Mari Mäntylä's chamber ensemble, Duo Dryades, formed in 2002 with Kristina Kuusisto, has premiered Pekka Jalkanen's double concerto Aeterna and had their album Speira nominated for a Finnish classical Emma award.
Performer Biography
Mari Mäntylä, the performer, is a leading Finnish guitarist specializing in the decacorde, and she actively collaborates with composers to premiere new works for the instrument.
Recording & Production
The recording for this album took place across three separate sessions in Hauho Church between May 2016 and January 2017.
Album & Artwork
The album title, "Orfeo Amoroso," and its concept are inspired by the mythical figure Orpheus, representing belief in music's power, courage, love of contrasts, and a blend of rationality and intuition.
Instruments
The album features a ten-stringed guitar called a decacorde, which Mari Mäntylä developed in partnership with guitar maker Kauko Liikanen in 2015.
Instruments
A unique feature of the new decacorde model is that its four lowest bass strings have no frets, allowing for unhindered glissandos, natural microintervals, and a pizzicato-like sound.
