Italian Orchestral Music - Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire (2 CDs)

Five composers, three LPs … an all-Italian, all-rare, 2 CD compendium. Fernando Previtali’s orchestral recordings for Decca of music by Respighi, Casella, Ghedini, Petrassi and Casella were recorded in July 1956 and had a relatively short lifespan. Other than Respighi’s ‘Pines of Rome’, the remaining music was then – as it is now – largely unfamiliar to the concert-going and record-buying public. Another disc of late-19th/early-20th century orchestral music, conducted by Nello Santi, of some particularly piquant music by Wolf-Ferrari completes what is bound to be a much sought-after release.

‘Previtali does the outer movements [of the Pines of Rome] with the greatest liveliness, the quiet inner ones with sensitivity … The music [of ‘La giara’] is lively stuff of no great consequence but attractive enough in an unpretentious way. Good light listening. Gramophone

‘This recording is recommended to those particularly interested in Italian opera overtures and intermezzi … the playing is good and the recording good too’ (Wolf-Ferrari) Gramophone

CD 1
CASELLA
La giara: Symphonic Suite

OTTORINO RESPIGHI
Pini di Roma

GIORGIO FREDERICO GHEDINI
Quattro pezzi di Gerolamo Frescobaldi

CD 2
GOFREDO PETRASSI
Concerto No. 1 for Orchestra

Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Fernando Previtali

ERMANNO WOLF-FERRARI
Overtures and Intermezzi
Il segreto di Susanna
Il campiello
La dama boba
I quattro rusteghi
I gioielli della Madonna: Suite

Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
Nello Santi