W.A. Mozart: Piano Sonatas Arranged for Guitar Duo (Arr. for Guitar Duo)

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"Although being technically very different instruments, we are convinced that the romantic guitar and the fortepiano share the same aesthetics. This was proven to us for the first time when we finally recorded our Schubert album "A Sentimental Moment" in 2018, with piano works arranged for our Viennese guitars. After this, it was natural for us to turn to a composer who has fired more interest than anyone else: Mozart. We do hope that these arrangements of Mozart’s piano sonatas can suggest how he might have expressed his genius on our instrument. The shorter duration of the notes, as well as the delicacy and richness of colours found in the sound world of the guitar, are quite close to those of the late 18th Century fortepianos that Mozart would have known, while the dynamic range of the guitar would be very much at home in the salons and smaller concert venues of that time. Listening to the sonatas played on two guitars might be exotic, but the plucked sound fits in with the family of keyboard instruments". (Christian Fergo and Raoul Morat)

The Swiss-Danish guitar duo Morat-Fergo was founded by classical guitarists Raoul Morat and Christian Fergo in 2014. They studied together at the music academy of Lucerne with German Echo-Prize winner Frank Bungarten. In just a few short years they have created a new repertoire of romantic music through their arrangements for guitar duo and established themselves as one of the most exceptional guitar duos to emerge in recent years.
Their mutual captivation of Franz Schubert’s music inspired them to start the duo to perform the masterpieces by the Austrian composer. The duo’s arrangement of Schubert’s Moments Musicaux, Op. 94 reveals new sound aspects and interpretative shades to the music. In January 2015 they premiered the work in Lucerne, which prompted an outstanding reception.

Elisabeth Leonskaja commented after hearing the duo: "Recently I experienced a magical moment of music. Two fine musicians – Christian Fergo and Raoul Morat – playing Schubert on two guitars. I felt transformed back to the time of Schubert and thought I was hearing pianos from his epoch. A moment full of magical sounds". To explore the original sound of the nineteenth century in greater depth, the duo plays copies of romantic Viennese guitars from the time of Schubert.

Their high artistic level combined with strong individual musical personalities has proven to be an exciting combination. Christian and Raoul have performed both as a duo and as soloists in many countries. The duo’s own arrangement of Schubert’s monumental song cycle Winterreise for voice and guitar duo was premiered with German tenor Julian Prégardien to great acclaim in February 2016. © Challenge Classics