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Topics - alberto

#1
Ten years ago I indicated the above title in a short list of wished recordings.
I have recently missed the release by Naxos (F.La Vecchia, Orch. Sinfonica di Roma, sadly disbanded in 2014).
Now I have got it. The work (1914-1915) consists in four unnamed movements (lasting about half an hour),
deriving from music apparently composed for an intended Arthurian opera.
I found the music impressive and haunting (vague echoes of Pelleas of Debussy and Faurè, just to give an idea), and not fragmentary.
If someone is interested, the couplings (Violin Concertos n.1 and n.2).are in very different, later idiom
#2
Composers & Music / Gino Marinuzzi opera Palla de' Mozzi
Saturday 04 January 2020, 10:37
Maybe can raise some interest the revival in Cagliari, since next 31 January of Gino Marinuzzi third and last opera "Palla de' Mozzi".It was premiered at la Scala in 1932 and restaged sevearl times until 1942.
I ignore if a radio broadcast from the public channel RAI Radio Tre is foreseen.
#3
Composers & Music / Sad loss of Jessye Norman
Wednesday 02 October 2019, 10:57
I would dedicate one word of remembrance to Jessye Norman.
She left a huge discopraphy, comprising also titles fit to this forum (Weber's Euryanthe, Verdi's Un giorno di Regno and Il Corsaro).
Irrespective of the idiom, I would also remember Faurè's Penelope.
#4
Under the above title, two unusual concerts will take place (each repeated twice) in the small town of Mantova.

9-10 November 2019
Franz Schmidt Symphony n.1
F.X. Scharwenka Piano Concerto n.2
Gernsheim Symhony n.3

25.26 January 2020
Reznicek Symphony n.4
Reinecke Symphony n.2
Zemlinsky Symphony n.1

Pianist, conductor and orchestra are only names for me.
#5
Recordings & Broadcasts / In praise of BBC Music
Friday 28 June 2019, 10:19
Maybe for the third time (or even more)  I have to spend one word or two in praise of BBC Music , July release.
Indeed I suppose that the recording of Parry Fifth Symphony (which I like a lot since Boult's last recording) will widen much the knowledge of this splendid work and of its Composer.
I remember that BBC Music in the past already gave the fine "Elegy for Brahms".
(One word of praise also for the Moeran Symphony, known to me since remote LP days).
#6
Composers & Music / Gilda Ruta (1853-1932)
Monday 30 April 2018, 11:19
On the 4th of May in the castle of Rolle (Geneva Lake), and later in other venues (La Scala, Monte Carlo) Sonya Yonceva, who has attained star status,will held a recital of melodies for voice and piano with an unusual program.
Alongside Verdi, Puccini, Martucci (two songs from la Canzone dei Ricordi), Leoncavallo, Tosti, other rare names.
Among those two songs  of Gilda Ruta. She has a Wiki entry, which should contain some mistake.
Wiki states that Ruta "composed  more than 125 pieces for piano AND orchestra" I suppose "for piano OR orchestra". Does anybody know (at least the title) some orchestral work by Gilda Ruta?.
#7
I see that the September issue of the magazine which has not a lot of admirers (admittedly with reasons) on this forum , after a survey about Schubert's Great Symphony, suggesting further symphonies to explore , indicates Raff Second, Rufinatscha Sixth (ignoring, however, the new numbering) and Fuchs First. (Also Bruch First).
BTW the same magazine encloses a recording of Sibelius Kullervo , which has a fairly rich discography, but is rare in concert halls.
#8
Composers & Music / Stefano Gobatti (1852-1913)
Thursday 17 November 2016, 10:41
In the thread dedicated to Giuseppe Sinico a mention, in very negative terms, has appeared about Stefano Gobatti (born 1852) and his opera "I Goti" (1873).
"I Goti" was something of a case. The opera, work of a youth of 21, was hailed as one of the greatest triumphs of the (late) romantic opera in Italy and, in the span of few years, staged in the most important Italian theatres.
Gobatti got the success (albeit not for long) denied to Faccio.
After a handful of other operas of moderate success (but anyway staged) Gobatti gradually fell into oblivion and died forgotten and in misery (1913).
There was a Bongiovanni Cd (maybe still available on line).
Some works of him may be listened to on You Tube: all are transcriptions for a modestly sized (and modest) string orchestra .
Anybody , within the limitations of the transcriptions, the performance and of You Tube, may form her/his own opinion. My humble opinion , within all those limits, is : not bad, maybe worth of an hearing (of excerpts, not of a full opera ) in proper conditions.
Anyway it appears to me excessive to speak of "rubbish".
(BTW someone spoke, even recently, of Gobatti and Faccio as "the Italian Wagnerians"). 
#9
Two days ago I attended such a concert in Torino (Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, cond. Juraj Valcuha, former principal- now the principal is James Conlon).
The program resulted the following:
-R.Strauss Macbeth
-Puccini Manon Lescaut, interlude
-Nicolai The Merry Wives of Windsor, overture
-Korngold Much Ado about Nothing, suite op.18 (1918)
-Puccini Suor Angelica, interlude
-Ciaicovskj Capriccio Italien
encore: Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana, interlude
AFTER the performance the conductor unveiled the identity of the "easy" works (Puccini, Ciaicovskj) assuming almost everibody knew them.
He ASKED the audience the identity of the "less easy" (Nicolai) and of the "difficult ones" (R.Strauss, Korngold).
The concert was indeed a fairly logical mix of popular, very popular or unsung (THAT particular R.Strauss, Korngold); and all romantic or late romantic works.
I found the experience interesting (maybe also as I knew all the pieces) . I am not sure whether a listener who is completely unaware of -say- the Korngold piece, listens to it with a deeper attention, anxious to know the identity unveiled. 
(BTW last June I attended another "surprise concert" conducted by G.Noseda; the program of Stravinsky, Sciostakovich, Beethoven and R.Strauss resulted IMO a little too heterogeneous).
Has anyone in the forum faced concerts where the program is unveiled before the performance? If so, which opinion?
#10
Composers & Music / Unsung encores
Wednesday 10 August 2016, 11:08
It may be more likely in recitals to hear an unsung encore. It lasts scant time. The composer's name , not appearing on the program, frightens nobody.
So, curiously, in the short span of three-four months, I have the occasion of attending two performances by two distinguished pianists ( Kirill Gerstein and Nelson Goerner; the former in Torino, Italy, the latter in Menton France,) of the Etude for the right hand op.36 by Felix Blumenfeld.
#11
On the 28th of next August, in Montreux (Switzerland), Charles Dutoit will conduct the Andante Semplice (around 13 minutes) from the Second Symphony as an homage to Wilhelm Furtwaengler. Better than nothing, but indeed a very short homage.The rest of the program is Rachmaninov's Second Concerto ( Danil Trifonov) and Stravinsky's Sacre (I'll attend then concert).
#12
Very seldom the Salzburg Festival hosts romantic unsung operas.
That will happen next summer with a revival (in stage performances) of "Il Templario" (1840, premiered in Torino) ) by Otto Nicolai (libretto in Italian based on Walter Scott's Ivanhoe).
There is a CPO recording, but I suppose the Salzburg performances starring Joyce Di Donato and Juan Diego Florez will attract more attention on the opera.
BTW I know only the attractive overture through a Lp Decca cond. by K.H.Adler dedicated to orchestral pieces from unsung romnatic operas by composers like Goldmark, Goetz, the later Schreker, the "strange couple" Weber-Mahler ("Die Drei Pintos" adapted from the latter).
#13
Recordings & Broadcasts / Sinigaglia on Brilliant
Monday 21 December 2015, 10:12
I suppose that somebody in the forum will be interested to the Brilliant Cd 95239
"Leone Sinigaglia Music for violin and piano".
In reality the Cd contains music for violin and piano (original or arranged), for piano solo, for piano four-hands (the last is the concert overture "Le Baruffe Chiozzotte", which was conducted by Mahler in his last concert -reproduced in 2011 by Muti and Noseda- and recorded by Toscanini).
The "Danza Piemontese op.31 n.1", an orchestral piece, is present in a transcription for violin and piano.
There was an orchestral recording by Arthur Fiedler and Boston Pops I don't know if ever released on Cd.
The Brilliant Cd booklet claims that the piece (in orchestral form?) was performed before 1922 in more than 250 cities.
Now I hope in a recording of the fine Violin Concerto.
#14
Recordings & Broadcasts / Pizzetti's Symphony recorded
Sunday 15 November 2015, 17:07
I have known (and found confirmation in the website of the conductor, Damian Iorio) that Naxos has recorded in September in Torino the only Symphony by Ildebrando Pizzetti with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI.
Even if the Symphony dates from 1940 its idiom is decidedly romantic (and the music really worth).
The filler is the Harp Concerto by the same composer.
#15
Composers & Music / Elgar in Germany
Thursday 25 June 2015, 10:43
Maybe someone will be interested to know that Kirill Petrenko (designated as Principal of the BPO starting from 2018) in one of his just three appearances on the podium of the Berliner conducted (10/5/09) Elgar's Second Symphony.
If one looks at K.Petrenko very scarce discography will find three Suk records for CPO and Pfitzner's Palestrina (and,if I am right, nothing else).
Will we expect from the BPO also recordings of not-standard repertoire? I have no idea.
#16
I apologize if a thread has already appeared (in the "search" function not found by me) or if the following recording has already been discussed.
I have just bought a 2012 Decca release "Song of the reeds" : works with oboe or english horn (plus piano, or piano and/or viola or horn) by Klughardt, Herzogenberg (both with substantial pieces), Schumann, and the later Steinmetz and Weisman.
A daring record for Decca-Universal (maybe due to the excellent Albrecht Mayer curiousity; and anyway a chamber music record costs much less than an orchestral one).
#17
Ludwig Spohr's Symphony n.6 "Historical"  will be performed by the Orchestra Nazionale RAI next fourth of June (cond.F.M.Bressan) and broadcast at 9.00 PM (Italian time) on radio channel RAI 3.
#18
Composers & Music / Luigi Mancinelli's Scene Veneziane
Thursday 12 March 2015, 10:11
No one -if I remember well- has up today named the "Scene Veneziane" (Venetian Scenes-1889) by Luigi Mancinelli (1848-1921), in its time also a well known conductor.
Mostly in the first number ("Carnevale") the very brilliant scoring -it seems to me-allows to detect influences on the Respighi of the "Pines" (or, in general, the symphonic poems).
There is since some time (besides excerpts on YT) a Naxos recording by F.La Vecchia and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma (which, I report belatedly, and with much regret, has been disbanded on account of lack of financial support
#19
To my surprise the Italian magazine "Amadeus" has just released (March 2015 issue) a Cd containing Giovanni Sgambati's Symphony n.2 (in the Franceso Attardi's edition-revision) plus the Piano Concerto (Martina Filjak,pianist, Orchestra Sinfonica "Giuseppe Verdi", Milano, conductor Francesco Attardi).
It is a live recording made in Milano , last Autumn (I knew about the concert, I didn.'t expect the recording).
The Second Symphony (four movements, timing 37' 46'') appears not less attractive and tuneful than the first; maybe more assured. It got just two performances (Rome and Koeln) in Sgambati's life time and was resurrected only in 2014 in Rome (in another realisation which Naxos apparently has recorded).
#20
Composers & Music / Aldo Ciccolini's death
Sunday 01 February 2015, 18:02
I have sadly to report that Aldo the pianist Ciccolini (aged 89) has died.
Certainly he has been a great advocate of romantic unsungs (Alkan, Severac, Castillon, Satie- if the last fits here ; even Achille Longo or Guido Alberto Fano).
Also an advocate for composers outside their core realm (for example for Rossini's piano music). Or for composers not often recorded at the time of his recordings (Saint-Saens, Chabrier, d'Indy, the Albeniz of the Piano Concerto).