Duos with guitar and piano enjoyed a certain popularity during the Biedermeier period. Works for this instrumentation were created by Johann Nepomuk Hummel and the Neapolitan Ferdinando Carulli, among others, to whom we also owe a number of transcriptions. Three of them can be heard on this CD alongside an original composition by Carulli. The reason why these compositions were successful only for a limited time can be explained by the fact that the sound of the guitar and the fortepiano could be combined well, which is clearly not so perfect with the modern grand piano and guitar. Some guitarists have therefore resorted to other accompanying instruments, such as the harp. The Peruvian guitarist Alexander-Sergei Ramirez and the German-Indian pianist Sheila Arnold have therefore used historical instruments for their recording, he a guitar after Stauffer and she a fortepiano copy after Louis Dulcken. Both instruments fit together wonderfully and result in an ideally mixed sound. In addition, there are very vital, powerful, expressive and immediately communicative interpretations that make this CD a pleasure that has been withheld from the listener for too long. After all, the recordings were made back in 2012."
