Marcello Fantoni

Ferdinando Carulli Rediscovered Marcello Fantoni

A native of Naples, Ferdinando Carulli established his reputation as a leading guitarist and teacher in Paris, and his Guitar Method, Op. 27 is still in use today. As a composer he shrewdly satisfied the demands of players and audiences alike. Entertaining light waltzes can be found alongside popular melodies treated to virtuoso variations of great brilliance and indisputable originality. Musical references to Carulli's contemporary Paganini and the fashionable influence of Spanish styles and techniques are brought together in a program that includes numerous world premiere recordings to deliver a portrait of a Neapolitan musician who deserves to be much better known.