Jacques Féréol Mazas (1782-1849) Duos for two violins, op. 38, 1-6 Performed by Evelyn Estava and Michael Avagliano [1-3] Duo 1 in C Major I. Allegro maestoso [4:29] II. Romance - Andante [2:00] III. Rondo - Allegretto [1:48] [4-6] Duo 2 in G Major I. Allegro moderato [4:14] II. Tempo di Minuetto [1:57] III. Rondo - Allegretto [1:22] [7-9] Duo 3 in D Major I. Allegro [3:51] II. Romance - Andante [1:55] III. Rondo - Allegretto [1:36] [10-12] Duo 4 in A Major I. Allegro moderato [4:30] II. Andantino grazioso [1:38] III. Rondo - Allegretto [2:18] [13-15] Duo 5 in F Major I. Moderato [4:50] II. Tempo di Marcia [1:24] III. Rondo - Allegretto [2:14] [16-18] Duo 6 in B-flat Major I. Allegro moderato e grazioso [4:50] II. Andante non troppo lento [2:02] III. Rondo - Allegretto [2:03] (Evelyn Estava, I: 1, 3, 5) (Michael Avagliano, I: 2, 4, 6) Total time: 49 minutes Notes from the Producer - Spouses Evelyn Estava and Michael Avagliano make these sonic gems sparkle with personality and humanity. Playing very different instruments and being trained in very different traditions - Evelyn at Simón Bolívar Conservatory in Caracas and Michael at Indiana University Bloomington - adds dimension to this collection as they alternately take up first and second parts. They are much in demand throughout the region enclosed by Manhattan and Philadelphia, ranging as far as Alaska and Rome, Michael doing quadruple duty as violinist, violist, conductor, and luthier. So busy are they that it took us three years, after the ever-enterprising Evelyn hatched the idea, to find enough vacant nights to capture these recordings. It is now our pleasure to bring these works to our listeners. Notes from violinist Michael Avagliano - A staggering number of violin duos, of which these are the first six, were published by Jacques Mazas, one of the best-known pupils of Pierre Baillot. Baillot, along with Pierre Rode and Rodolphe Kreutzer, helped establish the Conservatoire de Paris and the classic French school of violin playing. To even the most devoted listener of classical music, these names may not ring a bell, but to any violinist they are instantly recognizable. Every student of the instrument over the last two hundred years has studied their etudes and caprices, from the elementary studies by Baillot, through the intermediate etudes of Kreutzer, and finally to Rode's intricate caprices. From these three titans of pedagogy, the modern technique of violin playing was born. Mazas came to Paris from his hometown of Lavaur, and graduated with first prize from the Conservatoire in 1805. By 1810, he was touring Europe as a performer, before returning to France and eventually settling in Orleans as director of the Opéra-Comique. Surprisingly, although it was rather common at the time for touring violinists to play their own compositions, there are no published concerti or sonatas by Mazas. There are, however, many pedagogical pieces, including a set of progressive etudes, op. 36, modeled after Kreutzer and Rode. These etudes are still used today, as a first stepping-stone to advanced violin technique. The duos presented here came soon afterward, and were published as op. 38. As the first set, they are playable entirely in first position on the fingerboard, and are therefore intended for students who are relatively new to the instrument. Each one of the duos becomes progressively more complex, posing new technical challenges as well as allowing for more of a musical voice from the performer. Although they were designed with the teaching studio in mind, they stand on their own as performance pieces, beautifully crafted as charming miniatures. ______ Photo and cover art design by Evelyn Estava Notes by Michael Avagliano Special thanks to R. Douglas Helvering Recorded at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Princeton Junction, NJ
 Produced by Scott R. Hawkinson
All selections DDD; recorded, edited, and mastered (96 kHz, 24 bit) 
 by Scott R. Hawkinson 
℗ 2016 Scott R. Hawkinson