Today, Matteo Carcassi is rarely represented in concert halls, publications and recordings, generally remembered only for his successful guitar method.

However, he deserves much more recognition for his achievements: not only did he dedicate his life to developing technical and didactic methods for the guitar, he also composed a great number of wonderful compositions, many of which are still largely unknown.

As a composer, Carcassi was always finely balanced and he displayed outstanding musicality, qualities that make him very worth rediscovering and re-evaluating.

The six Fantasies recorded here for the first time were performed from original copies printed in 1831. They bear witness to Carcassi’s great talent and prove him worthy of a place among the top composers.

These pieces offer freshness and virtuosity with some challenging passages and phrasing, and they recall themes from the great arias, ballets, marches and overtures of the works cited, revealing to the audience a more profound side to Carcassi as a composer.

The works by Rossini and Auber from which Carcassi drew inspiration were all performed in Paris between 1828 and 1830.