"If the two Preludes and Fugues from this work in the Castellani & Andriaccio Duo reviewed above whet your appetite for more, here is the whole enchilada. The monumental work - commissioned by the duo Presti and Lagoya - obviously is a bow to J.S. Bach in its structure of 24 Preludes and Fugues, but it deviates quite a bit from Bach′s WTC and Chopin′s model, the 24 Preludes Op. 28. Bach started with C Major, then C Minor and went thru all the keys chromatically in order. Chopin also started with C Major but went to the parallel minor key of A Minor etc. Castelnuovo-Tedesco begins in G Minor and then goes thru alternate major and minor keys in steps of a fifth. His plan finally makes sense at the very end because the final fugue ends in glorious C Major.
The wealth of musical styles and forms in these pieces is staggering and quite a contrast to both the Bach and Chopin works. One can hear touches of Beethoven, Stravinsky, Bartok′s quartets, even some jazz. The sounds produced by the two guitars occasionally approaches that of an orchestra in its richness and varied tone color. The performers are greatly skilled and seem to fly thru the technical difficulties of some of the pieces. Only two mics were used in this purist recording - one to a guitar. Very highly recommended!"
John Sunier

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