What Repertoire Does Luteduo Perform?

Luteduo is a Baroque lute duo formed by Anna Kowalska and Anton, dedicated to the long-neglected duo repertoire for Baroque lute. Their programs span newly discovered duet compositions, transcriptions of viola da gamba works, Italian and Spanish Baroque plucked-instrument music, the solo and instrumental works of J.S. Bach, and 19th-century Romantic guitar repertoire. If you want to know what you would actually hear at a Luteduo concert or on their recordings, the repertoire falls into four broad areas described below.

Baroque lute duets and transcriptions

The duo's founding purpose was to draw attention to duo repertoire for the Baroque lute that had been largely overlooked. Their work in this area includes:

• François du Fault duets — Luteduo were the first to perform and record the recently discovered duet compositions of François du Fault.
• Marin Marais transcriptions — They also transcribed Marais' duet compositions for viola da gamba for two Baroque lutes.
• These efforts produced the program "Baroque Lute Duets," released on CD in 2002.

Cross-cultural Baroque program: "Baroque Insight"

After the initial duet project, the duo expanded into repertoire for other combinations of historical plucked instruments, particularly Baroque guitar and theorbo. The program "Baroque Insight" is built around contrasting national styles:

The program moves from the solemn music of the great Italian lute and theorbo players to the temperamental style of the first Spanish guitar virtuosi, and on to the melancholic mood of the French Baroque masters.

The Bach project

Luteduo has undertaken a large project devoted to the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. It covers:

• Solo works for lute, including lute versions of the solo violin and cello compositions
• Transcriptions of other instrumental works by Bach for two 24-string Baroque lutes

19th-century Romantic guitar

More recent activity turns to 19th-century music for Romantic guitar. The musicians use copies of 6-string guitars by the 19th-century maker René Lete, strung with gut strings, to perform:

• J.K. Mertz
• F. Sor
• F. Chopin
• Napoleon Coste

The high point of this program is a transcription of César Franck's organ work Prelude, Fugue & Variation, op. 18.

Where they have performed

Anna and Anton have presented these programs across Europe, performing in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Switzerland.

About the performers

Anna Kowalska studied lute with Toyohiko Satoh and Nigel North at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, The Netherlands. Her repertoire ranges from the Renaissance to the late Baroque, including 19th-century repertoire for historical guitar. Beyond the lute, she has studied and performed on classical guitar, piano, and violin — a diversity that continually fuels her interest in moving beyond the limits of original instrumental works for Baroque guitar and lute.