Gianella: 3 Duos concertants, Op. 2

Luigi Gianella died in Paris in 1817.
If we re-examine the scanty information we have about his life, we cannot help noticing that he was present and active in the greatest musical institutions of his time, both in Italy and in France.
His compositions were staged at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan and at the Opéra in Paris, and he performed at the funeral of one of the most famous composers in Europe.
So his fame among his contemporaries must have been much greater than we can imagine today, as is often the case with musicians and composers who have been undeservedly forgotten. The three concertanti duets for flute and harp op. 2 were published in Paris by Jean-Henri Naderman.
The work consists of three pieces, each divided into three movements.
The title “Duos” in place of “Sonates” may perhaps be explained by the freedom with which the musical material is treated: it does not follow the pattern of the classical sonata, despite the fact that during that period in France the characteristics of the forma-sonata were much vaguer than in other European countries.