Jean Absil - Guitar Works (Carlo Pignatta)

Information

Composer: Jean Absil

• Quatre pièces, Op. 150
• Suite, Op. 114
• Quatre esquisses, Op. 147 "Sur un paravent chinois"
• Douze pièces, Op. 159

Carlo Pignatta, guitar

Date: 2025

Label: Da Vinci Classics

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Jean Absil (1893–1974) was a Belgian composer, organist, and influential teacher at the Brussels Conservatory. Early success came with the Belgian Prix de Rome (1922) and the Prix Rubens (1934), which took him to Paris and connected him with leading modernists like Milhaud and Honegger. Absil developed a personal style blending late-Romantic roots with French influences, Stravinsky, Bartók, and techniques such as polytonality and serialism, while preserving clarity and a sense of tonal focus. He composed in almost every genre and later contributed significantly to the modern guitar repertoire with works from the 1960s–70s, including solo pieces and a guitar concerto.

Carlo Pignatta (born 1995) is an Italian classical guitarist, composer, and music educator. Trained first through the Suzuki School in Saluzzo and later at the APM School, he earned the DipABRSM and graduated with honors from the “G. Verdi” Conservatory in Turin under Paolo Garganese. Alongside his musical studies, he completed a Law degree focused on music as a tool for prison rehabilitation. Pignatta has studied with respected guitarists including Frédéric Zigante and participated in masterclasses with leading international performers. A prizewinner in several competitions, he has performed at notable Italian festivals. He is a Level IV Suzuki certified instructor and taught at the Suzuki Talent Center in Turin until 2024.