Customer Rating:      Summary: Carulli, the Master of Sweetness! Comment: One just has to love Ferdinando Carulli. My love affair with his music started when I learned to play guitar as a teenager, on my own, from his "Guitar Method". The story that I have heard is that Carulli wrote his "Guitar Method" for a pretty student of his, who, however, was short on talent. He thus made even the simplest exercise sound very melodic, romantic, and sweet.
I have several recordings of Carulli's music, all of which I adore, but this one is quite unique, since it portrays flute. Carulli conveys "Italianate lyricism, mixed with joie de vivre and tendresse", in the words of the author of the booklet, which comes with the CD.
Jean-Pierre Rampal's flute is appropriately sweet, romantic, very lyric, but also playful. Alexandre Lagoya, guitar, is delicate, tender and gentle. As the record plays on, I imagine that I am strolling down some street in Italy and I begin to whistle along with the flute.
The selections on this CD are: "Concerto for flute, guitar and orchestra" in G Major, with Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, "Duo for flute and guitar", Op. 104, No. 1, in D Major, and No. 3, in C Major, "Fantasy for Flute and Guitar", Op. 337, on themes from Bellini's "Il pirata" (this is where one wants to whistle), and "Nocturne for flute and Guitar", Op. 190, in A Major.
You cannot go wrong with this most charming record!
I dedicate this review to my brother Vladimir, who is responsible for my introduction to guitar. As a teenager he traded an old bicycle chain for the guitar method, which he then gave to me. This is how it all started. Thank you, Vladimir!
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