Giorgio Mirto

A highly original selection of guitar works in which the night is the inspiration: darkness, suspense and fright for the unknown, but also the mystery, the sense of the supernatural and the immaterial. Composers include Giorgio Mirto himself, and composers writing for Mirto: Manco,Torresan, Di Salvo, Albini, and more familiar composers such as Pujol and Miklos Rozsa whos Valse Crépusculaire was made famous in the film Providence.

Giorgio Mirto is the ideal interpreter for this repertoire: imaginative, speaking the language of love and life itself. A new recording, with personal liner notes by the composer and artist. With its romantic and mystical connotations, ‘night’ has long been the inspiration behind many works of art. This release presents an alternative reading of its beguiling message, detailing a selection of little-known and contemporary compositions that have all been written for guitar. The compilation contains expert performances by Giorgio Mirto and begins with his 3 Nocturnes – the first of several Italian works featured on this disc. As well as revisiting the music of Máximo Diego Pujol, whose complete guitar duets are detailed in a former Brilliant Classics’ release and whose exotic Nocturno brilliantly captures the sights and sounds of Buenos Aires, the collection also includes Valse crépusculaire – written by Hungarian-born Miklós Rózsa for the award-winning film Providence. Andrew York’s spirited Into dark completes the survey, a work that perfectly encapsulates the American’s predilection for mixing classical music with folk and rock elements. Brimming with colour and expression, these miniature and highly varied evocations form a gem of a recording that is not to be passed up. The compilation is a worthy addition to the guitar enthusiast’s library, with the instrument’s subtle nuances perfectly capturing night’s enigmatic nature.

This disc presents attractive chamber music for string instruments and solo guitar, always shining with his love for life and music, both inseparably intertwined. Mirto plays himself the solo guitar (who else..?) and is seconded by a superb band of string players, collegue-friends, sharing their enthusiasm for this infectious 21-st century chamber music.

Liner notes in Italian and English, by Giorgio Mirto, explaining the inspiration of each work.

Described by fellow composer-guitarist Maximo Diego Pujol as ‘one of the most interesting composers I’ve met in recent years’, Giorgio Mirto is a leading light in the world of contemporary guitar music.

Following in the footsteps of a series of critically acclaimed volumes dedicated to guitar works and transcriptions by everyone from Mirto’s own contemporaries to Rossini and Scarlatti, this new recording focuses the spotlight on Mirto’s own compositions.

Music of great imagination and evocation is a defining characteristic of this recording. Tres piezas de Abril, a set of three songs for two guitars, draws inspiration from the vibrant dances of the tango, milonga and candombe, conjuring the characters and colours of Argentina, just as Triste, Solitario y Final is ‘drenched in the characteristic atmosphere’ of this country. I sentieri del sogno, meanwhile, is an inspired musical retelling of Sergio Bambarén’s The Dolphin, while Su Bentu uses three guitars to give voice to the fierce winds that whip at the coast of Sardinia.

With performances by Mirto himself, in collaboration with additional guitarists and chamber musicians, these pieces are given ample expression. Mirto’s deep affinity for his instrument permeates each composition, resulting in a recording that will delight both the casual fan and the connoisseur of guitar music.