Among the most significant composers of guitar duos in the early 19th century, Antoine de Lhoyer was born in September 1768 in Clermont-Ferrand. His musical talents manifested themselves from early on, and he trained in Paris. His teacher Vidal paid tribute to him as 'the finest guitarist in Europe'. However, at the age of 20, de Lhoyer embarked on a military career as a member of the King's Guards, shortly before the French Revolution. Life in France rapidly becoming uncongenial for someone with his loyalties, he left France in a hurry and eventually settled in Hamburg, where his compositions were first published at the turn of the 19th century. de Lhoyer's travels were by no means over, and over the following decades he took up posts as a professional music teacher and performer in St Petersburg, Paris, Corsica, Aix-en-Provence and Alger, the new capital of the French colony in north Africa. Eventually returning to the French capital, he died there in 1852, at the age of 84. The extant duos on this album were composed between 1814 and 1826, and they comprise a substantial proportion of his total output. One would expect the style of his music to reflect the lively, cosmopolitan nature of his career, and so they do, often cast in three- and four-movement sonata forms with picturesque interpolations such as the 'hunt' movement of Op.35 No.2 and the graceful Sicilienne of Op.35 No.5. The eight-movement Fantasie Concertante Op.33 is like a Mozartian serenade, with a superbly flowing Andante con variazioni directly succeeded by a brief but tranquil Adagio.

Tracklist:

Duo Concertant, Op. 31 No. 1: I. Allegro Moderato Brilliante
Duo Concertant, Op. 31 No. 1: II. Adagio Cantabile
Duo Concertant, Op. 31 No. 1: III. Rondo. Poco Vivace
Duo Concertant, Op. 31 No. 2: I. Allegro Moderato
Duo Concertant, Op. 31 No. 2: II. Menuetto. Poco Vivace. Trio
Duo Concertant, Op. 31 No. 2: III. Adagio Cantabile
Duo Concertant, Op. 31 No. 2: IV. Rondo. Allegretto
Duo Concertant, Op. 31 No. 3: I. Allegro Agitato
Duo Concertant, Op. 31 No. 3: II. Romance. Andante Sostenuto
Duo Concertant, Op. 31 No. 3: III. Rondo. Poco Vivace
6 Duos Nocturnes, Op. 37: I. Andante
6 Duos Nocturnes, Op. 37: II. Menuetto. Poco Vivace. Trio
6 Duos Nocturnes, Op. 37: III. Andantino
6 Duos Nocturnes, Op. 37: IV. Moderato
6 Duos Nocturnes, Op. 37: V. Andante
6 Duos Nocturnes, Op. 37: VI. Rondo. Allegretto
Duo Concertant, Op. 34 No. 1: I. Allegro Moderato
Duo Concertant, Op. 34 No. 1: II. Menuetto. Poco Vivace. Trio
Duo Concertant, Op. 34 No. 1: III. Andante Sostenuto
Duo Concertant, Op. 34 No. 1: IV. Rondo. Allegro Poco Vivace
Duo Concertant, Op. 34 No. 2: I. Allegro Poco Vivace
Duo Concertant, Op. 34 No. 1: II. Menuetto. Vivace. Trio
Duo Concertant, Op. 34 No. 1: III. Adagio Cantabile
Duo Concertant, Op. 34 No. 1: IV. Rondo. Allegro Poco Vivace (2)
Duo Concertant, Op. 34 No. 3: I. Allegro Moderato
Duo Concertant, Op. 34 No. 3: II. Andante Sostenuto
Duo Concertant, Op. 34 No. 3: III. Rondo. Allegro
Duo Concertant, Op. 44: I. Moderato
Duo Concertant, Op. 44: II. Minuetto. Poco Vivace. Trio
Duo Concertant, Op. 44: III. Rondo. Allegretto
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 1: I. Andante Sostenuto
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 1: II. Rondo. Allegro Moderato
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 2: I. Adagio Cantabile
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 2: II. Chasse. Allegro Poco Vivace
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 3: I. Adagio
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 3: II. Andante Con Variation
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 4: I. Polonaise. Andante Poco Allegretto
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 4: II. Rondo. Vivace
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 5: I. Sicilienne. Andante Poco Adagio
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 5: II. Rondo. Allegro Moderato
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 6: I. Introduction
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 6: II. Menuetto. Vivace. Trio
Duo Concertant, Op. 35 No. 6: III. Rondo. Allegro Poco Vivace
Fantaisie Concertante, Op. 33: I. Allegro Moderato
Fantaisie Concertante, Op. 33: II. Menuetto. Vivace. Trio
Fantaisie Concertante, Op. 33: III. Andante Con Variation
Fantaisie Concertante, Op. 33: IV. Adagio Sostenuto
Fantaisie Concertante, Op. 33: V. Menuetto Grazioso. Andante. Trio
Fantaisie Concertante, Op. 33: VI. Polonaise. Moderato
Fantaisie Concertante, Op. 33: VII. Romance. Andante Sostenuto
Fantaisie Concertante, Op. 33: VIII. Rondo. Allegretto
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 1
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 2
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 3
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 4
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 5
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 6
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 7
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 8
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 9
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 10
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 11
12 Valses, Op. 32: No. 12
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 1: I. Adagio
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 1: II. Andante
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 1: III. Rondo. Allegretto
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 2: I. Andantino
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 2: II. Mouvement De Marche. Moderato
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 3: I. Sicilienne. Andante
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 3: II. Minuetto. Poco Vivace. Trio
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 3: III. Rondo. Allegro
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 4: I. Allegro Moderato
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 4: II. Minuetto. Allego. Trio
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 4: III. Rondo. Allegro
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 5: I. Poco Adagio
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 5: II. Allegretto-Andante Grazioso-Allegretto
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 6: I. Andante Sostenuto
Sérénade Facile, Op. 36 No. 6: II. Rondo. Allegro
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 1
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 2
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 3
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 4
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 5
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 6
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 7
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 8
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 9
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 10
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 11
12 Valses, Op. 23: No. 12

UPC: 5028421957258
Label: Brilliant Classics
Release Date: 4.23.21
Format: CD

Lhoyer / Rugolo / Gillo - Complete Guitar Duos (Box) (CD)