Theme and Variations from Serenade, Op. 16 by Antonio Nava

Milanese guitarist, singer, and composer Antonio Nava (1775-1826) is best remembered for his guitar method (Nuevo metodo per chitarra, 1812). His contribution to the guitar repertoire consists of circa 70 works, mostly written for flute and guitar (theme and variations, divertimenti, and potpourris). He also composed for solo guitar, as well as duets for violin and guitar, and a trio for flute, violin, and guitar. His two-movement Serenata, opus 16 begins with an expressive Cantabile adagio introduction in minor followed by a Polacca rondo whose recurring theme in major is cheerful and lively. The second movement is a set of virtuosic variations. Flutist Wendell Dobbs and guitarist Júlio Ribeiro Alves have recorded these selections on instruments from the era. The flûte perfectionnée was an invention of Jean-Louis Tulou and his foreman Jacques Nonon. The instrument for these recordings was created in Paris in the 1850s. The guitar by Aubrey and Maire was created in the 1840s in Mirecourt in the Vosges foothills in northeastern France, a town known for its manufacture of musical instruments, particularly stringed instruments.https://mds.marshall.edu/music_perf_2018/1008/thumbnail.jp