Duarte: Works for Solo Guitar Flavio Nati

• John Duarte (1919 - 2004): Partita, Op. 59:
• 1 Duarte: Partita, Op. 59: I. Con Bravura 03:34
• 2 Duarte: Partita, Op. 59: II. Mesto e Cantabile 03:55
• 3 Duarte: Partita, Op. 59: III. Scherzoso 02:11
• 4 Duarte: Partita, Op. 59: IV. Poco Agitato 04:38
• Variations on an Italian Folk Song, Op. 139:
• 5 Duarte: Variations on an Italian Folk Song, Op. 139: I. Theme. II. Poco agitato. III. Andantino grazioso. IV. Vivo. V. Alla siciliana. VI. Giocoso. VII. Maestoso/Risoluto 12:14
• Valse lyrique, Op. 137:
• 6 Duarte: Valse lyrique, Op. 137 03:39
• Valse en rondeau, Op. 128:
• 7 Duarte: Valse en rondeau, Op. 128 03:00
• Variations on a Theme of Štĕpán Rak, Op. 100:
• 8 Duarte: Variations on a Theme of Štĕpán Rak, Op. 100: I. Theme. II. Con moto. III. Andante nikitoso. IV. Scherzoso. V. Lento, con tenerezza. VI. Alla gavotta. VII. Finale. VIII. Theme 15:58
• 3 Songs without Words for Carlos Andrés, Op. 45:
• 9 Duarte: 3 Songs without Words for Carlos Andrés, Op. 45: I. Song of Greeting 03:54
• 10 Duarte: 3 Songs without Words for Carlos Andrés, Op. 45: II. Sleep Song 03:12
• 11 Duarte: 3 Songs without Words for Carlos Andrés, Op. 45: III. Roundelay 03:02
• Danza eccentrica, Op. 138:
• 12 Duarte: Danza eccentrica, Op. 138 02:43
• Fantasia and Fugue on Torre Bermeja, Op. 30:
• 13 Duarte: Fantasia and Fugue on Torre Bermeja, Op. 30 10:14
• Prélude en arpèges, Op. 62:
• 14 Duarte: Prélude en arpèges, Op. 62 03:43
• Total Runtime 01:15:57

Info for Duarte: Works for Solo Guitar

Duarte’s Partita was completed in 1974. It’s a substantial work in four movements, using all original material. As in the Variations on a Theme of Štěpán Rak he adopts a four-note motif, which may be heard forwards, backwards, inverted and stretched. Variations on an Italian Folk Song Op.139 was written in 2000. It draws on the second movement, “Canzona”, of Duarte’s prior Suite piemontese, which was based on a combination of two tunes: Il testamento dell’avvelenato and Re Gilardin. This gentle theme is characterised by simple movements of a step or a fourth. The six variations all begin with this stepwise movement but they quickly gain individual characters. Valse lyrique (2000) is one of the three short dances Duarte wrote late in his career. The second theme, clearly derived from the first, includes some hemiolas as well as combined harmonics and natural notes. The central section features the melody in the bass. Valse en rondeau was written in 1997 for the American guitarist David Starobin. Duarte stated: “I decided to make reference to my origin as a jazz musician and to my interest in early music (the Rondeau form) and to exercise my unshakeable belief in melody.” The origin of the Variations on a Theme of Štěpán Rak Op.100 is unique. In 1984 Rak was staying with Duarte when Vladimir Mikulka performed a lunchtime concert in London. At the end of the concert Mikulka announced that he was going to perform an unusual encore – a theme, but without variations that had yet to be written. Afterwards he announced that Rak, Koshkin and Duarte should exchange themes with each other to create six new variation works, and he presented Duarte with Rak’s theme on a piece of manuscript paper. Andrés Segovia, a supreme Anglophile, married his third wife in Gibraltar (“under the British flag, on Spanish soil”), and their son was born in London. Duarte’s 3 Songs without Words for Carlos Andrés were a present to the happy couple. Danza eccentrica (2000) was dedicated to the Italian guitarist Domenico Lafasciano with the note, “Here is your dance. It may not be what you expected, but it’s what I’ve written – not another ‘cloned’ rumba, tango, waltz or whatever, but something with more individual character.” The unexpected aspects include dissonant harmonies, bass notes which move in ¾ against the treble in 6/8 and sections more reminiscent of a hurdy-gurdy. The Italian guitarist Angelo Gilardino wrote to Duarte about his Fantasia and Fugue on Torre Bermeja Op.30: “…the melodic and rhythmic feeling is of the sort to easily produce the fascination of the public”. The Torre Bermeja in question is the piano piece by Isaac Albéniz, Op.92 No.12. Although it carries Op.62 (1974) on its cover, the little Prélude en arpèges was written in 1954/5 and intended as the first movement of a Harp Suite Op.18 that was never completed.

Flavio Nati, guitar

Flavio Nati
is a young classical guitarist, appreciated for his “maturity and quality of the highest level”, whose concerts have been described as “an authentic experience for the various styles masterfully performed” (Diaro de Àvila). Graduated with honours in 2012 at the Conservatorium “Santa Cecilia” in his hometown – Rome – with Arturo Tallini, in under the guidance of Carlo Marchione he has took the master’s degree in “classical guitar performance” with full marks and honours at the Conservatorium of Maastricht, the Netherlands. He then completed his studies with many renowned international artists, such as Giuliano Balestra, Adriano del Sal, Paolo Pegoraro, Judicaël Perroy, Zoran Dukic. Furthermore, he was accepted various times in the prestigious Accademia Chigiana (Siena, Italy), where he attended the course of Oscar Ghiglia and has received honourable mentions and scholarships. He recently certified with full marks in the M.A. II Level Course in Interpretation of Contemporary Music at Conservatorium “Santa Cecilia” and in Guitar Performance at Conservatorium “Arrigo Boito” in Parma.

He has given recitals throughout Italy and Europe (Spain, France, Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Croatia, Romania). In addition, he recently performed in a series of recitals in Japan and Korea, performing a repertoire ranging from Renaissance to contemporary music, always with great success within audience and critics. He has been invited in TV and radio broadcasts, such as the prestigious Radio4 in Amsterdam and Cremona1 TV.

In recent years he participated and got awarded in various national and international competitions, such as “Tokyo International Guitar Competition”, “Fernando Sor”,“Classical Guitar Competition of Finland”, “Alirio Diaz”, “Enrico Mercatali”, “Mottola”,“Claxica”, “Città di Gargnano”, “Giulio Rospigliosi”, “Ferdinando Carulli”, “José Tomàs – Villa de Petrer” (Petrer, Spain).

The prestigious Scientific Committee of Guitar Convention “Michele Pittaluga” awarded him with the Golden Guitar 2016 “Young Promise” as the best up-and-coming guitarist of the year.

In 2018, he won the Respighi Prize: for this reason, he will play as soloist with the New York Chamber Orchestra in 2020/2021 season at the Carnegie Hall/Weill Hall.

Two of his CD recordings are scheduled to be released in 2020: the first consisting of music by Falla, José and Ponce, while the second is the complete works for solo guitar by Tōru Takemitsu for the label Stradivarius, on the occasion of the 90th birthday of the Japanese composer.

Recently he edited the new publication based on the autograph score of the 6 Preludios Fáciles by Manuel María Ponce, pubblished by Ut Orpheus (Bologna) and he had the occasion to collaborate with various composers, such as Kai Nieminen, Alfredo Franco and Francesco Leineri, who dedicated him solo and chamber works for guitar.

He also plays in chamber ensembles, especially duos, with flute, with guitar, viola, singers or in bigger formations. Recently he won the first prize at the International Guitar Competition “Ferdinando Carulli” for chamber music section.

Since 2017 he has been teaching at various institutions, such as Conservatorio “S. Giacomantonio” – Cosenza, Conservatorio “G. B. Martini” – Bologna, Conservatorio “A. Buzzolla” – Adria and Istituto “Vecchi-Tonelli” – Modena. Furthermore, he has been giving masterclasses for various associations throughout Italy (Segovia Guitar Academy, Guitar Masters Lago d’Orta, Classic Music Lab, Associazione “Giulio Rospigliosi” Associazione “Ciao Classica”) and abroad (Romania, Bulgaria) and took part in the juries of important national and international competitions (“Giulio Rospigliosi”, “Fernando Sor”).

Booklet for Duarte: Works for Solo Guitar