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Critic's Choice American Record Guide 2020
“Flutist Eugenia Moliner and guitarist Denis Azabagic are without a doubt one of my favorite Duos. Here they bring us The Folias of Spain by Marin Marais and the 12 Fantasias of Telemann with a guitar accompaniment composed by Alan Thomas... the music It sizzles, it cooks, it steams. Gorgeous sound and gorgeous playing delight the ear... be certain to check out their other recordings”
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" It’s a real challenge to take something very familiar and make it sound new... the Cavatina Duo successfully met that challenge"
"Eugenia Moliner plays with a full, round tone that adds to the beauty of the music. And Azabagic’s playing is as impeccable as always"
" If you’re familiar with these works, then you should definitely check out Cavatina Duo’s ...and if you’re not, well, you might not have to bother with others"
WTJU 91.1 FM - Ralph Graves
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"Eugenia Moliner plays with a full, round tone that adds to the beauty of the music. And Azabagic’s playing is as impeccable as always"
" If you’re familiar with these works, then you should definitely check out Cavatina Duo’s ...and if you’re not, well, you might not have to bother with others"
WTJU 91.1 FM - Ralph Graves
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“I believe that Marais would smile and nod approvingly at a performance executed with such sensitivity and as beautifully as this one is by Moliner and Azabagic.”
“With all due apologies to Herr Telemann, I fear that once you hear these performances of his flute fantasias with guitar accompaniment, you will never want to hear them unaccompanied again”
“The Cavatina Duo commissioned Thomas for these guitar accompaniments, and I think it was a commission well considered and well fulfilled. Eugenia Moliner, playing a modern flute, draws a tone from her instrument spun from pure silver. Her technique—intonation, breath control, evenness of tone across registers, and regulation of dynamic gradations—makes listening to Telemann’s wonderful fantasias a pure joy; and Alan Thomas’s guitar accompaniments, always discreet and stylistically appropriate, are played by Denis Azabagic with a touch and intuitive feel for Telemann’s music that make these pieces sound as if this is how they were originally conceived and always meant to be.
Winning, charming, delightful, beautiful—no other words to describe it”
Jerry Dubins-Fanfare magazine, USA
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“With all due apologies to Herr Telemann, I fear that once you hear these performances of his flute fantasias with guitar accompaniment, you will never want to hear them unaccompanied again”
“The Cavatina Duo commissioned Thomas for these guitar accompaniments, and I think it was a commission well considered and well fulfilled. Eugenia Moliner, playing a modern flute, draws a tone from her instrument spun from pure silver. Her technique—intonation, breath control, evenness of tone across registers, and regulation of dynamic gradations—makes listening to Telemann’s wonderful fantasias a pure joy; and Alan Thomas’s guitar accompaniments, always discreet and stylistically appropriate, are played by Denis Azabagic with a touch and intuitive feel for Telemann’s music that make these pieces sound as if this is how they were originally conceived and always meant to be.
Winning, charming, delightful, beautiful—no other words to describe it”
Jerry Dubins-Fanfare magazine, USA
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“The splendidly international coupling of Spanish flutist Eugenia Moliner and Bosnian guitarist Denis Azabagić offers playing of polish and panache...Music noble and dignified, tender, lively, unstoppable: this sequence of Telemann Fantasias has it all, and the Cavatina Duo revels in each and every aspect. Flutist Eugenia Moliner’s articulation is a joy in and of itself…The care lavished by the Cavatina Duo is remarkable, …it is hard to imagine a more satisfying or convincing take on Telemann’s work of genius than this one. Unhesitatingly recommended.”
Colin Clarke, Fanfare magazine, USA
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Colin Clarke, Fanfare magazine, USA
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“Cavatina Duo, superb! She has it all: technique, intonation, emotion,…What we hear in this performance is the emotion, the awareness of what these two are creating together. To be an accompanist, one has to understand his role in this creation, and Azabagic clearly does. I am not sure that anyone alive can play the flute better than Eugenia Moliner. Five stars – a master class in flute and guitar technique.
David Reznik, Fanfare magazine, USA
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David Reznik, Fanfare magazine, USA
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"There is much, much more to this disc, and I’ve but only hit a few highlights. The playing is fluid, well-balanced, and precise by the duo. The nimbleness of Moliner is matched by her easy and clear playing, making each work speak with excellent clarity. The guitar of Azabagic is the perfect partner, and here one finds a match in terms of style and tone that allows the music to come alive. Purists may quibble about the modern instruments and the artificiality of Thomas’s added accompaniment in the Telemann, but I find neither of these any issue. The liveliness of the playing, the reimagining of the fantasies in a way that brings new light to the pieces, and the holistic interaction between such outstanding performers makes this a disc that is sure to delight everyone who hears it.
5 stars: excellent playing and new light on reimagining the Baroque originals; it is hard to find two better and more copasetic players that Moliner and Azabagic."
Bertil van Boer, Fanfare magazine, USA
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5 stars: excellent playing and new light on reimagining the Baroque originals; it is hard to find two better and more copasetic players that Moliner and Azabagic."
Bertil van Boer, Fanfare magazine, USA
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“Both( Marais and Telemann)are here played by flute and guitar. And how good they sound!
It is very clear how adventurous and diverse the Cavatina Duo is in its choice of repertoire. And, very impressively, they don’t sound as if they are merely ‘dabbling’ in any of it. They sound fully at home, completely in tune with all of the music they play....
The extra fluidity of the flute and its own distinctive kind of intimacy help, but above all one needs to credit the well-judged imagination of Eugenia Moliner’s playing, perceptive and essentially faithful to Marais, but also full of details unique to her instrument and her skill. The guitar part is also integral to the success of this version with Denis Azabagic...
The Cavatina Duo’s treatment of both Marais’ Folies d’Espagne and Telemann’s Twelve Fantasias is very definitely illuminating....Highly accomplished and perceptive interpretations of Folies d’Espagne and the Twelve Fantasias....
The whole is a delight from start to finish.”
Music Web International
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It is very clear how adventurous and diverse the Cavatina Duo is in its choice of repertoire. And, very impressively, they don’t sound as if they are merely ‘dabbling’ in any of it. They sound fully at home, completely in tune with all of the music they play....
The extra fluidity of the flute and its own distinctive kind of intimacy help, but above all one needs to credit the well-judged imagination of Eugenia Moliner’s playing, perceptive and essentially faithful to Marais, but also full of details unique to her instrument and her skill. The guitar part is also integral to the success of this version with Denis Azabagic...
The Cavatina Duo’s treatment of both Marais’ Folies d’Espagne and Telemann’s Twelve Fantasias is very definitely illuminating....Highly accomplished and perceptive interpretations of Folies d’Espagne and the Twelve Fantasias....
The whole is a delight from start to finish.”
Music Web International
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“Described by Gramophone as "relentlessly mellifluous" and by Grammy-winning producer and leading guitarist David Starobin as "simply the finest flute-guitar duo on the planet", the Cavatina Duo offer a recording for our times: music at once heartbreaking and uplifting.”
Click Musique
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Click Musique
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“Moliner is a flautist of tonal purity and dexterity who brings consummate taste to every phrase in tandem with Azabagic's glistening guitar… the disc finds the duo at the height of their musical powers.”
Donald Rosenberg, Gramophone Magazine
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Donald Rosenberg, Gramophone Magazine
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“The extra fluidity of the flute and its own distinctive kind of intimacy help, but above all one needs to credit the well-judged imagination of Eugenia Moliner’s playing, perceptive and essentially faithful to Marais, but also full of details unique to her instrument and her skill. The guitar part by Johannes Tappert is also integral to the success of this version, with Denis Azabagic having the opportunity to contribute some flamenco-like touches – a potent reminder of the Iberian origins of the folia. The Cavatina Duo’s treatment of both Marais’ Folies d’Espagne and Telemann’s Twelve Fantasias is very definitely illuminating… The whole is a delight from start to finish.”
Music web International
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Music web International
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SONIC MIGRATIONS, Music by Laurie Altman
Released February 2017
Cavatina Duo Collaborates in one beautiful piece
with Soprano Patrice Michaels in Music by Laurie Altman.
The CD was just released by German Record Company, NEOS.
Produced by Judith Sherman
Sephardic Journey
Released April 8th 2016
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Spurred by surprise discoveries in their family history,
flutist Eugenia Moliner and guitarist Denis Azabagic celebrate centuries-old Judeo-Spanish music with newly commissioned works by Alan Thomas, Joseph V. Williams II, Carlos Rafael Rivera, David Leisner, and Clarice Assad. "un viaje apasionante por senderos que creíamos perdidos y viven por siempre." |
The performance of the music transcends the mechanics of its creation, due largely to the mixture of power and grace that informs the playing of Moliner and Azabagic. I cannot recommend it highly enough"
The Flute Journal, UK
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SEPHARDIC JOURNEY FEATURED IN THE BRITISH FLUTE SOCIETY MAGAZINE - PAN
"As musicians, by re-creating music from different places and times, we are privileged to be able to communicate these shared human experiences, and perhaps we can even hope that doing so might help us to all live together with more mutual understanding and harmony. It was in this spirit that five composers were commissioned to write substantial new pieces for us based on the music of the Sephardic Jews, with the goal of building the flute and guitar chamber music repertoire and bringing this beautiful music to the 21st century concert hall and 21st century listeners..."
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“…a remarkable, expressive, emotive CD that takes the listener on a true journey of sound…All of the playing is inspirational, combining rich, gorgeous, colorful tone quality with impeccable phrasing, technique, and ensemble playing… Moliner and Ruhstrat play with such close ensemble that they might as well be one person… This album is a perfect medium for appreciating Moliner’s exquisite playing. Her control, her impeccable intonation, and her ability to blend seamlessly with subtle changes of tone color are second only to her expressive artistry. Every moment of the CD is entertaining, moving, and impressive!”
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The Flutist Quarterly (Jessica Dunnavant)
"This music has been an absolute joy to hear!
The Cavatina Duo and their performing partners the Avalon String Quartet and Desirée Ruhstrat and David Cunliffe of the Lincoln Trio—all Chicago based—are wonderful beyond praise. The recording and presentation are up to Çedille’s usual exemplary standards...Carlos Raphael Rivera's Plegaria y Canto (Al Bodre de la Mar): Prayer and Song (At the Edge of the Sea) is a remarkably uplifting piece...this lovely, melancholy, but vital music of love, longing, and hope will charm the souls..., especially in these passionately shaped and technically immaculate performances. Bravi!"
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Fanfare Magazine - Ronald E. Grames
"...tasty little disc of world premieres ...This is music of an oppressed culture and it is tempting to look upon the creative impetus which oppression sometimes seems to provide but the message here is one of sadness and nostalgia but also of hope. It is perhaps a tribute to the ultimate triumph over said oppression even if it took 500 years. There is some comfort and healing to be had from the celebration of this lost culture and that is the triumph of this disc."
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NewMusicBuff - Allan Cronin
"Hats off to the Cavatina Duo...this is a set of uncommonly beautiful pieces performed with high artistry. It's really delightful stuff, and it's all beautifully played- each of these musicians are real artists; there's not a weak link among them. It's one of the most delightful chamber recordings I've heard in quite a while."
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American Record Guide - Kenneth Keaton
"...this disc features arguably the finest guitar-flute duo extant, Cavatina Duo...these pieces and the performances are on the very highest level; the playing and the music are not just fine as guitar music, but fine as music period. Thomas's music is compositionally sophisticated but without any sacrifice of power or urgency. ..Joseph Williams's Isabel is an impressive work...in the first few minutes of Plegariay Canto (al Bodre de fa Mar), Carlos Rafael Rivera achieves an emotional intensity rare in the guitar world. This is masterfully maintained for the fifteen minutes of this very impressive work...Leisner's Love Dreams of an Exile, is a work of substantial power, with the almost programmatic second movement being particularly noteworthy...Clarice Assad's Sephardic Suite sometimes embraces almost avant-garde techniques in an amazingly inventive work, which has brilliant writing for the flute and guitar.
This is an essential disc for any lover of contemporary music. "
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Soundboard - Al Kunze
"The recording is infused with gorgeous, evocative melodies, soulful and plaintive laments, lyrical flights of fancy, sultry twists on the tango, startling percussive passages and an exhilarating energy. Azabagic and Moliner are virtuosic, passionate musicians, deftly accompanied by David Cunliffe on cello, Desirée Ruhstrat, violin, and the Avalon String Quartet.
I wholeheartedly recommend joining the Cavatina Duo on their journey."
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theWholeNote
"By all means give this gorgeous album a chance."
"this new release is simply lovely in all respects."
" ...composers responded to the commission with enthusiasm and a definite sense of the overall catholicity of the music and the people. The results are five very different but uniquely beautiful takes on the gems of this culture, and there are many moments that, while standing apart in style, are bound by a very common haunting beauty.
The sound is superb, and this disc should surprise many."
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AUDIOPHILE AUDITION—Steven Ritter
"All the works on this program are performed by Moliner and Azabagic, who are known professionally as the Cavatina Duo, with their accustomed style and feeling for rhythmic and sonic values. The sound of Moliner‟s alto flute is particularly notable for its warmth and dark, well-grounded color, allowing Azabagic‟s guitar plenty of room to create its own sonic space and range of moods. The supporting artists are all excellent: cellist David Cunliffe in Thomas‟ Trio Sefardi, violinist Desiree Ruhstrat in Rivera‟s Plegaria y canto, and the Avalon String Quartet, whose muted sounds make the perfect backdrop to the Leisner and Assad works. Kudos also to producer James Ginsburg, engineer Bill Maylone, and editor Jeanne Velonis, all top pros in their field."
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Audio-Video Club of Atlanta, review by Phil Muse
Historic diaspora inspires poignant portraits of a people
"Atlanta-born Alan Thomas’ Trio Sefardi ...is a real find.
Joseph V. Williams' Isabel is another melodic and rewarding piece-tragic throughout..
Carlos Rafael Rivera’s work Plegaria y Canto... quite emotional and full of wonderful harmonies.
David Leisner’s Love Dreams of the Exile... tender and nostalgic...Clarice Assad's Sephardic Suite,.. another major work...
This CD is full of melodic, rewarding works that have something to say and resonate in the memory. Recommended! "
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Classical Guitar Magazine-CD
"Leisner’s atmospheric Love Dreams of the Exile draws one back for repeated listening; the sighing microtones of its first movement, a meditation on the song “Yo bolí,” add a layer of deep resignation within the calmly flowing figuration that surrounds them. Assad’s “Sephardic Suite,” conceived as a kind of musical storytelling, is full of contrast and incident,..."
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Pasatiempo - The Santa Fe New Mexican
American Record Guide
CRITIC'S CHOICE, BEST OF 2015
"…Lovely Playing, Relentlessly Mellifluous...and Exceedingly Pleasant..." "...Stunning artists..." "Breathtaking brilliance...." |
"If there is a finer flute and guitar duo in the world than Cavatina Duo, I have not heard them. Denis Azabagic and (his wife) flutist Eugenia Moliner are both world class virtuosi and brilliant musical interpreters. And on their delightful disc of operatic arrangements they are immeasurably aided in most of the works by the inspired and creative work of composer and arranger Alan Thomas. "With utterly breathtaking brilliance and a confidence that lets them take calculated risks in stride, the Cavatina Duo take us on an enchanted itinerary through some of the most luxuriant music of 19th century opera." "Flutist Eugenia Moliner and guitarist Denis Azabagic are both phenomenal performers. They make the difficult sound effortless... "...Electrifying performances from the Cavatina Duo...will leave listeners feeling lighter than air. |
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