Album Notes

The internationally renowned mandolinist Marilyn Mair has assembled Enigmatica, an ensemble of four mandolins, two mandolas, and a mandocello. Their music delivers rich sounds of drama, intrigue, beauty and celebration.

The Boston-based septet is part chamber orchestra and part plucked-string double quartet who have performed throughout New England since 2000.

Enigmatica's 56 strings invite you on a tour of the world-from the silky beaches of Brazil ("Alma Brasileira") to the slow brooding sounds of Shostakovich's Russia ("Prelude in C"), spotlighting contemporary composers with a sound that is uniquely their own.

On this, their debut CD, you will find Brazilian music, including the 19th-century choro that inspired the group's name; contrapuntal Baroque works by two master composers; and contemporary pieces, both popular and classical. The repertoire is diverse, yet each personalized arrangement encompasses the group's quintessential sound, unlike any other you have heard.