Album Notes

During the course of choosing, performing and recording repertoire, we became enamored with the compositions of José Luis Merlin (b. 1952). On our first CD, Between Flute and Guitar, we recorded Progresiones para Pauline, and the Suite del Recuerdo. For this CD we commissioned José Luis to write a work in the style of Evocación y Joropo (from Suite del Recuerdo), with the last movement being written in the form of a malambo.

To our delight, Señor Merlin wrote for us a four-movement suite entitled Agua de Trapiche (Water of Trapiche). Trapiche is a small town in the province of San Luis, Argentina where the composer has many childhood memories. The first movement, Lago de La Florida (Florida Lake), musically depicts the large manmade reservoir that is near the town. The reservoir is home to lots of wildlife and vacationers that come to see the beautiful scenery. This lake is pictured in a breathtaking sunset on the inside of this CD.

The second movement, El Remanso (still pool of water), is in the song-form of the tonada cuyana, which is one of the main genres from the Argentine region of Cuyo , Provinces of Mendoza , San Luis and San Juan.

The third movement, Danza de la lluvia (Dance of the Rain) is a piece that takes the listener through a rainstorm that begins with a few drops of rain which are imitated by the guitar’s harmonics. As the piece progresses, different types of rain are evident through modulation to different keys until the storm passes and ends with small droplets of rain once again.

The final movement, Rio Grande (The Rio Grande River), captures the tumultuous force of the Rio Grande River in Trapiche. This movement is in the dance form known as a malambo, which is a dance done only by gauchos and is meant to imitate the sound of horses galloping.

By working directly with José Luis via Skype, we have been able to intimately capture the sounds and feelings of his homeland. Nature is heard in every note, especially by the freedom given for ornamentation in the flute and the improvised rasgueados (strumming) by the guitar. We have completely fallen in love with this stunning work of art and hope to visit this tranquil land in the future. For now, we ALL can visit this magical place each and every time Agua de Trapiche is played.

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www.noteworthyduo.com

Noteworthy Duo is a flute and guitar duo committed to commissioning, recording, and performing the highest quality of music for this unique instrumental combination. By working with the best composers and concert presenters in the world, the duo shares their music with a wide variety of people. Their mission is to reach a non-classical audience, inspire the classical listener, and deliver musical moments that touch lives.

In 2005, Lisa Schroeder founded Noteworthy Duo as a desire to bring the stunning, passionate, and soothing sounds of flute and guitar to the world. As a flutist, she was drawn to this format at a very young age. Although guitar is sometimes heard as accompaniment to the flute, Lisa sought to change that by seeking out the best guitarists to perform works of equal parts. Noteworthy Duo carefully selects repertoire based upon True Artistic Beauty and Integrity.