The union of cello and guitar belongs to that category of chamber ensembles which, despite their natural timbral affinity, have produced only a limited original repertoire. The literature for this instrumental combination is therefore relatively recent, with isolated episodes emerging mainly in the 20th and 21st centuries. Fuga dal Tempo, the recording project of Duo Escualo, was born from the desire to explore and promote this production, focusing on Italian composers or those of Italian origin, and offering a chronological perspective from 1969 to the present day.

The title holds a dual meaning: on the one hand, it alludes to the temporal suspension that listening to music can generate; on the other, it evokes the possibility of escaping from the linear perception of time through a musical journey that, though rooted in history, aims to transcend its boundaries. The three works presented here – the Sonata by Radamés Gnattali, the Suite no.1 by Raffaele Bellafronte, and Fuga dal Tempo by Francesco Sgambati – embody three different approaches to this idea, intertwining tradition and innovation, popular roots and contemporary languages. This recording not only enriches the limited repertoire for this ensemble, but also offers a reflection on music as an experience that traverses past and present, tradition and research, in a flow that, precisely because it is musical, is both within and beyond time.