Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2; Solo Piano Works: Pietro Massa, Neubrandenbruger Philharmonie, Stefan Malzew (2 CDS)

Pietro Massa, piano

(Concertos)

Neubrandenburger Philharmonie · Stefan Malzew

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Florence 1895 – Beverly Hills 1968) was a composer and humanist. His life was characterized by a lasting tendency to discover himself as a component of ancient cultural traditions, first the Tuscan and then the Jewish one. On the other hand, he showed an inclination to withdraw from the historical present, on the one hand, due to his reserved disposition and, on the other, because of the tragic events that rocked his existence.
In 1939, he took his leave of his country and emigrated to the USA to safeguard the future of his own family and above all protect the lives of his two children. Arturo Toscanini and Jascha Heifetz, who had already performed his music several times, supported him in this difficult period and made a substantial contribution to him obtaining a position as the composer of film music with Metro Goldwyn Mayer.
The Piano Concertos in G major No. 1 op. 46 and in F major No. 2 op. 92 were written in 1927 and 1936/37 respectively; the latter presumably while preparing for exile.

Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr. 1 G-Dur op.
1 1. Allegro giusto 12:50 
2 2. Alla Romanza: Andantino 09:17 
3 3. Vivo e festoso 09:04 
Konzert für Klavier und Orchester Nr. 2 F-Dur op.
4 1. Vivace e brillante 09:42 
5 2. Romanza, tranquillo e meditativo 09:33 
6 3. Vivo e impetuoso 08:51 
CD: 2
1 La sirenetta e il pesce turchino (Fiaba marina) (1 09:55 
2 Vitalba e Biancospino (Fiaba silvana) (1921) 07:10 
3 I Naviganti op. 13 (1919) 07:28 
4 Alghe op. 12 (1919) 06:41 

Le danze di Re David (Rapsodia ebraica su temi tra
5 Nr. 1 Violento ed impetuoso 01:45 
6 Nr. 2 Ieratico 01:48 
7 Nr. 3 Rapido e selvaggio 01:23 
8 Nr. 4 Lento ed estatico 03:59 
9 Nr. 5 Rude e ben ritmato 01:12 
10 Nr. 6 Malinconico e supplichevole 03:41 
11 Nr. 7 Allegro guerriero - Alla Chiusa, chiaro e so 02:42 

Passatempi (5 piccoli Walzer) (1928)
12 Nr. 1 Un poco mosso 00:53 
13 Nr. 2 Un poco burlesco 01:31 
14 Nr. 3 Un poco malinconico 01:49 
15 Nr. 4 Serenamente, quasi campestre 01:18 
16 Nr. 5 Con brio alla Viennese 01:07 
17 Epilogo 01:08 

2 Film studies (1931)
18 Charlie (Charlot) 04:25 
19 Mickey Mouse (Topolino) 03:28 

Onde (2 Studi per pianoforte) (1935)
20 Onde corte 02:10 
21 Onde lunghe 02:52 

22 Hommage à Paderewski (1941) 04:31