Franz Halász

Few living composers besides Hans Werner Henze have enjoyed such remarkable success across such a wide range of musical genres, from large-scale concert and stage works to chamber and instrumental pieces.

Henze’s interests are wide-ranging and deeply humanistic, the music heard here drawing inspiration from Shakespearean characters (Royal Winter Music), the injustices of childhood (Three Fairy Tales from ‘Pollicino’), the poetry of Eduard Mörike (Ode to an Aeolian Harp) and the sensuous lyricism suggested by the movement titles of his triptych Carillon, Récitatif, Masque.

Volume 1 is available on 8557344.

Franz and Débora Halász continue their revelatory exploration of Ferdinando and Gustavo Carulli’s neglected yet highly appealing music.

As popular with the glamorous Parisian salon set as with music-loving families who played it at home, these sparkling and melodious works brim with virtuosity and vivacity.

Original compositions rub shoulders with mélanges of beloved opera melodies and arrangements of operatic overtures, variations, waltzes and dazzlingly dancing duos.

Franz and Débora Halász have been praised as “a young and exciting team … that persuasively combines piano and guitar” American Record Guide

Born in Naples, Ferdinando Carulli wrote the first complete classical guitar method, which continues to be used today.

From among his more than 400 guitar pieces come several transcriptions with operatic associations, including those of Beethoven’s Variations on an aria by Mozart and several Rossini overtures.

His son, Gustavo, also enjoyed a successful career as a guitarist and teacher.

Franz and Débora Halász have been praised as “a young and exciting team … that persuasively combines piano and guitar” American Record Guide