This recording is a thematic and cultural journey through the figure of François de Fossa, a nineteenth-century military musician and guitarist who distilled multiple influences through his nature as both traveller and innovator. The selection of works highlights not only the guitar’s virtuosic possibilities, but also its remarkable ability to act as a bridge between cultures and musical styles.

Viennese Classicism: Through his transcriptions of Haydn and his admiration for Beethoven, de Fossa brought the guitar into dialogue with one of Europe’s most refined and universal musical idioms.

The Iberian Connection: His travels in Spain and his military career exposed him to Iberian melodic and rhythmic patterns that weave their way throughout his music.