Wenzeslaus (or Wenceslas, or Wenzel) Matiegka (1773–1830) was born in Bohemia and studied music and law, working in both fields even after his move to Vienna in 1800, at least for a few years. Thanks to the work of Mauro Giuliani and others, the guitar was popular in his new Austrian home, and Matiegka learned the instrument and began teaching it. He wrote his first guitar pieces for students, but he soon started publishing solos and chamber music. These six sonatas are from the early to mid-1810s and are charming and interesting. They are all light classical in style and pretty good-humored, but Matiegka makes sure to throw some curveballs now and then. The third movement of Sonata No. 2, variations on an old French tune, conjures up Schubertian melancholy and ends with a disturbingly quiet minor chord. This is David Starobin’s final album (he retired from performing in 2018), and the Sixth Sonata lets him go out on a high note with its playful phrasing, flavorful counterpoint, unexpected accents, and outbursts of enthusiastic strumming. Starobin’s clarity and lyricism will be missed, but we can be thankful for souvenirs like this.

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