Raffaele La Ragione, François Dumont, Sandrine Piau - Mandoline. Dans les salons fin-de-siècle (2026)

After the success of Mandolin on Stage, dedicated to the most emblematic 18th-century concertos for mandolin and recorded with Il Pomo d’Oro directed by Francesco Corti, Raffaele La Ragione returns with his third album for Arcana. This time he recounts a fascinating chapter in French musical history, joined by pianist François Dumont (who has chosen an exceptional 1896 Pleyel for the occasion) and special guest, soprano Sandrine Piau.

In the 1880s and 1890s Paris discovered a deep passion for the mandolin: a fondness fuelled by the concerts held at the Trocadéro during the Universal Exhibition of 1878. In the drawing rooms of high society the Neapolitan instrument became a supreme symbol of elegance and exoticism, conjuring up the atmosphere of southern Italy and immediately winning over poets and composers.

The recording, created in collaboration with the Palazzetto Bru Zane, brings together original pieces, contemporary arrangements from French operas and operettas, and vocal works dedicated to the mandolin, thereby effectively recreating the soundscape and distinct allure of a fin-de-siècle salon.

Tracklist
01. Bizet- Pastorale (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Jean Pietrapertosa)
02. Debussy- Mandoline, CD 43
03. Silvestri- Lo sport
04. Delibes- Sylvia- Variation dansée (Pizzicati)[Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Louis Emma]
05. Gounod- Le soir, CG 441 (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Jean Pietrapertosa)
06. Dupont- Mandoline (Arr. for Voice, Piano and Mandolina by Raffaele La Ragione)
07. Thomé- Clair de lune, Op. 112 (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Jules Cottin)
08. Liszt- Danse des sylphes, S. 475
09. Chaminade- Chanson napolitaine, Op. 82 (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Joseph Ange Carboni)
10. Chaminade- Sérénade, Op. 29 (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Jules Cottin)
11. Chaminade- Havanaise, Op. 57 (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Janvier Pietrapertosa fils)
12. Chaminade- Pierrette, Op. 41 (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Joseph Ange Carboni)
13. Saint-Saëns- Guitares et Mandolines (Arr. for Voice, Piano and Mandolina by Raffaele La Ragione)
14. Bizet- Adieux de l’hôtesse arabe (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Jean Pietrapertosa)
15. Saint-Saëns- Le Timbre d’argent (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Jean Pietrapertosa)
16. Fauré- 5 Mélodies, Op. 58- No. 1, Mandoline
17. Chopin- Hexaméron- Variation No. 6, B. 113
18. Leoncavallo- Serenade (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Jean Pietrapertosa)
19. Massenet- Chérubin, Act III- Aubade (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Jules Cottin)
20. Offenbach- Madame l’archiduc (Arr. for Mandolina and Piano by Jean Pietrapertosa)