Having spent many hours researching music from the Georgian period, respected guitarist Taro Takeuchi has compiled a unique collection of music by five important composers, all of whom were active in 18th Century Britain, performing on period instruments with historical metal strings.

Although guitar pieces from this era were mainly for domestic use, several outstanding composers wrote very high quality pieces and this CD presents some of the best guitar music from the 18th Century. This disc also features the well-known Menuet from Handel’s Water Music (quite a few opera arias and orchestral works by Handel were transcribed for the guitar during the 18th century).

Taro Takeuchi was born in Kyoto Japan and after completing his degrees in law and music, he came to England to study lute and early guitar at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since leaving college, he has been in great demand as soloist and ensemble player. He plays all types of lutes and early guitars, and specializes particularly in double strung early guitars, including 5-course Baroque guitar, English guitar (guitar) and 6-course Spanish guitar. His solo recordings FOLIAS! were received with critical acclaim with Gramophone praising:

“as to Taro Takeuchi, Baroque guitar playing doesn’t come better than this in any respect…” Gramophone

“The music for both solo and accompanied guitars vividly expresses a wide range and very pleasing range of sounds and “affects” from a period of music hardly discovered by players of plucked instruments today. A fascinating exploration.. [of] some of the most sophisticated music composed for the instrument.”
Affectuoso DXL 1146  – Lute News, Aug. 2012

Affectuoso – Virtuoso Guitar Music from the 18th Century (DXL 1146) Digital Booklet

Track List:

Rudolf Strauge: Suite for Guittar
1) Moderator (Fantasie)
2) Tempo Di Menuet
3) Largo

4) Giacomo Merchi: La Folia di Spagna Con Variationi

J.C. Bach: Sonata for Guittar and Violin Accompaniment
5) Allegro
6) Andante
7) Gigue)

8) G.F. Handel: Menuet

Rudolf Straub: Sonata I for Guittar and Harpsichord Accompaniment
9) Largo
10) Allegro Moderate
11) Allegretto con Varia

12) Francesco Geminiani: Menuet Affectuoso