Coste: Guitar Works Volume 6

The publication of a facsimile edition of Napoléon Coste's complete works in the 1980s brought the composer-guitarist's name before the public after decades of neglect. A student of Sor, he was the most eminent French guitarist of the 19th century and a creative innovator. Fantaisie symphonique shows the range of his ambition with its quasi orchestral textures, swift mood changes and virtuoso flourishes. Le Départ is one his most popular extended pieces, full of liquid transitions. The other works demonstrate the variety of his art - the multitude of techniques employed, his mastery of texture and attractive intricacy.