The German lutenist Silvius Leopold Weiss and the Viennese mandolinist Johann Hoffmann were considered the greatest virtuosos of their day in their respective fields. Inspired by the composer’s free treatment of some of his own works, the two virtuosic Sonatas by Weiss are here performed in versions for lute and mandolin, while the two melodious sonatas for mandolin and bass (here performed on a lute) by Hoffmann reflect the renaissance of the sixcourse mandolin experienced in cultivated Viennese circles at the turn of the 19th century.