Mandoline - Dans les salons fin-de-siècle (Raffaele La Ragione)

With his third album for Arcana, Raffaele La Ragione sheds light on a fascinating chapter in French music history. He is accompanied by pianist François Dumont, who has selected an exceptional Pleyel from 1896 for this occasion, and soprano Sandrine Piau as special guest. In the 1880s and 1890s, Paris discovered a deep passion for the mandolin, which was reinforced by the concerts at the Trocadéro during the Universal Exhibition of 1878. In the salons of high society, the Neapolitan instrument became a symbol of elegance and exoticism, evoking the atmosphere of southern Italy and immediately winning over poets and composers. This recording, made in collaboration with the Palazzetto Bru Zane, combines original pieces, contemporary arrangements from French operas and operettas as well as vocal works for mandolin, thus reviving the soundscape and unmistakable charm of a turn-of-the-century salon.