Soundboard — The Journal of the Guitar Foundation of America · Albert Kunze · Vol. 49, No. 4 (2023)
I must confess that I have sometimes been dismissive of the music of Mr. Carulli. I have used some of his briefest works in teaching but disregarded his longer works as being lesser in quality than those of Sor and Giuliani. Well, I was wrong. (And looking back, the evidence to the contrary was there all along.) But this wonderful disc by Andrea Curiale would refute the misapprehensions of any Carulli dismisser. (Dismisser may not really be a word.) In fact, performances as good as these make the case very firmly that Carulli is arguably the equal of Sor and Giuliani.
The program begins with the melodic yet virtuosic Solo pour Guitare ou Lyre, op. 20, in one movement but two parts. In this work and the others in this program, it is helpful to realize that Carulli was a devotee of the music of Domenico Cimarosa, the most successful Italian opera composer before Rossini. His melodic gift was undoubtedly engendered by his affinity to Cimarosa.
Next is the Grande Sonata por Guitare seule, op. 16. It is a big piece in musical scope, and considerable technical demands are found immediately in the first movement. The Adagio is an extended song, played exquisitely by Curiale, and the concluding Rondo is a fitting finale to the sonata.
The Grand Solo Varié opens with a brief largo before launching into the theme, followed by a series of marvelous variations perfectly uniting melodic and technical elements. One of the sections of variations is based on the French song “J’ai du bon tabac,” which is also the basis for a very different work, John Duarte’s Variations on a French Nursery Song for two guitars.
The program concludes with Six Andantes pour Guitare, op. 320. These are truly marvelous works. Each is different from the others, but they share the presentation of beautiful melodies and agreeable settings.
I have made up a criterion for the worth of guitar pieces, which I will share at no additional charge: if I can imagine a fine pianist playing a work on her/his instrument, then I consider it likely a worthy piece of music. Each of the pieces on this disc passes that standard.
It helps that Curiale plays with pristinely beautiful tone and total technical assurance, and that the recorded sound captures his playing perfectly. Bravo. –Al Kunze
Akustik Gitarre · Wieland Ulrichs · 6/2023
English translation from the original German.
Carulli (1770–1841), a Neapolitan guitarist working in Paris, published a guitar method there in 1810. It was a huge success and still shapes his reputation today. He is best known for his many short, rather pedestrian studies. Yet he also composed some 500 works for solo guitar and chamber ensembles that are anything but trivial. On his debut album, the young Italian guitarist Andrea Curiale sets out to make the case for this less familiar side of Carulli. It is well worth discovering.
Curiale opens with the “Solo pour Guitare ou Lyre”, Op. 20, a striking two-movement sonata (8:43) that brings the drama of Italian theatre vividly to life, complete with a tremolo passage in A minor. His playing is assured and highly virtuosic. And the “lyre” of the title? At the time, there were attempts to raise the guitar’s status by giving it a lyre-shaped body. Curiale is thoroughly convincing on a conventional guitar.
Next comes the “Grande Sonate pour Guitare seule”, Op. 16, a three-movement work lasting around 14 minutes. There are several references to Domenico Cimarosa, including the introduction of a third theme in the development section, and the sonata closes with a witty rondo. Absorbing music, superbly played.
The “Grand Solo Varié pour Guitare ou Lyre”, Op. 10 (13:30), is dedicated to Filippo Gragnani and receives its first recording here. The work includes several musical quotations and once again demonstrates Carulli’s mastery of his craft. Curiale brings a delightful understatement to some of its highly virtuosic passages.
The programme ends with the “Six Andantes pour Guitare”, Op. 320, a cohesive set of late pieces dating from around 1830. Here we find yet another Carulli: an almost dreamy Romantic whose music can still put the player through their paces. More Carulli would be very welcome, preferably played by Andrea Curiale.