Italian composer Antonio Maria Nava (1775-1826) lived during the exact same period as Beethoven did, but the two could not possibly be any more different. If you were to compare them, musically speaking, to items listed on a fancy restaurant's dessert menu, Beethoven would be the dark, heavy, black forest cake, and Antonio Nava would be the light and delicate after dinner chocolate mint wafer. The pieces on this world première recording could all be considered one "divertissement" after another.

Serenata, Op. 63
Serenata, Op. 16
Trois Duos
Theme and Variations, Op. 40

This composer is probably better known within guitarist circles, since he was one of the most productive composers for the instrument during the 19th century, and besides publishing many, many fine works for guitar, also created and published a guitar method, and was highly praised as a guitar virtuoso himself. Aside from the rather melancholy 5th variation of the op. 40, this is music of a light and sunny nature, similar in many ways to the music of Luigi Boccherini. Noémi Gyori (flute) and Katalin Koltai (guitar), collectively known as the Dialogue Duo, perform these intimate pieces first and foremost as vehicles meant to display a musician's mastery over the instrument, and as an entertaining distraction for the audience. They do not try to impose more weight on the music, but simply let the lyrical character of each work speak for itself. They've already established a strong reputation as solo instrumentalists, and should have no problem building on that reputation as a chamber duo. The ease of collaboration they bring to the music is commendable, and makes their individual parts merge into one single voice.

So, if your musical meals consist mostly of rich and heavy dishes like Wagner operas or Brahms concertos, consider having something light for dessert. Consider this delightful recording of the music of Antonio Maria Nava.

Jean-Yves Duperron - November 2011