This album of world premiere recordings is a celebration of our Duo’s 25th anniversary and the great privilege we have enjoyed in working with so many wonderful composers. Since Renaissance luminaries such as John Dowland and Thomas Robinson and later Sylvius Leopold Weiss wrote for two lutes as a natural extension of the instrument’s solo repertoire, the popularity of the guitar duet has continued to gain momentum. Fond of the instrument’s portability and intimacy, Franz Schubert and Niccolò Paganini were known to serenade their friends on guitar, and the likes of Mauro Giuliani and Johann Kaspar Mertz were admired for their guitar arrangements of Rossini, Haydn and Schubert. This guitaromanie in 19th century Paris and Vienna gave rise to an explosion of guitar music and a considerable portion of it was in the form of duets. Long before the advent of recorded music, four-handed piano arrangements brought orchestral and operatic works to people’s homes and the 19th century salon. It was for this setting that Ferdinando Carulli even arranged the first movement of Haydn’s London Symphony for two guitars. Further protagonists of this guitar duo boom included Napoleon Coste, Anton Diabelli, Antoine de L’Hoyer and of course the Spaniard Fernando Sor, who performed in duo with his compatriot Dionisio Aguado in Paris. This famous collaboration was followed by many prominent guitar duos including Tárrega-Fortea and Llobet-Anido. Today’s guitar repertoire includes chamber music for a large variety of instrumental combinations. Yet, due to the competing volume and projection levels, which need to be carefully negotiated between guitar and other instruments, the guitar duet remains a particularly rewarding format as it affords more scope to capitalise on the instrument’s unique features, such as nuances of colour and articulation in the lower dynamic ranges. Argentinean guitarist, singer and composer Coco Nelegatti (*1959) started singing at folk music festivals from the early age of four(!) where “Coquito” mixed with the likes of Ariel Ramirez and Atahualpa Yupanqui. Being self-taught, these encounters offered him crucial opportunities to learn from the best and formed the foundation for his international career. Since relocating to Berlin in 1986 he has performed at prestigious venues including the Berlin Philharmonie and the Prinzregententheater in Munich. He has worked with performers of the highest calibre such as Argentine singer Siro San Román and legendary bandoneón maestro Luis Stazo. Coco Nelegatti was guest professor for Tango at the Codarts University’s world music academy in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, from 1998 to 2013 and composed for many different instrumental formations including choral and orchestral works. Drawing much inspiration from the Río de la Plata tangos of the early 1900s, his work has also been influenced by the string-quartets of Joseph Haydn, the vocal works of Henry Purcell and Arnold Schoenberg’s Fundamentals of Musical Composition. Pobre de Ellos, written in 2006, was premiered by Lee Song-Ou and Oliver Fartach-Naini at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul in 2007. Somewhat of a tango divertimento, this infectious work draws on thematic material of Alfredo Gobbi, Orlando Goñi, Horacio Salgan and Sebastian Piana for a mélange of tango and milonga for two guitars. The Argentine term ‘Pobre de Ellos’ is often used to express pity for those who not only missed out on something but who are in fact oblivious to the missed opportunity. Therefore, what might incorrectly be translated with ‘those poor fellows’ could more accurately be paraphrased with ‘if they only knew.’ Austrian guitarist and composer Thomas Wallisch (*1973) is a graduate of the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston/USA where he received the ‘Jimi Hendrix Award’ and graduated summa cum laude in 1997. A much sought-after musician, he has collaborated on over 50 CDs as a studio musician and has released 9 CDs as a producer. Currently he is professor for jazz-guitar at KONSE, Carinthian State Conservatorium in Klagenfurt/Austria. In private conversations Thomas Wallisch has referred to his music as artpop, a term he uses to encapsulate what could be described as a sophisticated form of pop music. Complicando, written in 2003 for Lee Song-Ou and Oliver Fartach-Naini, is an ideal example of this definition. In a musical conversation in rondo-form the two guitars accompany each other’s pop-reminiscent melodies, which are tied into a rather sophisticated framework in time. With the exception of the bossa-infused B-section in 4/4 time the entire composition is set in 7/4 time. The composer writes about this work: ‘Complicando features two of my favourite musical ingredients: the Phrygian Dominant Scale and the variation of a 7/4 and 4/4 rhythm to create some energetic drive’. Geonyong Lee (*1947) is one of South Korea’s most sought-after composers. Born in North Korea and raised in the South during the turbulent years, which followed the Korean War, he graduated with a master’s degree in composition from Seoul National University, undertook further postgraduate studies under Heinz Werner Zimmermann at the Frankfurter Musikhochschule in Germany, and received a Doctor Emeritus from Dankook University. Since his relocation to South Korea he has held professorships at Hyosung Women's University, Seoul National University and the Korean National University of Arts, of which he was the president for four years. Since 2012 he has been the Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Opera. Geonyong Lee is an equally cosmopolitan and culture-conscious composer. Despite the strong Western impact on his work, he pursues the ideal of an authentic Korean voice. The omnipresence of Western classical and pop music in South Korea, the impact of postgraduate studies in Germany, two one-year sojourns in Manila and New York City, and his fascination with the work of American singer-songwriter Joan Baez, are defining influences on his art. Rather than adhering to European or Korean aesthetics alone, Geonyong Lee seeks to communicate his transformed environment in modern-day Korea in a way that encapsulates a Korean spiritual essence within a format that is entrenched in European high art. Throughout his work, which ranges from instrumental solo to orchestral and from solo voice to choral, the assimilation of traditional Korean rhythms, modes, instruments and poetry are essential characteristics. His Suite for Guitar Duo was written in 2013 for Lee Song-Ou & Oliver Fartach-Naini and premiered by the dedicatees in Seoul in 2014. Due to the fact that his earlier work Movement for two guitars was originally conceived as a piano composition, this suite constitutes Geonyong Lee’s first genuine guitar duo. In his signature blend of old, new, East and West and in the classical format of a suite, Lee combines Korean melodic and rhythmic work with the Western genres of tango and love song. Gutgeori and Hwimori, the titles of the first and fourth movements, are traditional Korean rhythm patterns, which are frequently used in Korean folklore and dance music. Geonyong Lee describes Gutgeori as elegant, moderate in tempo, and in 6/8 time. Hwimori is faster, in 12/8 time, and often features in final movements of instrumental music, like the exciting Korean form of improvised sanjo. Italian Carlo Domeniconi (*1947) is one of today’s most prolific guitarist-composers. Those who only associate him with his iconic composition Koyunbaba might be surprised to find that this Turkish-flavoured improvisation is only a fractional representation of this multilingual composer whose voice is distinct yet stylistically and culturally explicitly diverse. With over 200 compositions to date he has made a significant contribution to the classical guitar’s repertoire. In addition to guitar solo and chamber music as well as guitar concertos, his oeuvre includes solo compositions for cello, violin, flute, double bass and piano. Carlo Domeniconi has traveled widely and has lived in Italy, Turkey and Germany, where he now resides in Greiffenberg near Berlin. As a first-rate performer Domeniconi’s intimate knowledge of the guitar has enabled him to strategically seek out ways, which promote the instrument’s strengths rather than amplify its shortcomings. His writing often draws on non-European cultures from India, Turkey or Brazil as well as genres such as folk, jazz or rock. This immersion in cultures and styles, combined with his ability to capitalise on the guitar’s sonorities, constitute the essence of his compositional voice. Quoting influences like Bach, Hendrix, Clapton and Prokofiev, for Domeniconi the quality of music is not defined by any given set of parameters or levels of gravitas and complexity. For him a composition has to ‘speak and resonate with one’s soul’ and needs to take advantage of the idiomatic strengths of the instrument. unreal-dance op.151 is a melody-driven work in free ternary form and a fitting example for the credo outlined above. Written in September 2008 for our duo and premiered at the Adelaide International Guitar Festival in December 2008, this composition carries Domeniconi’s unique harmonic signature where depth and dissonance are often a result of linear concurrence and careful consideration of guitar-idiomatic resonances rather than harmonic planning. Within a more fluid nature of modality the work’s general D tonality features frequent oscillation between major and minor second E/Eb and sixth B/Bb. Further characteristics are the use of sequential treatment in the melodic development, the asymmetrical 5/8 time signature, polyrhythmic structures and episodes of polyphony. The drop-D tuning underlines the overall dark note of the composition while Domeniconi’s understanding of the guitar’s resonance-characteristics with his command of timbre and texture get the two guitars to sound more potent than the sum of its constituting parts. The Australian pianist and composer Stephen Whittington (*1953) teaches composition, sonic arts and theory at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, University of Adelaide. As a pianist he has performed throughout the world and is renowned for his interpretations of composers Erik Satie, Morton Feldman and John Cage. His compositions cover a wide variety of genres and styles, and are characterised by his highly original mix of humour, seriousness and erudition. As Whittington notes, he only dislikes two kinds of music, ‘that which takes itself too seriously, and that which doesn't take itself seriously enough.’ The composer writes about Made in Korea: ‘These three pieces had their origin in a trip to Korea in December 2005 with my friend and colleague Oliver Fartach-Naini to attend an Education Expo in Ilsan. Among the memorable scenes from this trip was the sight of Oliver playing the guitar bathed in pink light, surrounded by smoke and bubbles. The first piece was literally 'made in Ilsan', as I wrote it in the Expo hall to pass the time; it is in the form of a canon by inversion. The second piece stems from my observation at the Expo of a blooming romance (despite having no common language) between a lovely Indian yoga teacher and a suave French wine expert; it is a tango - the language of music, like that of love, is universal. Finally an exhilarating ride on the KTX from Seoul to Daegu was the inspiration for the third piece; part of its style derives from boogie-woogie, mixed with a return to the contrapuntal style of the first piece.’ Originally from England, Richard Charlton (*1955) is Australia's most popular composer of guitar music. He is a founding member of the Sydney Guitar Trio, a passionate educator and a driving force behind the Sydney Classical Guitar Summer School, which has been held in January for over 20 years. Richard Charlton’s compositional output includes guitar solo and guitar chamber music as well as choral and orchestral works. The winning combination of appeal, wit, craft and finesse that is evident in his recital works as well as his large body of student and guitar ensemble repertoire have made him a favourite amongst students and touring professionals alike. His music is featured on over 25 CD recordings. The composer writes about Along Parallel Lines: ‘Lines are said to be parallel if they are always the same distance apart (called "equidistant"). While this can be applied to some music, especially a duo, I tended to think in terms of the two instruments always going in the same direction, turning and twisting together rather than actually being the same distance apart. Along Parallel Lines was composed for Lee Song-Ou and Oliver Fartach-Naini in 2008 and premiered at the Adelaide International Guitar Festival on December 7th 2008.’ Berlin-born composer Ludger Vollmer (*1961) graduated with multiple degrees from Weimar and Leipzig not only in composition but also in viola, violin and improvisation. His compositions include instrumental solo, chamber music, orchestral, choral and opera. He is in such high demand that he is at present working on his sixth and seventh commissioned opera concurrently with premieres scheduled for January and March 2017. Recipient of the European Tolerance Award 2009, the Deutscher Theaterpreis 2011 and the prestigious Weimar Preis for his life’s work in 2014, Ludger Vollmer has held orchestral viola positions in various professional orchestras as well as touring internationally as a violinist. This has included guest appearances with Tango Concertante, soloist with the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt as well as performances with Deep Purple and Jethro Tull. He has lectured in music theory at the Hochschule für Musik "Franz Liszt" in Weimar, teaches violin, viola and improvisation at the Musik- und Kunstschule Jena and has given guest lectures in Mexico City (Bellas Artes) and at the University of Oregon (USA). Inspired by the music of ancient Greece and the Middle East as well as Indian ragas, Vollmer works with intervallic structures and their specific emotional attributes. In contrast to the more rigid idea of a Leitmotiv these structures function as a source from which he develops his varying melodies that subsequently function as emotional messengers. Informed by Vollmer’s research in African music, an innate feature of his melodic work is the high level of sophistication in the rhythmic parameters applied. He therefore refers to his melody-driven approach as ‘strongly rhythmatised melody’. Set of Dreams was written in 2003 for Lee Song-Ou and Oliver Fartach-Naini who premiered the work in Seoul as part of their tour through Korea, Germany and Portugal in 2004. Soap Box Derby is an exciting children’s dream that ends in a dramatic crash. The second movement Fauxbourdon (Remembrance of a Dream) with its heterophonic passages (concurrence of varied forms of the same melodic material in different voices) is a much more delicate contemplation on a medieval harmonisation technique: the fauxbourdon. In contrast, the Dancer’s Dream is a reference to Vollmer’s fascination with Irish music traditions. Titled after the traditional Irish frame drum Bodhrán this feast of energy combines all of his rhythmic-melodic techniques including unison, heterophony, bordun, and rhythmic finesse. Supercharged with pitch bends, sequences, percussive elements, guitar-idiomatic chord changes and frequent oscillation between unison and dissonance, this exhilarating dance continues to gain intensity to its very end. © Oliver Fartach-Naini   Guitar Duo Lee Song-Ou & Oliver Fartach-Naini Renowned for their innovative programmes and collaborations, Lee Song-Ou and Oliver Fartach-Naini began playing together in 1991, when both were students of American guitarist and composer Laurie Randolph at the University of the Arts in Berlin, Germany. Since then a busy schedule of performances, teaching and media engagements have taken them around the globe. Composers from all over the world including Geonyong Lee (South Korea), Laurie Randolph (USA), Ludger Vollmer (Germany), Carlo Domeniconi (Italy), Thomas Wallisch (Austria), Coco Nelegatti (Argentina), Jaime Zenamon (Brazil), Vincent Lindsey-Clark (England) as well as Richard Charlton, Grant Sheridan and Stephen Whittington from Australia have written works for this duo. Their highly praised albums Movement For Two Guitars and Frutti di Mare are only two of many other recordings released by these versatile musicians through numerous record labels. The most recent collaborations of this pioneering guitar duo include their CD Winter Journey with Richard Yongjae O'Neill (viola) for Deutsche Grammophon and their CD Canto Antigo with violinist Zia Hyunsu Shin for Credia Classics. Lee Song-Ou, originally a theatre director, has won several prizes as a guitarist in South Korea. He graduated from the University of the Arts in Berlin and has participated in many international master classes including among others Abel Carlevaro, Alvaro Pierri and Nigel North. KBS Broadcasting, South Korea’s leading radio and television broadcaster nominated Lee Song-Ou Artist of the Year 2002. Lee Song-Ou lectures at the Korean National University of Arts in Seoul, and is a guest professor at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music in China. Pursuing an active concert schedule, Lee Song-Ou performs as a soloist, in duo with Korean Haegeum (Korean fiddle) artist Ji-Yoon Chun, with Korean violinist Professor Sung-Ju Lee and in various other chamber music ensembles. Lee Song-Ou’s latest passion is the perfection of his skills as a balance engineer and music producer, as well as directing the musical and acting academy The Actorz in Teagu city, a new-found role in which he enjoys fostering young talent. Oliver Fartach-Naini graduated from both the University of the Arts Berlin and the Academy of Music and Theatre “Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy" in Leipzig and has participated in many international master classes including Abel Carlevaro, Alvaro Pierri, Eduardo Fernandez, Nigel North and Pepe Romero. Oliver Fartach-Naini performs as a soloist and in several chamber music ensembles including his most recent duo with clarinettist Peter Handsworth, with whom he released the CD Tango on ethnoclassics in 2015. In 2006 the German publisher Edition Margaux released the Collection Oliver Fartach-Naini, a publication series of compositions written for and dedicated to him and his ensembles. In 2009 Oliver Fartach-Naini was appointed the repertoire consultant for the 2011 AMEB classical guitar syllabus, which entailed the publication of 7 graded repertoire books and a 1000-work repertoire list. Oliver Fartach-Naini is head of classical guitar at the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music and artistic director of the Adelaide Guitar Chamber Music Festival. Oliver Fartach-Naini endorses La Bella strings.