The distinctive sound of the mandolin conjures images of Mediterranean romance, and can claim a distinguished heritage in virtuoso and expressively lyrical music written for it by great composers such as Vivaldi and Beethoven. The lute is more ancient in its origins and gentler in its sound. The instrument saw its pinnacle in the 18th century in the music of Bach and his close colleague Leopold Weiss, the greatest lutenist of the Baroque period. Recent arrangements and compositions with the music of Albéniz and Febonio reveal how these instruments still cast their delightful spell today.