Romantic guitar and strings is an ideal combination for the Brighton Dome Studio Theatre where yet another full house for the festival's lunchtime recitals enjoyed this imaginative programme by Camerata Cayrasco.

The music performed was by Beethoven and his contemporaries, including some that probably entertained delegates to the Congress Of Vienna at which the borders of Europe were re-drawn after the Napoleonic Wars.

Mauro Giuliani, guitarist and composer, was the master of ceremonies and official concert artist at the Congress. This concert began with his Serenade In A Major For Guitar, Violin And Viola which showed why he was known in Vienna at the time as 'the Beethoven of the guitar'.

Eligio Luis Quinteiro then played Giuliani's beautiful Sonatina In D Major For Solo Guitar as a prelude to Ludwig van Beethoven's Serenade In D Major. This was an early work for string trio including a cello which was re-arranged by Wenzeslaus Matiegka for guitar, violin and viola.

Kinga Ujszaszi, violin, and Heather Birt, viola, were equal partners with Quinteiro in this delightful recital. The string players never obscured or overshadowed the guitar even in pizzicato passages.

Yet again the festival has engaged top-class musicians to perform music that deserves to be far better-known.

Four stars