Giuliani: Grand Overture, Op. 61

Following her 2006 debut recording “Sonatas” (60164), rising star of the guitar Magdalena Kaltcheva releases her long-awaited new album, “Elogio de la Guitarra”. The disc features pieces by major Spanish and Italian composers of music for the guitar, including Joaquín Rodrigo, Isaac Albéniz, Mauro Giuliani, and Domenico Scarlatti.

Magdalena Kaltcheva was born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1987. After early private lessons she became a student at the "Belvedere" School of Music in Weimar. In October 2004 she began her studies with Prof. Jürgen Rost at the Hochschule für Musik "Franz Liszt" in Weimar, and in July 2009 joined the Masters programme at the University of Music in Cologne. Since 2000 she has performed in a series of concerts in Germany and Europe, and has won many first and second prizes at international competitions.

Guitar virtuoso David Starobin has selected “favourite” recordings of 19th century repertoire from recordings made during the past 35 years.

The selection includes music by the 19th century guitar world's leading composers and is performed on both period and modern instruments.

As a bonus, this disc includes the first release of Starobin's recording with the late Italian violinist Pina Carmirelli of Paganini's Sonata Concertata. These remastered performances give evidence of why Starobin was recently called “arguably the most influential American classical guitarist of the 20th Century” by Soundboard Magazine.

Dale Kavanagh enjoys a musical challenge; she plays with profound sensitivity, clarity and brilliance. On this CD she has selected Classical-Romantic repertoire in order to demonstrate her flawless technique. At the same time, her choice of composers says it all: anyone who is willing to take on Paganini has a passion for wild runs, arpeggios and energetic rhythms. Dale Kavanagh especially admires Paganini, who wrote more for the guitar than for the violin: "For me, the contrast between lyric melodies and untamed dynamics, chords and scales are a source of immeasurable delight." (Dale Kavanagh)

An authority on early guitars and lutes, Nigel North performs music of each period on beautiful Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Romantic period guitars with Maggie Cole—virginals and fortepiano. Four centuries of guitars and guitar music by Carulli, Sor, Giuliani, Visée, Mertz, Sanz, Mudarra, Milan, Narvaez & Corbetta. An ideal introduction to the world of the guitar as well as for the collector.