The combination of flute and guitar enjoy a long tradition, going back to Robert De Visée and, later in the Classical Period, composers Joseph Kaspar Mertz and Mauro Giuliani. The combination is a happy one, the long and flowing cantilenas of the flute embedded in the rich sonorities and harmonies of the guitar.

Ferdinand Rebay, an Austrian composer living from 1880 till 1953, blew new life into the genre with his sonatas for flute and guitar: lively, attractive works, full of surprising melodious twists, in retro classical style.

An instrument that is almost entirely absent from the output of the great pre-twentieth century composers, the guitar has long been viewed as a means to discovering new repertoire and neglected composers. One such example is Ferdinand Rebay, whose works (which have only recently come to light) present a unique case in bridging the central European gap.

This release is dedicated to his two Sonatas for Flute and Guitar. Rebay believed that the blending of wind and guitar timbres produced a far more attractive sound than that of winds and piano, and the two sonatas – written in 1942 – date from an immensely productive period as regards the composer’s chamber duo output for guitar.

Heavy in dialogue, they reveal a technique deeply rooted in Viennese tradition - from the Neoclassical style of the First, whose Scherzo exudes Beethovenian inspiration, to the stirringly Romance feel of the Second, with its broad phrasing and intensely lyrical passagework, these are two strikingly different works of character that together illuminate a fascinating area of past-century music making.

In representing the first recording of the two sonatas (works that currently exist only in manuscript form), this release forms a significant addition to Brilliant Classics’ chamber music discography.

The two young Spanish artists on the disc, María José Belotto and Gonzalo Noqué (who created the performing editions), set a high standard with their virtuosic display, arguing a strong case for why this composer deserves to be better known.