This is a new re-engraved edition from Tecla, score and parts, ready for performance, not a facsimile.
It’s the Romanza from op. 4 no. 1 that I like best. It’s wonderfully romantic and catchy.
In fact, these Three Trios op. 4 for flute, viola and guitar by Francesco Molino are surely among the most beautiful of all works for guitar with other instruments. “Love at first sight” was the reaction by musicians when they played Molino’s later Grand Trio Concertant op. 30 for the first time, and perhaps it can be true also for these very fine earlier ones.
You can see the first section of the score of the Romanza FREE here.
Notably the top part of these trios op. 4 is specifically for flute, not flute or violin as is often the case with chamber works of this kind. That doesn’t mean that you can’t play the top part on a violin; but somehow the sonority works well with flute.
They were dedicated to Count Durazzo, the last doge of Genoa, and must date from between 1805 (for the Count is described as being in the service of Napoleon, which only was true from that year when Napoleon’s armies annexed Genoa), and 1809 when the Count died.
Francesco Molino was born in 1768 and was a professional violinist in Italy, and later moved to Paris where he composed music both for the violin and for the guitar.
The gem of the collection in my opinion is the first trio, op. 4 no. 1. It starts with an Allegro moderato, then that beautiful catchy haunting slow movement Romanza, and finally a fast Rondo allegretto scherzoso.
The second and third trios, op. 4 nos. 2 and 3, are shorter and Molino himself said that they were like notturni, which was a short serenade in 18th century Italy.
Here are wonderful mp3 sound recordings of the three movements of the Molino Trio op. 4 no. 1, played by Olavo Tengner Barros on flute, Jean-Loup Lecomte on viola d’amore, and Mário Carreira on guitar:
First movement, Allegro moderato:
Second movement, Romanza:
Third movement, Rondo allegro scherzoso:
When you order this Tecla digital edition of Molino’s Trios op. 4, we will supply four files, namely:
– the scores of all three trios
– the flute part for all three trios
– the viola part for all three trios
– and the guitar part for all three trios
Molino’s Grand Trio Concertante op. 30
Molino’s Second Grand Trio Concertante op. 45
It is possible to order the complete set of all Molino’s trios with guitar: the Three Trios op. 4, the Grand Trio Concertante op. 30, and this Second Grand Trio Concertante op. 45, all in the new re-engraved edition, score and parts. If you would like to order this complete set of all Molino’s trios with guitar, please send a personal email to me Brian Jeffery on the Tecla Editions contact form.
Brian Jeffery
