Pietro Floridia (1860 - 1932)

[terry martyn]

I have just acquired a CD on the Bongiovanni label from amazon.de of this composer´s orchestral works. The recording seems no longer to be available from the issuing company and  dates from around 1994. It is that rare beast, an Italian- Croatian -Ukrainian collaboration and features an orchestra I have never come across, the Donetsk Opera Symphony Orchestra. Despite the sound recording being reminiscent of what was available in the 1930´s and a string section inclined to the scrawny at times, this CD is a find. The enthusiasm of the players in what must have been totally unknown territory shines through,especially in the gem of the Serenade. And the substantial Symphony in D minor dating no later than 1888 is a young man´s work (think of Chapi´s only Symphony) ,which the booklet notes compares with Franck but sounds to be fresher,lighter,more naive. Has anyone else come across it ,and,if so, what´s your verdict?

[Alan Howe]

The first movement of the Symphony can be heard here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbbCz20nJo8

...and the CD is available for download here:
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/7989568--pietro-floridia-orchestral-works

As indicated above, the problem's the orchestra - distinctly provincial. But it's the only way of hearing this powerful symphony - which is nothing like Franck, by the way.

[Mark Thomas]

I've had this recording for years and Floridia's Symphony is in many ways a strong work, a young man's symphony as Terry says. What lets it down is that it's memorability is compromised by generally humdrum thematic material - it's one of those works which impresses when one hears it, but just refuses to stay in the memory. Or mine at least. For all the deficiencies of the recording, performance and interpretation (it would benefit from a sprightlier, less portentous approach), it's one of Bongiovanni's better issues.

[alberto]

I cannot but agree with the earlier comments.
I remember that I have found the orchestral playing even a little disturbing (and spoiling a possibly better hearing experience).

[eschiss1]

I remember a Fanfare review of this CD from years ago that was very intriguing, and the symphony's score can be downloaded from IMSLP, if anyone's interested. Thanks for the YouTube link. It was premiered in 1889; I'm not sure where "no later than 1888" comes from offhand (though "no later than 1889" certainly makes sense - ... though people revise things after premieres sometimes, so maybe that doesn't follow either.) (Fantuzzi, the publisher, wasn't founded until 1894, by the way, so that's probably not useful in that connection.)