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Press Releases
Patrick Appello Earns Early Raves for 'Last Rose of Summer'
“The music - some familiar, some quite-unfamiliar, illustrates the untapped riches available to an artist willing to seek them out”; “All of it is played with skill and sensitivity. Patrick Appello's artistry is evident throughout”
“The highlights of the CD for me were the Schubert pieces, which were played with elegance and grace, and a good match to the timbre of the Lacote”
Early Raves for Classical Guitarist Patrick Appello’s Bravura Performance on an 1846 Lacôte Guitar
Early raves have run for classical guitarist Patrick Appello’s stunning collection of ‘romantic historical guitar’ songs, “The Last Rose of Summer”. In an expansive write-up via the syndicated BlogCritics, veteran writer Jack Goodstein buzzes, “Patrick Appello's artistry is evident throughout.” “The music - some familiar, some quite-unfamiliar, illustrates the untapped riches available to an artist willing to seek them out.” “And all of it is played with skill and sensitivity.”
The album, which showcases the sounds of Appello’s 1846 Lacote guitar and features works by Franz Schubert, Mauro Giuliani and Johann Kasper Mertz, has appealed to a wide range of press outlets, with upcoming coverage including mainstream, guitar, classical, historical, print and web outlets and more. Early Romantic Guitar writer Len Verrett commented: “The highlights of the CD for me were the Schubert pieces, which were played with elegance and grace, and a good match to the timbre of the Lacote, as were the first two Irish airs by Giuliani.”
Appello describes the instrument in greater detail: The guitar used in this recording is an 1846 Rene Lacôte, an instrument from the Augustine guitar collection. It was reconstructed by Jason Petty in 2006. The guitar is in its original state except for the neck, which was restored in the 1920s. This instrument represents the mature, robust Lacôte style of construction, possessing the qualities of enhanced volume, resonance and a distinctively modern timbre. His innovations were critical to the development of the modern instrument.
Appello, a respected classical/flamenco guitarist and lutenist, has dedicated himself to the study of Early Music, specializing in Romantic guitar literature. On ‘The Last Rose of Summer,’ he builds extraordinarily rich textures that take listeners on a journey back in time.
BLOGCRITICS – 3/15/12, by Jack Goodstein http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-patrick-appello-the-last/
Given the kind of money even a mediocre guitarist can make fiddling with a chord or two in a rock band, you have to wonder what it is that gets some young guitarist to spend years studying the classical guitar. It couldn't be the money. It isn't likely the fame—there are a number of acclaimed virtuosi, but for every Sharon Isbin, there are likely to be 100 Joe—well you name your poison. And when push comes to shove, even a star like Isbin is not averse to seeking a larger audience as perhaps her latest collaborative effort indicates. Whatever it is that motivates artists to devote their talents to musical genres which may not be at the center of popular interest, you have to be thankful they are willing to do it. Their efforts keep alive the musical traditions that have defined past cultures and enchanted listeners over the years, and if new listeners are not quite legion, there are enough of them to make those efforts worthwhile.
Classical guitarist Patrick Appello is a case in point. Not only has he devoted himself to the instrument, but instead of working with something like the crowd pleasing modern classic, Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, he has chosen to specialize in Early Music and Romantic guitar literature. The Last Rose of Summer, his newly released album, a collection of pieces from the Romantic period, makes a good case for his choice. The music - some familiar, some quite - unfamiliar illustrates the untapped riches available to an artist willing to seek them out.
The album begins with work by Johann Kasper Mertz, a Hungarian composer born in 1806—a Hungarian composer I must admit I had never heard of before. Appello's album notes provide some interesting biographical material, although it acknowledges that little is known about the man. It does mention that in1848, suffering from neuralgia, he was prescribed strychnine as a remedy. He suffered strychnine poisoning when his wife gave him the entire supply of the poison in one dose. How this effected his music is unclear; one can only imagine how it might have affected his marriage.
"Opern-Review: Lucia di Lammermoor" is a solo composition based on themes from the Donizetti opera. "Opern-Review" as a musical genre is a term I am unfamiliar with, but from the work itself, it seems to develop several ideas from the source much the way others have composed variations based on earlier works. It offers the guitarist a nice range of moods to work with. This is followed by two Schubert Leider (songs) arranged by Mertz.
The rest of the album consists of selections from the work of the better known Italian guitarist composer, Mauro Giuliani. There are three of the airs selected from his Six Irish National Airs, with Variations for Guitar or Lyre Solo. They include what are probably the best known works on the disc: "The Last Rose of Summer" and "My Lodging in on the Cold Ground," better known as "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms," both based on lyrics by the Irish poet, Thomas Moore. The third is the rollicking Irish dance, "Garryowen." Four pieces from the second part of Giulianiate, the composer's last authenticated work close the album.
All in all, the album offers a nice selection of repertoire. Listeners have an opportunity to become acquainted with the work of a lesserknown composer. They can hear some well known traditional music adapted in new settings; they can hear some of the work of one of the great composers for the guitar. And all of it is played with skill and sensitivity. Patrick Appello's artistry is evident throughout.
It is interesting to note that Appello is playing an 1846 Rene Lacôte guitar from the Augustine guitar collection. It was reconstructed in 2006 by Jason Perry. The album notes: "The instrument represents the mature, robust Lacôte style of construction, possessing the qualities of enhanced volume, resonance and a distinctively modern timbre." Also syndicated widely, running via SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER elsewhere: http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Patrick-Appello-The-Last-Rose-of-3410696.php
Early Romantic Guitar – 3/2012, by Len Verrett Newest CD Reviews (excerpts) The Last Rose of Summer - Patrick Appello - This recording features an historical instrument from the Augustine collection, an original 1846 Lacote, performed by professor Patrick Appello from New York, USA. The selection of repertoire draws a well-chosen set of musically satisfying pieces which have not been overplayed from J.K. Mertz and Mauro Giuliani. The Mertz works are solo guitar arrangements of vocal works, first a large-scale (12-minute) Mertz operatic fantasy on the Donizetti opera 'Lucia di Lammermoor' followed by two Schubert song arrangements (Message of Love, The Mail). The 7 Giuliani pieces are 3 of the 6 Irish Airs op. 125, and 4 pieces from op. 148 (Sentimentale, Allegria, Melanconia, Armonia). The highlights of the CD for me were the Schubert pieces, which were played with elegance and grace, and a good match to the timbre of the Lacote, as were the first two Irish airs by Giuliani ("Last Rose of Summer" and "My Lodging is on the Cold Ground")…”
Track Listing: Opera Review Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856) 1. “Opern-Review ‘Lucia di Lammermoor (after Donizetti)’” opus 8, no. 2 (11:58) Two Schubert Lieder Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Arr. Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856) 2. “Liebesbothschaft”/ “Message of Love” (4:46) 3. “Die Post” / “The Mail” (4:04) Three Irish Airs Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) “Sei Arie Nazionali Irlandesi Variate”/Six Irish National Airs, with Variations for Guitar or Lyre solo” opus 125 4. “The Last Rose of Summer” no. II (4:32) 5. “My Lodging is on the Cold Ground” no. V (3:04) 6. “Garryowen” no. VI (5:15) Four Pieces from the “Giulianiate” “Giulianiate” Part Two, Opus 148 Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) 7. “Il Sentimentale ” no. VI (4:48) 8. “L’Allegria” no. VIII (3:23) 9. “La Melanconia” no. VII (3:04) 10. “L’Armonia” no. V (4:35)
Liner Notes by Patrick Appello: The works of Johann Kasper Mertz were relatively unknown for almost 160 years after his death. It was in the last two decades that Mertz has been recognized as one of the major mid-nineteenth century composers for the guitar. Born of peasant stock in 1806 in Pressburg, Hungary (now Bratislavia), Mertz moved to Vienna in 1840 and composed music under the patronage of the Empress Carolina Augusta. His concert performance in the Hofburg Theater was so successful he captured the attention of the Viennese elite. This led to a concert tour where he met concert pianist Josephine Plantin whom he married several months later in Prague. Returning to Vienna, the couple resumed their careers as composers, teachers, and concert artists. Little is known of his life except what may be found in “Memoirs of Nicolai Petrovich Makaroff.” Makaroff, a Russian nobleman and guitar aficionado, says of Mertz, “He was a tall man about 50, neither thin nor fat, very modest with no hint or pretense of greatness about him.” Mertz, a frail and tormented man, faced adversity throughout his career. Diagnosed with neuralgia in 1848, Mertz was prescribed strychnine. Inadvertently, his wife administered the entire drug supply in one dose causing Mertz to suffer strychnine poisoning. The illness prevented him from working for almost two years. Mertz’s compositional style mirrored the Romantic composers of the mid-nineteenth century. He composed operatic paraphrases, rhapsodies, nocturnes, polonaises, as well as sets of character pieces such as “Bardenklänge” (“Bardic sounds”). This music captures the spirit of the Romantic period which glorified the individual, emphasizing a love of the mystical or unknown. The “Bardenklänge” is a musical adaptation of the epic poems of Ossian, a fictitious third century Scottish bard. The composer’s transcriptions of six Schubert Lieder were modeled after Franz Lizst’s arrangements of them leading to Mertz being labeled “the Franz Lizst of the guitar.” He championed the use of nails on the right hand to produce “a superior tone,”(posthumously recorded by his wife). Mertz also experimented with different guitar scordature and added a number of bass strings. He concertized with a ten-string guitar, impressing King Ludwig the First of Bavaria. Mertz’s career continued with measured success for several years. In 1856 he finally succumbed to heart disease (possibly a residual effect from his experience with strychnine poisoning a decade earlier). The Opern-Review selection from Lucia Di Lammermoor is in modified rondo form. The main theme is based on the tragic aria of Edgardo: “Tu Che A Dio Spieagsti l’Agli.” Mertz also uses a theme from the chorus “Fur le Nozze a Lei Funeste,” treating it with his standard fare of arpeggios, augmentation, and rhythmic displacement. His operatic rhapsodies are reflective of the great piano works of this era. Mertz undoubtedly heard these pieces in his wife’s piano studio. “Liebesbothschaft/Message of Love” is a through-composed Lied incorporating an alberti bass figure set under a framework of rapturous harmonies and chromaticisms that serve to intensify the symbolism of the text. In the poem, the speaker invites a stream to convey to his beloved a message of their blissful reunion. “Die Post” is a modified strophic Lied that provides an excellent example of Schubert’s style of word painting. Dotted rhythms and syncopations evoke the sound of the hoof beats of the postman’s horses. Harmonies in the treble voice suggest the mail carrier’s horn and the contrasting minor section recounts the all too familiar tale of unrequited love. Mauro Giuliani was the most important and influential guitarist and composer of his time. Born in 1781 in Bisceglie, Italy, he moved to Barletta and was educated in music until his early adulthood. His studies included counterpoint, cello, and guitar. His ingenious style of composition blended Viennese Classicism with Italian lyricism. His command of the instrument was recorded in this eulogy from the Giulianiad (a defunct London quarterly:) “The tone of Giuliani was brought to the greatest possible perfection: in his hands the guitar became gifted with the power of expression at once pure, thrilling, and exquisite. In a word, he made the instrument sing.” Fillipo Isnardi, a self-styled biographer of Giuliani, describes his playing of the instrument “with a mastery, with an elegance, and with a vibrazione (loudness) which no one before him achieved.” The reputation of Giuliani’s ability to produce volume and sustain on the instrument has been well documented in letters and publications of the period. “The Last Rose of Summer” is a poem by the Irish poet Thomas Moore, a friend of Byron and Shelley. Sir John Stevenson set the poem to music in 1805. It also appeared in a collection of Moore’s poems called “Irish Melodies” (1807-1834). Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed variations on this tune and the opera composer Von Flotow also quoted this piece in his famous opera “Martha.” Giuliani arranged this air using simple harmonies with few technical demands, rarely rising above the fifth position. This may account for its dedication to William M. Kelly, himself an amateur guitarist, who may have commissioned them from Giuliani. “My Lodging is on the Cold Ground” first appeared in an English publication in 1665 and was incorporated into a Ballad Opera in London in 1737. Probably of Irish origin, this melody has become an American classic under the title “Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms.” The stirring Irish two-step “Garryowen” became a favorite tune of English soldiers at Waterloo, and the official air of the 7th U.S Calvary Regiment. It was also printed in “Irish Melodies” (1807-34) by Thomas Moore, the same collection that contains “The Last Rose of Summer.” The Giulianiate, opus 148, is Giuliani’s last authenticated work. It is mentioned in a letter to the publisher Dominico Artaria as partial payment of a debt: the dowry of Giuliani’s illegitimate daughter Maria. Giuliani’s concept of stand-alone pieces that contain various sentimental ideas are introduced as “Varié Idée Sentimentali,” as seen on the title page. In a previous letter to Artaria, Giuliani had promised that his new compositions would be “something never produced before.” For this recording, I have chosen pieces from the second part of The Giulianiate. “Il Sentimentale,” marked grazioso, represents Giuliani’s graceful style of composition in 6/8 time, using short motivic themes, which he artfully varied using imitation, sequencing, and scale passages. “L’Allegria,” marked allegro, is a playful piece in the key of A Major. His carefully crafted two-part writing, mimics laughter by using a series of conjunct thirds in the melody. The codapresents a delightful punctuation in characteristic Giuliani style. In Giuliani’s time, the condition of melancholy was considered a disease. “La Melanconia” is Giuliani’s famous character piece that describes this disorder. This piece is an example of Giuliani’s mastery of the “Miniature Form”: an andantino in 2/4 time along with a wistful treatment of melody and accompaniment. “L’Armonia,” marked allegro spiritoso, is a lively bravura work employing an ostinato-like arpeggio figure that echoes throughout the piece, along with a few brazen tonicizations. The piece has evolved from Giuliani’s earlier balanced classical style, incorporating a more complex form of writing that was currently being explored and would soon be in full flower.
More about Patrick Appello: Patrick Appello has distinguished himself with a thirty-plus year career including classical and flamenco performances at major venues. He had the honor of being chosen as the solo classical guitarist at the World Trade Center in New York, NY. He played for the premiere of the “Cellar In The Sky” restaurant, in the Windows on the World complex, and for many years thereafter. Mr. Appello was also co-winner of the Oscar Ghilia Guitar Competition; solo artist, Master Class at the Aspen Music Festival. For the past decade, Mr. Appello has dedicated himself to the study of Early Music, specializing in the Romantic guitar literature. Early Music performances include concerts with the New York Continuo Collective and as a theorbo accompanist in the New York Metropolitan area. A graduate of Manhattan School of Music, he has a Master of Music degree from New Jersey City University and has studied guitar with Manuel Barrueco, Frederic Hand, Juan de la Mata, and Ana Maria Rosado, as well as pursued lute, Baroque guitar and theorbo studies with Pat O’Brien, Lucas Harris, Eloy Cruz, and Grant Herried. He has taught classical guitar at the Westchester Conservatory. Currently, Mr. Appello is a lecturer in theory, music history and classical guitar at Georgian Court University and is on the faculty as an instructor in classical guitar and lute at the Monmouth Conservatory of Music.
More about the album: Produced by Patrick Appello Recorded at Shorefire Studios, Long Branch, NJ, Fall 2011 Recording Engineer: Joe De Maio Editing and Mastering: Allan Tucker, TuckerSound at Foothill Digital, New Rochelle, NY Design & Art Direction: Stephanie Greig Photos of 1846 Lacôte Romantic Guitar by Paul La Raia
Visit patrickappello.com
“The highlights of the CD for me were the Schubert pieces, which were played with elegance and grace, and a good match to the timbre of the Lacote”
Early Raves for Classical Guitarist Patrick Appello’s Bravura Performance on an 1846 Lacôte Guitar
Early raves have run for classical guitarist Patrick Appello’s stunning collection of ‘romantic historical guitar’ songs, “The Last Rose of Summer”. In an expansive write-up via the syndicated BlogCritics, veteran writer Jack Goodstein buzzes, “Patrick Appello's artistry is evident throughout.” “The music - some familiar, some quite-unfamiliar, illustrates the untapped riches available to an artist willing to seek them out.” “And all of it is played with skill and sensitivity.”
The album, which showcases the sounds of Appello’s 1846 Lacote guitar and features works by Franz Schubert, Mauro Giuliani and Johann Kasper Mertz, has appealed to a wide range of press outlets, with upcoming coverage including mainstream, guitar, classical, historical, print and web outlets and more. Early Romantic Guitar writer Len Verrett commented: “The highlights of the CD for me were the Schubert pieces, which were played with elegance and grace, and a good match to the timbre of the Lacote, as were the first two Irish airs by Giuliani.”
Appello describes the instrument in greater detail: The guitar used in this recording is an 1846 Rene Lacôte, an instrument from the Augustine guitar collection. It was reconstructed by Jason Petty in 2006. The guitar is in its original state except for the neck, which was restored in the 1920s. This instrument represents the mature, robust Lacôte style of construction, possessing the qualities of enhanced volume, resonance and a distinctively modern timbre. His innovations were critical to the development of the modern instrument.
Appello, a respected classical/flamenco guitarist and lutenist, has dedicated himself to the study of Early Music, specializing in Romantic guitar literature. On ‘The Last Rose of Summer,’ he builds extraordinarily rich textures that take listeners on a journey back in time.
BLOGCRITICS – 3/15/12, by Jack Goodstein http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-patrick-appello-the-last/
Given the kind of money even a mediocre guitarist can make fiddling with a chord or two in a rock band, you have to wonder what it is that gets some young guitarist to spend years studying the classical guitar. It couldn't be the money. It isn't likely the fame—there are a number of acclaimed virtuosi, but for every Sharon Isbin, there are likely to be 100 Joe—well you name your poison. And when push comes to shove, even a star like Isbin is not averse to seeking a larger audience as perhaps her latest collaborative effort indicates. Whatever it is that motivates artists to devote their talents to musical genres which may not be at the center of popular interest, you have to be thankful they are willing to do it. Their efforts keep alive the musical traditions that have defined past cultures and enchanted listeners over the years, and if new listeners are not quite legion, there are enough of them to make those efforts worthwhile.
Classical guitarist Patrick Appello is a case in point. Not only has he devoted himself to the instrument, but instead of working with something like the crowd pleasing modern classic, Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, he has chosen to specialize in Early Music and Romantic guitar literature. The Last Rose of Summer, his newly released album, a collection of pieces from the Romantic period, makes a good case for his choice. The music - some familiar, some quite - unfamiliar illustrates the untapped riches available to an artist willing to seek them out.
The album begins with work by Johann Kasper Mertz, a Hungarian composer born in 1806—a Hungarian composer I must admit I had never heard of before. Appello's album notes provide some interesting biographical material, although it acknowledges that little is known about the man. It does mention that in1848, suffering from neuralgia, he was prescribed strychnine as a remedy. He suffered strychnine poisoning when his wife gave him the entire supply of the poison in one dose. How this effected his music is unclear; one can only imagine how it might have affected his marriage.
"Opern-Review: Lucia di Lammermoor" is a solo composition based on themes from the Donizetti opera. "Opern-Review" as a musical genre is a term I am unfamiliar with, but from the work itself, it seems to develop several ideas from the source much the way others have composed variations based on earlier works. It offers the guitarist a nice range of moods to work with. This is followed by two Schubert Leider (songs) arranged by Mertz.
The rest of the album consists of selections from the work of the better known Italian guitarist composer, Mauro Giuliani. There are three of the airs selected from his Six Irish National Airs, with Variations for Guitar or Lyre Solo. They include what are probably the best known works on the disc: "The Last Rose of Summer" and "My Lodging in on the Cold Ground," better known as "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms," both based on lyrics by the Irish poet, Thomas Moore. The third is the rollicking Irish dance, "Garryowen." Four pieces from the second part of Giulianiate, the composer's last authenticated work close the album.
All in all, the album offers a nice selection of repertoire. Listeners have an opportunity to become acquainted with the work of a lesserknown composer. They can hear some well known traditional music adapted in new settings; they can hear some of the work of one of the great composers for the guitar. And all of it is played with skill and sensitivity. Patrick Appello's artistry is evident throughout.
It is interesting to note that Appello is playing an 1846 Rene Lacôte guitar from the Augustine guitar collection. It was reconstructed in 2006 by Jason Perry. The album notes: "The instrument represents the mature, robust Lacôte style of construction, possessing the qualities of enhanced volume, resonance and a distinctively modern timbre." Also syndicated widely, running via SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER elsewhere: http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Patrick-Appello-The-Last-Rose-of-3410696.php
Early Romantic Guitar – 3/2012, by Len Verrett Newest CD Reviews (excerpts) The Last Rose of Summer - Patrick Appello - This recording features an historical instrument from the Augustine collection, an original 1846 Lacote, performed by professor Patrick Appello from New York, USA. The selection of repertoire draws a well-chosen set of musically satisfying pieces which have not been overplayed from J.K. Mertz and Mauro Giuliani. The Mertz works are solo guitar arrangements of vocal works, first a large-scale (12-minute) Mertz operatic fantasy on the Donizetti opera 'Lucia di Lammermoor' followed by two Schubert song arrangements (Message of Love, The Mail). The 7 Giuliani pieces are 3 of the 6 Irish Airs op. 125, and 4 pieces from op. 148 (Sentimentale, Allegria, Melanconia, Armonia). The highlights of the CD for me were the Schubert pieces, which were played with elegance and grace, and a good match to the timbre of the Lacote, as were the first two Irish airs by Giuliani ("Last Rose of Summer" and "My Lodging is on the Cold Ground")…”
Track Listing: Opera Review Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856) 1. “Opern-Review ‘Lucia di Lammermoor (after Donizetti)’” opus 8, no. 2 (11:58) Two Schubert Lieder Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Arr. Johann Kaspar Mertz (1806-1856) 2. “Liebesbothschaft”/ “Message of Love” (4:46) 3. “Die Post” / “The Mail” (4:04) Three Irish Airs Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) “Sei Arie Nazionali Irlandesi Variate”/Six Irish National Airs, with Variations for Guitar or Lyre solo” opus 125 4. “The Last Rose of Summer” no. II (4:32) 5. “My Lodging is on the Cold Ground” no. V (3:04) 6. “Garryowen” no. VI (5:15) Four Pieces from the “Giulianiate” “Giulianiate” Part Two, Opus 148 Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829) 7. “Il Sentimentale ” no. VI (4:48) 8. “L’Allegria” no. VIII (3:23) 9. “La Melanconia” no. VII (3:04) 10. “L’Armonia” no. V (4:35)
Liner Notes by Patrick Appello: The works of Johann Kasper Mertz were relatively unknown for almost 160 years after his death. It was in the last two decades that Mertz has been recognized as one of the major mid-nineteenth century composers for the guitar. Born of peasant stock in 1806 in Pressburg, Hungary (now Bratislavia), Mertz moved to Vienna in 1840 and composed music under the patronage of the Empress Carolina Augusta. His concert performance in the Hofburg Theater was so successful he captured the attention of the Viennese elite. This led to a concert tour where he met concert pianist Josephine Plantin whom he married several months later in Prague. Returning to Vienna, the couple resumed their careers as composers, teachers, and concert artists. Little is known of his life except what may be found in “Memoirs of Nicolai Petrovich Makaroff.” Makaroff, a Russian nobleman and guitar aficionado, says of Mertz, “He was a tall man about 50, neither thin nor fat, very modest with no hint or pretense of greatness about him.” Mertz, a frail and tormented man, faced adversity throughout his career. Diagnosed with neuralgia in 1848, Mertz was prescribed strychnine. Inadvertently, his wife administered the entire drug supply in one dose causing Mertz to suffer strychnine poisoning. The illness prevented him from working for almost two years. Mertz’s compositional style mirrored the Romantic composers of the mid-nineteenth century. He composed operatic paraphrases, rhapsodies, nocturnes, polonaises, as well as sets of character pieces such as “Bardenklänge” (“Bardic sounds”). This music captures the spirit of the Romantic period which glorified the individual, emphasizing a love of the mystical or unknown. The “Bardenklänge” is a musical adaptation of the epic poems of Ossian, a fictitious third century Scottish bard. The composer’s transcriptions of six Schubert Lieder were modeled after Franz Lizst’s arrangements of them leading to Mertz being labeled “the Franz Lizst of the guitar.” He championed the use of nails on the right hand to produce “a superior tone,”(posthumously recorded by his wife). Mertz also experimented with different guitar scordature and added a number of bass strings. He concertized with a ten-string guitar, impressing King Ludwig the First of Bavaria. Mertz’s career continued with measured success for several years. In 1856 he finally succumbed to heart disease (possibly a residual effect from his experience with strychnine poisoning a decade earlier). The Opern-Review selection from Lucia Di Lammermoor is in modified rondo form. The main theme is based on the tragic aria of Edgardo: “Tu Che A Dio Spieagsti l’Agli.” Mertz also uses a theme from the chorus “Fur le Nozze a Lei Funeste,” treating it with his standard fare of arpeggios, augmentation, and rhythmic displacement. His operatic rhapsodies are reflective of the great piano works of this era. Mertz undoubtedly heard these pieces in his wife’s piano studio. “Liebesbothschaft/Message of Love” is a through-composed Lied incorporating an alberti bass figure set under a framework of rapturous harmonies and chromaticisms that serve to intensify the symbolism of the text. In the poem, the speaker invites a stream to convey to his beloved a message of their blissful reunion. “Die Post” is a modified strophic Lied that provides an excellent example of Schubert’s style of word painting. Dotted rhythms and syncopations evoke the sound of the hoof beats of the postman’s horses. Harmonies in the treble voice suggest the mail carrier’s horn and the contrasting minor section recounts the all too familiar tale of unrequited love. Mauro Giuliani was the most important and influential guitarist and composer of his time. Born in 1781 in Bisceglie, Italy, he moved to Barletta and was educated in music until his early adulthood. His studies included counterpoint, cello, and guitar. His ingenious style of composition blended Viennese Classicism with Italian lyricism. His command of the instrument was recorded in this eulogy from the Giulianiad (a defunct London quarterly:) “The tone of Giuliani was brought to the greatest possible perfection: in his hands the guitar became gifted with the power of expression at once pure, thrilling, and exquisite. In a word, he made the instrument sing.” Fillipo Isnardi, a self-styled biographer of Giuliani, describes his playing of the instrument “with a mastery, with an elegance, and with a vibrazione (loudness) which no one before him achieved.” The reputation of Giuliani’s ability to produce volume and sustain on the instrument has been well documented in letters and publications of the period. “The Last Rose of Summer” is a poem by the Irish poet Thomas Moore, a friend of Byron and Shelley. Sir John Stevenson set the poem to music in 1805. It also appeared in a collection of Moore’s poems called “Irish Melodies” (1807-1834). Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed variations on this tune and the opera composer Von Flotow also quoted this piece in his famous opera “Martha.” Giuliani arranged this air using simple harmonies with few technical demands, rarely rising above the fifth position. This may account for its dedication to William M. Kelly, himself an amateur guitarist, who may have commissioned them from Giuliani. “My Lodging is on the Cold Ground” first appeared in an English publication in 1665 and was incorporated into a Ballad Opera in London in 1737. Probably of Irish origin, this melody has become an American classic under the title “Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms.” The stirring Irish two-step “Garryowen” became a favorite tune of English soldiers at Waterloo, and the official air of the 7th U.S Calvary Regiment. It was also printed in “Irish Melodies” (1807-34) by Thomas Moore, the same collection that contains “The Last Rose of Summer.” The Giulianiate, opus 148, is Giuliani’s last authenticated work. It is mentioned in a letter to the publisher Dominico Artaria as partial payment of a debt: the dowry of Giuliani’s illegitimate daughter Maria. Giuliani’s concept of stand-alone pieces that contain various sentimental ideas are introduced as “Varié Idée Sentimentali,” as seen on the title page. In a previous letter to Artaria, Giuliani had promised that his new compositions would be “something never produced before.” For this recording, I have chosen pieces from the second part of The Giulianiate. “Il Sentimentale,” marked grazioso, represents Giuliani’s graceful style of composition in 6/8 time, using short motivic themes, which he artfully varied using imitation, sequencing, and scale passages. “L’Allegria,” marked allegro, is a playful piece in the key of A Major. His carefully crafted two-part writing, mimics laughter by using a series of conjunct thirds in the melody. The codapresents a delightful punctuation in characteristic Giuliani style. In Giuliani’s time, the condition of melancholy was considered a disease. “La Melanconia” is Giuliani’s famous character piece that describes this disorder. This piece is an example of Giuliani’s mastery of the “Miniature Form”: an andantino in 2/4 time along with a wistful treatment of melody and accompaniment. “L’Armonia,” marked allegro spiritoso, is a lively bravura work employing an ostinato-like arpeggio figure that echoes throughout the piece, along with a few brazen tonicizations. The piece has evolved from Giuliani’s earlier balanced classical style, incorporating a more complex form of writing that was currently being explored and would soon be in full flower.
More about Patrick Appello: Patrick Appello has distinguished himself with a thirty-plus year career including classical and flamenco performances at major venues. He had the honor of being chosen as the solo classical guitarist at the World Trade Center in New York, NY. He played for the premiere of the “Cellar In The Sky” restaurant, in the Windows on the World complex, and for many years thereafter. Mr. Appello was also co-winner of the Oscar Ghilia Guitar Competition; solo artist, Master Class at the Aspen Music Festival. For the past decade, Mr. Appello has dedicated himself to the study of Early Music, specializing in the Romantic guitar literature. Early Music performances include concerts with the New York Continuo Collective and as a theorbo accompanist in the New York Metropolitan area. A graduate of Manhattan School of Music, he has a Master of Music degree from New Jersey City University and has studied guitar with Manuel Barrueco, Frederic Hand, Juan de la Mata, and Ana Maria Rosado, as well as pursued lute, Baroque guitar and theorbo studies with Pat O’Brien, Lucas Harris, Eloy Cruz, and Grant Herried. He has taught classical guitar at the Westchester Conservatory. Currently, Mr. Appello is a lecturer in theory, music history and classical guitar at Georgian Court University and is on the faculty as an instructor in classical guitar and lute at the Monmouth Conservatory of Music.
More about the album: Produced by Patrick Appello Recorded at Shorefire Studios, Long Branch, NJ, Fall 2011 Recording Engineer: Joe De Maio Editing and Mastering: Allan Tucker, TuckerSound at Foothill Digital, New Rochelle, NY Design & Art Direction: Stephanie Greig Photos of 1846 Lacôte Romantic Guitar by Paul La Raia
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