I MOLINISTI by ROBERTO ALVAREZ & KEVIN LOH / Review

I MOLINISTI

FRANCESCO MOLINO

Complete Works for Flute & Guitar

ROBERTO ALVAREZ, Flute

KEVIN LOH, Guitar

Centaur CRC 3850

 

It will come as no surprise that Italian composer and conductor Francesco Molino (1768-1847), born near Turin, is all but unknown outside of guitar-fancying circles. He was a virtuoso guitarist who made his name and settled in Paris from the 1820s to his death. His dates have him as a contemporary of Beethoven, but his musical style, embracing the lyricism of bel canto traditions, aligns him more closely to the likes of Paganini and Rossini.

 

This album, produced in Singapore, conveniently houses Molino’s complete works specifically conceived for flute and guitar. He also composed works for violin (interchangeable with the flute) and guitar, but are not included here. There are nine such works, six Duos (Op.16 and 61) and three Nocturnes (Op.37, 38 and 39). All comprise two movements, a slow movement followed by a faster dance-like conclusion. That latter movements usually take the form of a rondo, and in the Op.61 duos, include a Polonaise and Eccosais (Scottish dance).

 

Each work lasts between three to eight minutes, and not given to longeurs or florid elaborations, the full excesses of Romanticism having yet gained a foothold. If not for their titles, works seem indistinguishable from each other. So why listen to them at all? The secrets lie in a penchant for songfulness and mellifluousness. To this end, flautist Roberto Alvarez (Assistant Principal Piccolo of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra) delights with his silky tone and seamless phrasing, aided by guitarist Kevin Loh’s excellent accompaniment. While these works are unlikely to appear as main events in chamber concerts, they make high class background entertainment.     

   

Fernandino Carulli (1770-1841) may be a name known to non-guitarists, as one might regard Mauro Giuliani or Fernando Sor. The Neapolitan Carulli also settled in Paris, where he developed a rivalry with his close contemporary Molino, their respective students clashing over differences in guitar technique! The album’s “bonus” is Carulli’s Concerto in G major for flute and guitar, a full-length three-movement work no less than 23 minutes.

 

The “orchestra” is a string quintet formed by members from the Singapore Symphony, who are fully in the spirit of the music. The first movement culminates with a properly discursive cadenza for both solo instruments, making it a second cousin to Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp. Make no mistake, this is the outrightly virtuosic work of the album and its crowning achievement. Molino versus Carulli? Carulli wins but the music of both Italians deserve to be heard.