Francesco Molino (1768–1847) was born into a family of violinists in Ivrea, near Turin. There, and for a time in Genoa as well, he made a career as a virtuoso violinist himself, until at the age of 50, he moved permanently to Paris.
Once in the French capital, Molino began a new phase of his musical career, which coincided with a significant increase in the number of works he published – almost all of which were dedicated to the guitar, both as a solo instrument and as part of chamber formations.
Molino made a significant impact on the Parisian musical world, as is demonstrated by the huge success of the first edition of his Nouvelle Méthode pour la Guitare, which had some 400 subscribers both in France and in other European countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy). Over the years Molino revised and added to the methos, and various editions of it were published in a number of languages, with a Spanish version even reaching Mexico and Havana.
The works presented in this recording were all published as ‘sonatas’ by Molino, who explicitly stated that they were intended for performance by solo guitar. He uses three main structural types for these sonatas.
The first has a romance as a first movement, followed by a rondo (Sonatas Op.1 No.1, Op.15 No.2 and Op.51). The second begins with a short maestoso introduction that is characterised by initial chords and octaves in succession, evoking the orchestral colour of certain operatic overtures. This movement ends with an interrupted cadence and is followed by a theme with variations, before a final rondo (Sonatas Op.1 No.2, Op.15 No.1 and No.3). The third type begins with an allegro first movement in sonata form (in bipartite 18th-century style, featuring two distinct themes with a tonic-dominant relationship) that is followed immediately by a final rondo (Sonatas Op.1 No.3, Op.6
No.1 and No.2).
All the sonatas reflect Molino’s evident mastery of the art of composition as well as a certain freedom in his approach to musical form. These elements, combined with a refined use of harmony and a deep understanding of the instrument, give the composer a highly personal stylistic language and make Molino one of the most interesting figures in the guitar repertoire of the 19th century.
Other information:
Recorded June (Opp. 1 & 6), October (Opp. 15 & 51) 2023, Rome, Italy
Booklet in English contains liner notes by the artist, along with his biography
Claudio Giuliani plays a guitar by Antonio Marín Montero (Granada, 1995) strung with D’Addario Pro Arte EJ46 strings
Francesco Molino (1768-1847) was an Italian guitarist, composer, and violinist, born in Ivrea near Turin, Italy. At the age of fifteen, in 1783, he enrolled in the band of the Piedmont Regiment as an oboist, a post which he resigned in 1793. He dedicated himself to the guitar and built an impressive international career. Later he settled in Paris where he became a famous teacher.
This new recording presents the complete Sonatas for Guitar, characterized by their classical elegance and intricate melodic lines, reflecting the stylistic influences of his contemporaries such as Mauro Giuliani and Fernando Sor.
Molino’s sonatas often feature a balanced structure, typically adhering to the classical sonata form with multiple movements including allegro, adagio, and rondo sections. The highly accomplished writing features rapid arpeggios, delicate harmonics, and dynamic contrasts. They form a challenge to the performer but a delight to the audience.
Brilliantly played by Claudio Giuliani, whose previous recordings for Brilliant Classics include works by Diabelli (BC 94614) and Cimarosa (BC 94172).
