Joseph Haydn: Piano Sonata in D major, Hob. X VI:37
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Fantasia No. 3 in D minor, K. 397
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-flat major, Op. 81a "Les Adieux"
Joseph Haydn: Piano Sonata in A major, Hob. X VI:30
Mauro Giuliani: Grand Duo Concertant for Flute and Guitar, Op. 85

Like everything else in life, tastes and preferences in classical music are wide and varied. I've known people who had large collections of recordings which included operas, symphonies and concertos, vocal and choral works, solo guitar, violin or cello, etc ... but not one recording of solo piano music. They knew they were missing out on some key masterworks like the Chopin Nocturnes and the Beethoven Piano Sonatas for example, but they simply didn't enjoy the sound of the piano. This new CD of world première recordings of fine transcriptions for flute and guitar by Noemi Gyori (flute) and Katalin Koltai (guitar) could well be their chance to hear some of the piano masterworks they've been avoiding all these years.

In an effort to create something original, Noemi Gyori points out in the booklet notes that prior to and following this duo's release of their first CD featuring the music of Antonio Maria Nava, "inspired by our experiences, Nava's flute-guitar music, and this historically important era in the ensemble's history, this marked the beginning of a long-term shared journey, aiming to redefine the context of the flute and guitar duo's evolution and raison d'être through creating a new canon for the ensemble: transcribing Viennese classical keyboard works for flute and guitar that represent the finest compositional techniques."

Not only has all this work and research proven to be a godsend for those of you who dislike the sound of the piano, it's a breath of fresh air for those of us who do. We get to experience some of our favorite piano works under a whole new light. The flute and guitar combo lightens up the textures and clearly delineates the melody from the accompaniment. And these transcriptions are clearly not just a simple carry-over from one instrument to another. Careful and studious attention was applied to ensure that the musical character of a piece remained intact in the process while providing the flute and guitar's own expressive qualities free reign. And this duo's innate and elemental relationship combined with years of shared experience translates into a seamless sound throughout that's a pleasure to hear.