Commissioned by the company VBD & Co for the 1st International Mandolin Competition of Marseille in July 2023, which brought together a prestigious jury including Hamilton de Holanda, Ricardo Sandoval, and Claudio Mandonico himself, the Concertino per la Mandola is dedicated to Vincent Beer-Demander. He premiered it at the Lambesc International Guitar Festival the same year and recorded it the following year in Naples with the Mélis Quintet, on his album Per la mandola, dedicated to new concertante works for mandola and orchestra.
With a distinctly neoclassical writing style, Claudio Mandonico's Concertino per la Mandola is built upon a solidly structured musical form. The opening allegro moderato leads into a slow and cantabile movement, which contrasts with the return of the first section, concluding the piece with a brilliant coda. The articulations are particularly refined, showcasing the composer's deep understanding of the instrumental and technical capabilities of plucked-string ensembles. Exceptionally well orchestrated, powerful, and virtuosic, the Concertino per la Mandola stands out as a model of its kind, thanks to its clear musical discourse, accessible rhythmic syntax, and carefully crafted melodic-harmonic style.
