Two generations of guitarists meet in this recording. Antigoni Goni is one of the most respected Greek classical guitarists of her generation, a celebrated teacher who founded the guitar department at the Juilliard School's Pre-College division and now professes at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels — read more in our profile of Antigoni Goni. Eleonora Perretta is a prize-winning Italian guitarist of the younger generation whose playing we have featured several times on the channel — see our profile of Eleonora Perretta.
Together they play Confidências by the Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth, arranged for two guitars.
About Confidências
Confidências ('Confidences') is a lyrical waltz by Ernesto Nazareth. Like much of his music it lives in the space between the salon and the street: European in its form and elegance, Brazilian in its swing and harmonic warmth. The title — an intimate word for secrets shared between friends — tells you exactly how the piece should sound, and the duo format suits it beautifully: one guitar confides, the other answers.
In this performance the two instruments — built by Luca Pollastro and Jochen Röthel — give the conversation two distinct voices, and the players' obvious rapport turns Nazareth's salon waltz into genuine chamber music.
About Ernesto Nazareth
Ernesto Nazareth (1863–1934) was a Brazilian pianist and composer from Rio de Janeiro who created a body of work at the crossroads of classical music and the popular dances of his city — tango brasileiro, choro, waltz and polka. Working as a pianist in Rio's cafés, cinemas and music shops, he wrote over two hundred pieces whose rhythmic subtlety and melodic charm influenced generations of Brazilian musicians, including Heitor Villa-Lobos, who admired him openly.
Although Nazareth wrote for the piano, his music has become a fixture of the guitar repertoire — Brazilian guitarists heard their own instrument's language in his syncopated basses and singing melodies, and arrangements for one and two guitars followed naturally.
The Guitars: Pollastro & Röthel
The duo plays instruments by two contemporary makers: the Italian luthier Luca Pollastro and the German luthier Jochen Röthel. The pairing of two different building philosophies gives the duo texture — each voice keeps its own colour while blending in the ensemble. You can explore instruments like these in our collection of classical guitars.
Watch the Performance
Discover more duo and solo performances in our overview of famous classical guitar pieces and our profiles of the great classical guitarists.
