Various Composers - Diabolico (Laura Lootens)

Information

• Giuseppe Tartini - Violin Sonata in G Minor, B.g5 "Il trillo del diavolo": I. Larghetto affettuoso (arr. Roberto Zadra)
• George Rochberg - Caprice Variations for Unaccompanied Violin (transcr. Eliot Fisk)
• Niccolò Paganini - Grand Sonata per chitarra e violino in A Major, Op. 39, MS 3 (arr. Laura Lootens)
• Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco - Capriccio diabolico, Op. 85a (Omaggio a Paganini)
• Nuccio d'Angelo - Due canzoni lidie
• Joaquín Rodrigo - Invocación y danza. Homenaje a Manuel de Falla

Laura Lootens, guitar

Date: 2025

Label: Naïve

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Laura Lootens' debut album Diabolico on Naïve Records explores eerie tales and supernatural themes through a rich and stylistically diverse guitar program. Opening with Tartini’s calm Devil’s Trill Sonata, the album journeys through George Rochberg’s Caprice Variations, where Lootens selects eleven movements blending echoes of Bach, Brahms, and Paganini with modern elements. Paganini’s Great Sonata for Violin and Guitar is intriguingly performed on guitar alone, showcasing its technical demands. The second half ventures into 20th-century repertoire with Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s virtuosic Capriccio diabolico, Nuccio D’Angelo’s reflective Due canzoni lidie, and Rodrigo’s flamenco-inspired Invocación y danza. Lootens’ artistry delivers a haunting, imaginative experience.

Born in 1999 in Marktoberdorf, Bavaria, Laura Lootens is a rising star in the classical guitar world. She began guitar lessons at age eight and quickly displayed exceptional talent, studying under Prof. Franz Halász from the age of 14. At just 15, she began her Bachelor's degree and gave her orchestral debut in Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. She later earned her Master’s degree cum laude and an “Excellence in Performance” diploma. In 2021, at 22, she was appointed to a teaching position at the Munich University of Music and Performing Arts. Lootens gained international recognition after winning First Prize at the prestigious 2022 Andrés Segovia Competition. She has performed across Germany and Europe, with appearances at venues such as Munich's Gasteig and the Beethoven Festival in Bonn, and has been featured on major broadcasters including ARD, BR, and Ö1.