The artistic musician, Chris Acquavella, releases a brilliant solo Classical CD, “Praeludium,” featuring his marvelous talents on the mandolin. Acquavella, who has performed solo and with chamber groups, reveals memorable shades of the mandolin by covering Classical music ranging from Baroque to Contemporary. He offers a colorful variety of songs that span the ages of Classical music. Opening up the album, “Fantasia No.1,” one can feel the passion that Acquavella emanates on this song. Another song, “El Duende,” is elegant as one is stimulated by the lyrical excitement played by this talented artist. “Polcha Variata,” is a song that impresses with its lively tonality and precise accuracy. Fans of Classical music will truly appreciate the magical sounds of the mandolin on the superb album, “Praeludium.”
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Wow, so much sound out of this little instrument. This CD is very nicely played and presented. I have found solo CDs in the past to have some very listenable pieces and then some that are more modern, or something, that I find myself skipping over. However, I really enjoy the Praeludium CD all the way through. it's been on our home CD player for a week straight.
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I've had this album for a week now and have been listening to it and other mandolin recordings on my playlists and have throughly enjoyed this collection.  The selection of classical music is diverse and demonstrates a wide range of themes and techniques.  Acquavella plays with impeccable precision, clarity and expression and demonstrates the versatility of his instrument.  The recordings are solo mandolin without accompaniment, this offers the listener a good understanding of the astonishing versatility of the instrument and the selection of music allows Acquavella to demonstrate a range of techniques including dual-style, tremolo, arpeggios with effortless precision.
I recommend this album to anyone who is interested in classical music, and especially those who are unfamiliar with classical mandolin.  A very enjoyable album.
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As I reflect on my growing collection of mandolin albums, I generally think of them as falling roughly into three categories. 

The first is for very simple but catchy music that is easy on the ears but not very intellectually demanding. This is music that I can play in the background and tune out. 

The second is for recordings that showcase the performer’s highly developed technique, but that I find a bit draining to listen to. The music is interesting, but I can’t say that I particularly enjoy listening to it (and as a result, I usually don’t). 

The third is for mandolin recordings that are both musically appealing and also engage me as a student of the instrument. These are the albums that I listen to repeatedly. Chris Acquavella’s Praeludium easily falls into this third category. 

Mr. Acquavella’s album appeals intellectually to me as a mandolin student because the entire album demonstrates what the mandolin can sound like when the musician emphasizes the musicality of the repertoire. His interpretation of the music is energetic, thoughtful, and expressive. At the same time, the album is also thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. Favorite tracks: Fantasia, Captain O’Kane, Giga, Serenata, Moonlight on the Thames, Bells of Night, Aria, Polcha Variata, and Musette. 

Overall, this is an album that I would share with non-mandolin players if I wanted to introduce them to the world of the mandolin. In this sense, Praeludium does justice to its name.
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