentieth-century manner. It is another work
which in its range covers the entire guitar fingerboard.
In Prelude and Fugue No. 10 in B flat major (3rd and
5th May) the Prelude, alla Rumba in 8/8 time, casts off all
inhibitions and enters into a lively dance, the bass
accompaniment being indicated as a little marked and
burlesque. A quasi recitativo insertion in the middle
provides a moment to catch ones breath followed by un
poco arioso high up on the guitars fingerboard and then
an exciting coda. The Fugue follows this mood with a
burlesque March, where the predominant mood is
established by a witty rhythmic motif at the beginning,
played con spirito. This device is set against staccato
quavers in an increasingly elaborate display of
counterpoint ultimately resolved by bold chords.
The Prelude in the Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in
F minor (7th and 8th May) is designated as lento, cupo e
spettrale, (slow, gloomy and ghostly), this mood being
created by rapid chords contrasted against a recitativo
melody. Of all the Preludes, this is the most impressionistically atmospheric. The Fugue, very moderate and sad,
in 6/4, begins with straight crotchets but rapidly becomes
rhythmically more complex, characterized by slightly
syncopated quavers, a feature which recurs throughout
the work. Harmonics provide a touch of delicate colour
towards the climax.
Beginning as quasi Fanfara, the C major Prelude of the
Prelude and Fugue No. 12 in C major (10th and 11th
May) soon advances into a tonality of flats, modulating
away from the open strings of the guitar into the sonorities
which unusual keys can provide for the instrument. The
Fugue, in 12/8, is graceful and flowing, con spirito, the
entire piece possessing a dance-like, Bachian exuberance.
Graham Wade

8.570778

570778bk Castel-Ted1:557541bk Kelemen 3+3

16/9/08

10:06 AM

Page 2

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968)

Music for Two Guitars 1
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, born in Florence, studied
composition and piano at the Istituto Musicale Cherubini
and later at the Liceo Musicale of Bologna. His mentors
were Pizzetti and Casella, members of the influential and
progressive Societ Italiana di Musica, a group of
composers, including Malipiero and Respighi, with whom
Castelnuovo-Tedesco became closely associated.
Castelnuovo-Tedescos interest in writing for the guitar
began with his introduction to Andrs Segovia, who had
travelled to Italy with Manuel de Falla, at the Venice
International Festival in 1932. As a result he was to
compose over a hundred works for the instrument,
including concertos, chamber music, many solos and some
of the finest pieces for two guitars, the latter inspired by
the illustrious French duo, Ida Presti and Alexandre
Lagoya.
In 1939, as a result of Mussolinis anti-Jewish edicts,
Castlenuovo-Tedesco was obliged to seek refuge abroad,
but after settling in California he became a prolific writer
of film music between 1940 and 1956, in the same period
composing more than seventy concert works. As a
member of the faculty of the Los Angeles Conservatory
of Music, he numbered among his pupils Henry Mancini,
Nelson Riddle, Andr Previn, and the composer John
Williams.
A guitar tradition of duo playing stretches back to the
early nineteenth century when Fernando Sor wrote several
outstanding duets to perform with his friend, Dionisio
Aguado, while various other composer/performers such as
Mauro Giuliani and Fernando Carulli also composed fine
works for two guitars. In the twentieth century a number
of distinguished duos established an international
reputation, the most eminent being the famous duo of Ida
Presti and Alexandre Lagoya to whom CastelnuovoTedesco dedicated the works on this recording.
Sonatina Canonica, Op. 196, was written in 1961. The
composer, in a letter to the dedicatees, Presti/Lagoya, on
9th October, 1961, commented: This is a small work,

without pretensions, a Sonatina Canonica for two guitars

in three movements, and I hope that this is playableand
that also it will be pleasant to play! Probably there will be
some necessary adjustments...We can make any changes
that you wish. (Or you yourselves can make them without
consulting me.)
Though Sonatina Canonica may by its title suggest a
genre that pays tribute to past styles, it is actually a
thoroughly contemporary work, lyrical and sometimes
humorous in nature, with three contrasting movements.
The sonatina opening, grazioso e leggero (graceful and
light), first presents a virtuoso blending of guitar colours
and strong melodic themes. A central section introduces
skittish dotted rhythms with an elegantly ornamented
quasi Musette, followed by a vigorous recapitulation
which re-states elements of the central part. The slow
movement, Tempo di Siciliane, in 6/8, is one of the
composers most tender and inspired offerings for the
guitar, in which he skilfully deploys the guitar duo to
achieve not only the articulation of beautiful themes but
also the careful working out of sublime chordal effects.
Then comes Fandango en Rondeau, ritmico e deciso
(rhythmical and decisive), an energetic dance yet with
some moments of introspection, including a brief melody
indicated as expressive and a little passionate before the
main theme returns with its vivacity and excitement.
The Well Tempered Guitars, 24 Preludes and Fugues
for two guitars, Op.199 (1962), was also dedicated to
Presti-Lagoya. In May 1962 Castelnuovo-Tedesco wrote
to the duo announcing that having finished Prelude and
Fugue No. XIV, he was well on the way to completing the
entire set. Op. 199 proved to be a landmark in the guitars
history and the most ambitious undertaking for two guitars
ever conceived. The first edition was fingered by
Evangelos and Liza Assimakopoulos as Ida Presti died in
1967 at the age of 43. The variety of moods, colours,
techniques and styles within the set is immense, certainly
in one sense paying homage to the great precedent of

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J. S. Bach, but at the same time exploiting the depths of

Castelnuovo-Tedescos gifts for melodic inventiveness,
wit, vivacity, introspection and lyricism.
These twelve Preludes and Fugues were completed in
Beverley Hills, California, between 8th March and 11th
May, 1962, each movement being carefully annotated
chronologically by the composer, (and for that reason the
dates are provided below). There is an element almost of
a diary here in which Castelnuovo-Tedesco records his
moods and emotions throughout a short creative period
entirely dedicated to the production of this quite
extraordinary collection of pieces, so varied, colourful and
brilliant, ranging from the joyful to the melancholic.
Castelnuovo-Tedesco organizes his Preludes and Fugues
by selecting the keys for each in a cycle of rising fifths
(alternating minor and major).
Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in G minor were completed
respectively on 8th and 11th March, 1962. The Prelude,
marked Trs fluide, matches triplet patterns against
expressive chords. A middle section offers a contrast, the
time signature changing from 12/16 to 6/8. Throughout the
piece each guitar part shares the work-load equally, the
various elements being transferred between the two
players. The first Fugue of the set establishes the
composers own distinctive approach involving a melody
(molto espressivo) of some complexity especially
rhythmically. The countersubject as the second guitar
enters includes chromatic thirds, short fragments of scale
runs, and chords reminiscent of the Prelude. A middle
episode (pp dolcissimo) brings in gentle arpeggios
characteristic of Castelnuovo-Tedescos innovative
concepts of the guitar.
In Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in D major (14th and 15th
March) the Prelude, Trs soutenu et pompeux, in 2/4,
begins in a French style dotted rhythm, followed by a
contrasting short chordal episode which dissolves into
rippling demi-semi quavers. The Fugue is a lively Gigue
recreating the spirit of the eighteenth-century dance. A
brief coda (Tempo del Preludio) recalls aspects of the
Prelude.
Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in A minor (17th and 18th

March), and marked Andante molto mosso, begins with a

flowing accompaniment (uguale mormorando), over
which an expressive theme is played. The first guitar then
takes this accompaniment while the theme, with slight
modifications, is heard in the bass. From this opening, a
delicate conversation is woven, the fluidity of the first few
bars being shared between both parts in superbly blended
flowing lines. A contrasting short middle section offers a
momentary change of mood before the discourse is
resumed leading on to a gentle recapitulation in the form
of a coda, ending, as it began, mormorando. The Fugue
(modr et tranquille) begins towards the top of the
fingerboard, being answered, at the interval of a fifth, in
the middle register. The countersubject introduces a little
motif which becomes henceforth an integral structural
element. A middle section modulates through various keys
before returning to the subject and a lyrical coda.
In the Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in E major (19th and
21st March) the Prelude begins with a warm Italianate
melody articulated within flowing arpeggios. A central
section introduces three-voice chordal elements for both
partners before a remarkable passage in harmonics brings
the movement to a poetic conclusion. In contrast, the
Fugue is Allegretto giocoso (Tempo di Bourre), con
spirito, the predominant mood being that of wit and
playfulness.
With the Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in B minor (23rd
and 24th March) Castelnuovo-Tedesco provides another
flowing Prelude, Piuttosto mosso e agitato (somewhat
troubled and agitated), in 2/2 time, the first section
articulated in rising triplets. After a middle episode in the
style of a Funeral March, the basic scheme of the two
moods is repeated. The Fugue, rhythmically complex as
triplets and straight quavers interact, is marked not only
calmo but also dolce semplice e tranquillo (sweet
simple and quiet).
Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in F sharp major (25th and
27th March) offers a Prelude, marked Rapid and light,
with a straightforward scalic melodic line accompanied by
rapid semiquavers, the theme switching between guitars
and in different registers. As the piece progresses the tune

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grows more complex, becoming decorated with new

harmonies as well as a number of embellishments. This
Fugue takes the form of a resolute March in 2/2 time,
beginning with a strangely poignant upward climbing
melodic line full of developmental possibilities in terms
of complex harmonic modulations.
Bearing the same expression instructions as Prelude
No. 5 in B minor, the Prelude of the Prelude and Fugue
No. 7 in C sharp minor (23rd and 24th April) begins with
a little angular tune followed by a series of chromatically
descending chords, before modulating skittishly towards
more distant keys. The second guitar then takes the main
part accompanied by a pedal note in the treble. Having
stated his intentions, the composer is at liberty to bring the
two guitars together in contrapuntal and harmonic unity
before concluding with a finale which synthesizes all the
threads of the work. In clear distinction, the Fugue is very
moderate and melancholy, set in 4/4 time, the rhythmic
elements derived closely from the Prelude. The coda is
marked sustained and dramatic and then solemn and
sustained.
The Prelude of the Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in A flat
major (27th and 29th April) represents one of
Castelnuovo-Tedescos most graceful pastoral melodies,
andantino dolce e tranquillo, the theme in 6/8 being
accompanied either in the treble or the bass. A middle
section offers a slight change of both mood and tune
before progressing back for the recapitulation. The Fugue,
Allegretto grazioso in 6/8, begins with a lilting theme high
up on the fingerboard, though the texture soon develops
into rhythmic complexity. A middle episode presents the
main subject over one of the composers murmuring
accompaniments, once more distributing the highlight
evenly between the two partners, before the final page
reconciles all the elements in serene resolution.
The Prelude and Fugue No. 9 in E flat minor (29th
and 30th April) begins with a Prelude marked mesto,
funebre (sad, funereal), opening with chords accompanied
by sparse drum-like bass notes. This gives way to
downward arpeggios reminiscent of Sylvius Leopold

Weisss Tombeau sur la Mort de M. Comte de Logy, a

favourite transcription for guitar often performed by
Andrs Segovia. As the Prelude progresses, chords and
arpeggios are brought together. The Fugue, moderate and
sad, soon modulates to tonalities remote from E flat minor
in a truly twentieth-century manner. It is another work
which in its range covers the entire guitar fingerboard.
In Prelude and Fugue No. 10 in B flat major (3rd and
5th May) the Prelude, alla Rumba in 8/8 time, casts off all
inhibitions and enters into a lively dance, the bass
accompaniment being indicated as a little marked and
burlesque. A quasi recitativo insertion in the middle
provides a moment to catch ones breath followed by un
poco arioso high up on the guitars fingerboard and then
an exciting coda. The Fugue follows this mood with a
burlesque March, where the predominant mood is
established by a witty rhythmic motif at the beginning,
played con spirito. This device is set against staccato
quavers in an increasingly elaborate display of
counterpoint ultimately resolved by bold chords.
The Prelude in the Prelude and Fugue No. 11 in
F minor (7th and 8th May) is designated as lento, cupo e
spettrale, (slow, gloomy and ghostly), this mood being
created by rapid chords contrasted against a recitativo
melody. Of all the Preludes, this is the most impressionistically atmospheric. The Fugue, very moderate and sad,
in 6/4, begins with straight crotchets but rapidly becomes
rhythmically more complex, characterized by slightly
syncopated quavers, a feature which recurs throughout
the work. Harmonics provide a touch of delicate colour
towards the climax.
Beginning as quasi Fanfara, the C major Prelude of the
Prelude and Fugue No. 12 in C major (10th and 11th
May) soon advances into a tonality of flats, modulating
away from the open strings of the guitar into the sonorities
which unusual keys can provide for the instrument. The
Fugue, in 12/8, is graceful and flowing, con spirito, the
entire piece possessing a dance-like, Bachian exuberance.
Graham Wade

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Page 1

Brasil Guitar Duo

CASTELNUOVOTEDESCO

Acclaimed by critics, the Brasil Guitar Duo was winner of the 2006 Concert Artists Guild International Competition.
With a full touring schedule on two continents and recordings and innovative programming featuring a seamless blend
of traditional and Brazilian works, the Duo has quickly emerged as one of the pre-eminent guitar duos of its generation.
Recital highlights in the United States include Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, NYCs downtown River to River
Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, Chautauqua Music Festival, Symphony Space and the Orange County (CA)
Performing Arts Center. Internationally, the Duo has performed at the Bermuda Guitar Festival, Asociacin Nacional
de Conciertos in Panama City, the Outreach Festival in Austrias Tyrol, and So Paulos Campos do Jordo International
Festival. The Brasil Guitar Duo has performed Castelnuovo-Tedescos Concerto for Two Guitars with the Houston
Symphony and Brazilian music with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas at Columbia Universitys Miller
Theatre.

Music for Two Guitars 1

The Well-Tempered Guitars

Sonatina canonica

The Brasil Guitar Duo plays Sergio Abreu guitars.

Joo Luiz: Sergio Abreu 1997, Rio de Janeiro Douglas Lora: Sergio Abreu 1990, Rio de Janeiro
Management: Steven Shaiman, Concert Artist Guild
sshaiman@concertartists.org http://www.concertartists.org/brasil_bio.htm

Brasil Guitar Duo

BRASIL GUITAR DUO wishes to thank the following people for their support:
Paulo Martelli, Sergio Abreu, Henrique Pinto, Fabio Zanon, Alice Artzt, Tom and Denise Dailey, Klaus Heymann and
Bonnie & Norbert Kraft of Naxos.
Special thanks to everyone at Concert Artists Guild in New York, and also to our family and friends who helped us to
make this recording a reality.

Get this free download from Classicsonline!

Sor: Divertissement, Op. 38, I. Andante Moderato
Copy this Promotion Code NaxP0ZHBWyjk and go to http://www.classicsonline.com/mpkey/sord3_main.
Downloading Instructions
1 Log on to Classicsonline. If you do not have a Classicsonline account yet, please register at
http://www.classicsonline.com/UserLogIn/SignUp.aspx.
2 Enter the Promotion Code mentioned above.
3 On the next screen, click on Add to My Downloads.

Brasil Guitar Duo Photo by Kriz Knack

M
Y
K

8.570778

8.570778

570778bk Castel-Ted1:557541bk Kelemen 3+3

16/9/08

10:05 AM

Page 1

Brasil Guitar Duo

CASTELNUOVOTEDESCO

Acclaimed by critics, the Brasil Guitar Duo was winner of the 2006 Concert Artists Guild International Competition.
With a full touring schedule on two continents and recordings and innovative programming featuring a seamless blend
of traditional and Brazilian works, the Duo has quickly emerged as one of the pre-eminent guitar duos of its generation.
Recital highlights in the United States include Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, NYCs downtown River to River
Festival, Grand Teton Music Festival, Chautauqua Music Festival, Symphony Space and the Orange County (CA)
Performing Arts Center. Internationally, the Duo has performed at the Bermuda Guitar Festival, Asociacin Nacional
de Conciertos in Panama City, the Outreach Festival in Austrias Tyrol, and So Paulos Campos do Jordo International
Festival. The Brasil Guitar Duo has performed Castelnuovo-Tedescos Concerto for Two Guitars with the Houston
Symphony and Brazilian music with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas at Columbia Universitys Miller
Theatre.

Music for Two Guitars 1

The Well-Tempered Guitars

Sonatina canonica

The Brasil Guitar Duo plays Sergio Abreu guitars.

Joo Luiz: Sergio Abreu 1997, Rio de Janeiro Douglas Lora: Sergio Abreu 1990, Rio de Janeiro
Management: Steven Shaiman, Concert Artist Guild
sshaiman@concertartists.org http://www.concertartists.org/brasil_bio.htm

Brasil Guitar Duo

BRASIL GUITAR DUO wishes to thank the following people for their support:
Paulo Martelli, Sergio Abreu, Henrique Pinto, Fabio Zanon, Alice Artzt, Tom and Denise Dailey, Klaus Heymann and
Bonnie & Norbert Kraft of Naxos.
Special thanks to everyone at Concert Artists Guild in New York, and also to our family and friends who helped us to
make this recording a reality.

Get this free download from Classicsonline!

Sor: Divertissement, Op. 38, I. Andante Moderato
Copy this Promotion Code NaxP0ZHBWyjk and go to http://www.classicsonline.com/mpkey/sord3_main.
Downloading Instructions
1 Log on to Classicsonline. If you do not have a Classicsonline account yet, please register at
http://www.classicsonline.com/UserLogIn/SignUp.aspx.
2 Enter the Promotion Code mentioned above.
3 On the next screen, click on Add to My Downloads.

Brasil Guitar Duo Photo by Kriz Knack

M
Y
K

8.570778

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Also available

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8.570251

8.570341

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NAXOS

NAXOS

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Mario

Playing Time

CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO

66:48

(18951968)

Complete Music for Two Guitars 1

Sonatina Canonica, Op. 196
1 I. Mosso, grazioso e leggero
2 II. Tempo di Siciliane (Andantino)
3 III. Fandango en Rondeau

(Ritmico e deciso)

9:52 ! Fugue No. 4 in E major

3:13
4:03
2:34

4
5
6
7
8
9
0

Prelude No. 1 in G minor

Fugue No. 1 in G minor
Prelude No. 2 in D major
Fugue No. 2 in D major
Prelude No. 3 in A minor
Fugue No. 3 in A minor
Prelude No. 4 in E major

1:56
2:48
2:20
1:37
2:18
3:03
2:24

Prelude No. 5 in B minor

Fugue No. 5 in B minor
Prelude No. 6 in F sharp major
Fugue No. 6 in F sharp major
Prelude No. 7 in C sharp minor
Fugue No. 7 in C sharp minor
Prelude No. 8 in A flat major
Fugue No. 8 in A flat major
Prelude No. 9 in E flat minor
Fugue No. 9 in E flat minor
Prelude No. 10 in B flat major
Fugue No. 10 in B flat major
Prelude No. 11 in F minor
Fugue No. 11 in F minor
Prelude No. 12 in C major
Fugue No. 12 in C major

1:55
2:33
2:19
1:23
2:06
1:40
3:31
2:24
2:42
3:02
2:30
1:57
2:02
3:20
3:19
1:11
1:57

Brasil Guitar Duo: Joo Luiz and Douglas Lora

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Includes free downloadable bonus track from the Naxos catalogue available
at www.classicsonline.com. Please see booklet for full details.
Recorded at St John Chrysostom Church, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, 2730 June 2007
Producers: Norbert Kraft & Bonnie Silver Engineer & Editing: Norbert Kraft
Booklet notes: Graham Wade Publishers: Max Eschig (tracks 13; Aldo Bruzzichelli, Firenze (tracks 427)
Brasil Guitar Duo plays Sergio Abreu guitars Cover: Tuscany landscape ( Andrea Danti / Dreamstime.com)

& 2008
Naxos Rights International Ltd.
Booklet notes in English
Disc Made in Canada
Printed & Assembled in USA

Les Guitares Bien Tempres

(The Well-Tempered Guitars):
24 prludes et fugues pour
deux guitares, Op. 199
56:50

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CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO: Two Guitars 1

DDD

www.naxos.com

CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO: Two Guitars 1

With a catalogue of more than 200 works with opus numbers, and many others without, few
composers have written such a wide variety of immediately appealing music, as rewarding
for performers and listeners alike, as Castelnuovo-Tedesco. His Sonatina Canonica, Op. 196
is a staple for many guitar duos, its warm tonal language enlivened by ingenious counterpoint. Fired by profound admiration for the music of J. S. Bach, his Les Guitares Bien
Tempres, Op. 199 comprises 24 preludes and fugues in all major and minor keys, the first
dozen of which are performed here by the award-winning young Brasil Guitar Duo.

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