Lhoyer: Complete Guitar Duos

Antoine de Lhoyer was born at Clermont-Ferrand, in the heart of France. Although he developed his apparent musicality with excellent teachers in Paris he nevertheless embarked upon a military career and entered the Kings Guards at Versailles shortly before the outbreak of the French Revolution. In 1800 however he settled in Hamburg and committed himself to a more peaceful activity, music.

Late in 1802 Lhoyer set out for St Petersburg where the guitar had become popular among the nobility and high society. Several compositions published in Russia during his ten years there were dedicated to members of the Tsar family. In 1813 he returned to Paris and spent the rest of his life alternating between serving in the Military and working as a performer and composer.

After having been nearly forgotten by the guitar world for many years, Antoine de Lhoyer is now rightly recognized as one of the most important composers of guitar duos of the early nineteenth century. This 5-CD set presents the complete Guitar Duos, consisting of Serenades, Waltzes, Duo Concertantes and Nocturnes. The Duos are expertly written, giving both players equal rights. The music is of high caliber, entertaining, brilliant, charming and melodious.

Played by the duo Angelo Gillo and Antonio Rugolo, both winners of international guitar competitions, and since 2016 a duo, performing lesser known masters of the Romantic era.