Rafael La La Joine - Mandoline -Dans les salons fin-de-siecle : Raffaele la Ragione - Import CD

Credits:Rafael La La Joine Description:[An Excellent Exhibition Exploring the Surprising Popularity of the Mandolin in Late 19th-Century France] Although the mandolin is an Italian instrument with a history dating back to the Baroque era, it may not be widely known that it enjoyed great popularity in Paris during the latter half of the 19th century. Originally, the Neapolitan-style mandolin—which could be played with the same tuning as a violin—was briefly fashionable in Paris in the mid-18th century, but its popularity waned following the French Revolution. However, after Italy achieved its long-awaited unification in 1861 and the mandolin regained attention as a national instrument, performances at the 1878 Paris World’s Fair drew significant attention. Numerous arrangements for the mandolin were published up until the eve of World War I, leading to a renewed appreciation for the instrument in France. Here, while incorporating songs based on poems about the mandolin—including one that appears in the poet Verlaine’s *A Festive Banquet*—Raffaele La Rione, who has also released an album (A524/Japanese domestic edition NYCX-10299), explores the true nature of the instrument’s former popularity through a meticulous interpretation in a duet with François Dumont on piano. While La Ragonne plays a replica of a model widely performed in the 19th century, Dumont uses a Pleyel piano from the late 19th century. Accompanied by Sandrine Piau’s witty and vivid singing, this album reveals the unknown, delicate facets of the mandolin. Naxos Japan