Giulio Regondi - Guitar Works Vol.1

Giulio Regondi, born in Genoa in 1822, lived most of his life in London, where his dazzling displays of guitar virtuosity turned him into a cult figure. This first volume of his solo guitar works is something to get very excited about. Though obviously written for his own use, Regondi's works are far removed from the meaningless showpieces of the guitar repertoire, their difficulties often hidden from the listener. This is music that makes the guitar sing, the Ten Studies examining the guitarist's ability to create a sound of lyrical beauty. The soloist is John Holmquist, a superb technician, as previous Naxos releases have already shown. In his hands the difficulties of Regondi's scores evaporate, allowing us to simply enjoy the composer's attractive melodies. Guitar enthusiasts rarely share my phobia regarding the noisy left-hand finger movements that are captured by the microphone, and the sound quality is otherwise excellent. The more flamboyant 'Introduction and Caprice' has featured on guitar recital releases, but this seems to be the first CD devoted to his guitar music.