Gioachino Rossini’s (1792-1868) meteoric rise in the early 19th-century international opera scene is well known. Over the course of 19 years (1810-29) he composed the music for 39 operas that were produced across Europe and as far away as New York City (1825). As Rossini’s melodies became the common currency of musical life, they were featured in all manner of alternative settings such as these arrangements by two important artists from Parisian society, flutist Jean-Louis Tulou (1786-1865) and guitarist Ferdinando Carulli (1770-1841). Both the flute and the guitar enjoyed great popularity among amateur bourgeoisie and serious artists alike, and indeed, arrangements such as these found their way into salons and concert halls.

Flutist Wendell Dobbs and guitarist Júlio Ribeiro Alves have recorded these selections on instruments from the era. The flûte perfectionnée was an invention of Jean-Louis Tulou and his foreman Jacques Nonon. The instrument for these recordings was created in Paris in the 1850s. The guitar by Aubrey and Maire was created in the 1840s in Mirecourt in the Vosges foothills in northeastern France, a town known for its manufacture of musical instruments, particularly stringed instruments.