A native of Bohemia, Wenzel Thomas Matiegka was a contemporary of Beethoven and a celebrated guitarist. His reputation was established after settling in Vienna where he became accepted in musical circles that included Schubert. Matiegka’s works reflect the influence of Mozart and Haydn, while exploring the virtuoso possibilities of the guitar by blending lyrical serenity with refreshing good humour and exhilarating technique.

This is the first volume of what will be a complete edition of Wenzel Thomas Matiegka’s guitar sonatas on two discs. Matiegka is a composer whose work is known and highly respected by a few serious guitar aficionados, but whose music has been overshadowed by the popularity of composers such as Fernando Sor and Mauro Giuliani.

Matiegka is considered to be one of the foremost exponents of the flourishing Viennese guitar school of the early 1800s, and was certainly an influential figure in the fashionable guitar scene of his day. Leading 20th-century concert guitarists such as Andrés Segovia, Julian Bream and John Williams seem not to have had access to Matiegka’s compositions, and as a result the re-evaluation of his qualities is still ongoing. The works selected for this recording certainly have many of the unique and most interesting features of guitar compositions in Matiegka’s era, from lyrically expressive movements to spectacular virtuosic romps.

Romanian guitarist Dragoş Ilie has delighted audiences across Europe, Asia and the United States with his charismatic and dynamic interpretations. He has received awards in over 40 international competitions, winning more than 20 Grand Prizes, and has placed at the Guitar Foundation of America (GFA), Koblenz International Festival and Changsha International Guitar Festival competitions. Ilie has been featured in Classical Guitar, Soundboard, Gendai Guitar and Acoustic Guitar magazines, and has appeared with the Transylvania State Philharmonic Orchestra, and Romanian Radio National and Chamber Orchestras. He is also active in the chamber music scene, performing with the Grammy award-nominated Austin Guitar Quartet.