W. Neuland - Nine Duets for Piano and Guitar, William Dunbar, guitar

by William Dunbar

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1.
W. Neuland, Duet 1 for Piano and Guitar, "Non Più Mesta" 05:29
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2.
W. Neuland, Duet 2 for Piano and Guitar, "When the day with rosy light" op. 10 05:23
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3.
W. Neuland, Duet 3 for Piano and Guitar, "‘Twere vain to tell thee all I feel" op. 11 06:32
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4.
W. Neuland, Duet 4 for Piano and Guitar, "L’Or est une Chimère" op. 12 04:39
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5.
W. Neuland, Duet 5 for Piano and Guitar, "Jadis Régnait en Normandie" op. 13 09:00
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6.
W. Neuland, Duet 6 for Piano and Guitar, "Introduction & Variations on a Favorite Air by Gallemberg" op. 19 09:28
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7.
W. Neuland, Duet 7 for Piano and Guitar, "L’amo, ah L’amo, e m’è più cara" op. 21 11:12
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8.
W. Neuland, Duet 8 for Piano and Guitar, "Buona Notte, Amato Bene" op. 25 10:01
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9.
W. Neuland, Duet 9 for Piano and Guitar, "Introduction et Variations sur un Air Favori de Anna Bolena de Donizetti" op. 26 15:30
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about

Wilhelm Neuland's complete collection of nine duets for piano and guitar, played on guitar by William Dunbar.

Wilhelm Neuland (1806-1889) was a German composer and performing musician on guitar and apparently other instruments, who was also active as a guitar teacher and performer in England and other places. He apparently composed these duets while living in London between 1830 and 1835. As far as I can tell, these were first published as "Eight Duets for Piano and Guitar" by Chappell in England in 1833 and then as "Huit Duos sur des motifs favoris et choisis" by Simrock in France in 1834, as well as in Germany, and at least some were published in the United States as well. Neuland apparently decided that eight was not enough, and composed the ninth afterwards, probably in 1835.

These are examples of parlor music, which would have been arrangements of popular tunes - arias from operas or other songs - for people to play at home or in salons in the days before recorded music, when you had to play popular songs yourself if you wanted to hear them. All except the last one are dedicated to people (all women) who would likely have been Neuland's students and patrons and may have commissioned the arrangements.

I find that the nine pieces loosely follow a similar pattern as the nine Beethoven symphonies, from more straightforward early attempts through more ambitious and complicated later ones. I think they retain their interest over multiple listenings, and they were certainly a major undertaking for a guitarist of my low ability. I enjoyed learning and playing these pieces as a major project during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I hope you will enjoy listening to them.

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released November 14, 2021

William Dunbar, guitar, piano midi programming, and production

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