Nova Vita Duo with Runar Kjeldsberg and Jacob Cordover play Variations pour deux guitares sur les Folies d´Espagne Op.48 by Matteo Bevilacqua (1772 – 1849). This comes via Kjeldsberg’s YouTube channel. Kjeldsberg is playing a Gennaro Fabricatore from 1830 and Cordover a Vinaccia from 1914. As they mention, “The Fabricatore and the Vinaccia family where some of the most important makers of fine Italian guitars. Even though the two guitars are constructed nearly 100 years apart, they share some common sound aesthetics. To us it was a fantastic experience to let these two guitars meet, so they could sound in the same music.”
I had never heard of Matteo Bevilacqua so this was a very interesting find for me. It’s a great duet and I’ll have to track it down and make an edition. They mention more about it on YouTube: “This variation on the famous “La Folia” theme is rarely performed. Matteo Bevilacqua was (according to Fetis) a flutist and a guitar virtuoso. Born in Italy in 1772, and lived in Vienna for several years. (I wonder if he made friends with Beethoven, Giuliani or even Schubert). He died 22. jan 1849 (same year as François de Fossa – 1775-1849, just because the history of music is always regarded in context of F. de Fossa. Search: Runar Kjeldsberg + de Fossa in your music streaming service, and you will know why)…”
