They are called Opera Nova. Their aim is to be innovative, to explore and open new repertoires. The guitar has attained a new dignity. Its adaptability to polyphony - to complex, elaborate scores - has made it a king among transcription instruments, but this has, ironically, limited its role. Opera Nova take a gamble, but there's really no risk. You listen to them and find it easy, you ask yourself why you hadn't thought of it before. The many voices ofthe guitar multiplied by four reveal an extraordinarily rich texture. But Opera Nova go further: not only do they play with transcriptions (not even the Bach of Brandenburg concertos is spared) which translate and explain the music and its unexpected turns, but they offer also original pieces, as on this CD.Listening to the opening passages of the two Paesaggi by

Brouwer is enough to grasp the persuasive power of the sound, the colour, and the tonal variety which, above all, has marked musical creativity in the 20th century. Walter Zanetti, Monica Paolini, Giorgio Albiani and François Laurent met when they were studying at the 'Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris', where they were pupils of Alberto Ponce.Their prestigious careers as soloists come together in a shared musical sensibility. The members of Opera Nova are involved in teaching and concert performances. They have won many important national and international contests among which are: the "Ville de Carpentras" contest, the "Bartoli" prize in Salon-de-Provence, Bordeaux, Gargnano, the "PujoI" competition in Sassari, Namur in Belgium, the Alessandria International Competition and the "Certamen Internacional Francisco Tarrega" in Benicasim, Spain.
Roberto VERTI