Various Composers - Mandoline (Raffaele La Ragione; François Dumont; Sandrine Piau)

Information

1. Georges Bizet - Pastorale (arr. Jean Pietrapertosa)
2. Claude Debussy - Mandoline, CD 43
3. Giuseppe Silvestri - Lo sport
4. Léo Delibes - Sylvia: Variation dansée (Pizzicati) [arr. Louis Emma]
5. Charles Gounod - Le soir, CG 441 (arr. Jean Pietrapertosa)
6. Gabriel Dupont - Mandoline (arr. Raffaele La Ragione)
7. Francis Thomé - Clair de lune, Op. 112 (arr. Jules Cottin)
8. Franz Liszt - Danse des sylphes, S. 475
9. Cécile Chaminade - Chanson napolitaine, Op. 82 (arr. Joseph Ange Carboni)
10. Cécile Chaminade - Sérénade, Op. 29 (arr. Jules Cottin)
11. Cécile Chaminade - Havanaise, Op. 57 (arr. Janvier Pietrapertosa fils)
12. Cécile Chaminade - Pierrette, Op. 41 (arr. Joseph Ange Carboni)
13. Camille Saint-Saëns - Guitares et Mandolines (arr. Raffaele La Ragione)
14. Georges Bizet - Adieux de l’hôtesse arabe (arr. Jean Pietrapertosa)
15. Camille Saint-Saëns - Le Timbre d’argent (arr. Jean Pietrapertosa)
16. Gabriel Fauré - 5 Mélodies, Op. 58: No. 1, Mandoline
17. Frédéric Chopin - Hexaméron: Variation No. 6, B. 113
18. Ruggero Leoncavallo - Serenade (arr. Jean Pietrapertosa)
19. Jules Massenet - Chérubin, Act III: Aubade (arr. Jules Cottin)
20. Jacques Offenbach - Madame l’archiduc (arr. Jean Pietrapertosa)

Raffaele La Ragione, mandolin & mandola

François Dumont, piano

Sandrine Piau, soprano

Date: 2026

Label: Arcana

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Following his acclaimed album Mandolin on Stage, mandolinist Raffaele La Ragione returns with his third Arcana release, documenting a captivating chapter in French musical history. Created in collaboration with the Palazzetto Bru Zane, the album features pianist François Dumont performing on an 1896 Pleyel piano, alongside guest soprano Sandrine Piau. The program recreates the refined soundscape of a fin-de-siècle Parisian salon from the 1880s and 1890s, an era when high society embraced the mandolin as a symbol of elegance and exoticism. The recording comprises original works, vocal pieces, and contemporary arrangements from French operas and operettas inspired by the instrument.

Born in Naples in 1986, Raffaele La Ragione is recognized as an exceptionally accomplished international mandolinist dedicated to exploring original repertoire and expanding his instrument's horizons. He maintains an active global concert career, performing at prestigious festivals and collaborating with leading ensembles such as I Solisti Veneti, Il Pomo d’Oro, and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. Demonstrating broad artistic curiosity, La Ragione also engages in cross-disciplinary projects with prominent cultural figures like Renzo Arbore and Alessandro Baricco. Following the success of his critically acclaimed recordings in 2020 and 2022, his latest project marks his third album release with the Arcana label.