Argentinian saxophonist Gato Barbieri teamed up with his greatest contemporaries for these two albums, which bring in soul, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and other influences to make a truly remarkable set of jazz performances. Features the likes of John Abercrombie, Airto, Stanley Clarke, Bernard Purdie and many more.

Double vinyl LP pressing. The release of these recordings fills a gap in Barbieri's discography. The artist we met in his first work as a single leader, In Search Of The Mystery (1967), moved in the realm of pure improvisation, going in the direction of the spirituality of Albert Ayler and Pharoah Sanders. In the Roman sessions, however, Barbieri recovers his original matrix deeply rooted in the language of John Coltrane and, in part, in that of the early Ornette Coleman. To some extent it is a completely new Barbieri that emerges from these recordings.

Gato Barbieri - Standards: Lost And Found 1 - What can be heard in this unreleased studio recording can be considered a Gato Barbieri in purity. ... May I add, that I am proud to be part of this recording. Franco D'Andrea. The release of these recordings fills a gap in Barbieri's discography. The artist we met in his first work as a single leader, In Search Of The Mystery (1967), moved in the realm of pure improvisation, going in the direction of the spirituality of Albert Ayler and Pharoah Sanders. In the Roman sessions, however, Barbieri recovers his original matrix deeply rooted in the language of John Coltrane and, in part, in that of the early Ornette Coleman. To some extent it is a completely new Barbieri that emerges from these recordings.

Gato Barbieri - Standards: Lost And Found 2 - "Gives me the chills! I feel as though Gato has never left us..." Laura Barbieri, wife of Gato Barbieri - Standards Lost and Found (Volume 2) hosts two compositions by Ornette Coleman (Jayne and When Will The Blues Leave?) a clear homage to the composer, father of free jazz, and an overt demonstration of musical intent and fundamental aesthetic reference. Charlie Parker's Anthropology is respectfully dedicated to a new interpretation of the more recent jazz tradition from which the four musicians descend, as are the two compositions by Thelonious Monk: 'Round Midnight and Epistrophy, which, along with Jamal's fresh New Rhumba however, testify to an already much-transformed tradition. Gato's In Search of the Mystery and Gato Blues fit perfectly into the set list and reflect the significant role of the Argentine tenor player who in this way places his compositional signature on the record. Jayne is from Coleman's first album Something Else!!!! from 1958. Anthropology explodes at a tempo of 140 bpm in cut time and the virtuoso exposition of the melody showcases Gato's high technical ability and precise timing. The moment his solo starts Gato gives the impression of a saxophonist who could easily play on all the chord changes using the be-bop language, but deliberately decides not to. New Rhumba was composed and recorded by pianist Ahmad Jamal when he was only 25 years old and had already matured a thoroughly personal style. 'Round Midnight, Thelonious Monk's celebrated ballad from the early 1940s, is included as a tribute to the great pianist, but certainly also because of the extreme beauty of the melody that Gato tackles with no special elaboration while hinting at flickers of high notes and always using a full, harsh sound. Gato Blues bears Barbieri's signature.

This live La Forza del Destino by Giuseppe Verdi from Firenze, Italy in June 1956 stars a young and dynamic tenor Giuseppe di Stefano near the beginning of a brilliant, decades-long stage career and Renata Tebaldi, a lyric soprano blessed with one of the most gorgeous and forthright voices in 20th century opera, and in all likelihood in operatic history. The mezzo-soprano Fedora Barbieri is always a welcome presence in Italian opera recordings of this period. Gabriele Santini conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Comunale di Firenze.

Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il Trovatore, a staple of the operatic repertoire and long a popular success with operagoers and lovers of Italian opera, received the casting it rightfully deserves in this 1961 live performance from Berlin, 1961. The all-Italian, all-star lineup of singers includes Ettore Bastianini as Count di Luna, Fedora Barbieri as Azucena, Franco Corelli as Manrico and Mirella Parutto as Leonora. This recording has been called the best live version of the opera on record. The fiery conductor Oliviero de Fabritiis leads the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro dell' Opera di Roma.

Also available on Blu-ray

Enrico di Borgogna is a melodramma per musica that was premiered in Venice in 1818, marking Donizetti’s stage debut. The plot of this rare opera follows a rather traditional scheme: Enrico wants to defeat the son of the villain who usurped his father’s throne and is about to marry his beloved Elisa. Fortunately, he succeeds in stopping the marriage and regaining his inheritance. This release is a world premiere video recording of the 2018 Donizetti Opera festival performance, which received great reviews for its brilliant staging. Director Silvia Paoli uses a “theatre within the theatre” approach which gives way to moments of sheer humor and amusement: as the curtain opens, the public is brought back to the time of the opera premiere. Played on period instruments by Academia Montis Regalis and conducted by repertoire specialist Alessandro De Marchi, this opera features two prima donnas like Sonia Ganassi and Anna Bonitatibus in the main roles. Extra content: interviews with Conductor Alessandro De Marchi, Sonia Ganassi and Anna Bonitatibus. “This was…a genuinely funny presentation, which had the audience laughing out loud. Everything was treated as a source of fun, from the narrative, and its mix of characters through the theatrical conventions of the time, even poking fun at the singers themselves. It was all staged in a blaze of color, fast-moving action, fabulous costumes and cleverly managed extraneous silliness.” (Operawire) [Anna Bonitatibus] displayed a burnished, deep timbre, sparkling coloratura and wonderful phrasing, confirming her status as the most interesting mezzo of her generation.” (Bachtrack.com) “Sonia Ganassi…has a strong, dynamically versatile and flexible voice which she is able to manage intelligently and with skill. . “(Operawire)

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REVIEW:

A love story with the usual intrigues is at center of the plot of Donizetti’s rediscovered opera Enrico di Borgogna. A lively staging, tight tempi as well as glowing colors from the orchestra, a very good choir and good soloists make this a valuable production.

– Pizzicato

For his third album for Chandos, the saxophonist Marco Albonetti turns to the rich tradition of film music from his native Italy. Marco writes: ‘Film music has been described as the defining new genre of classical music in the twentieth century. It engages both the ear and the heart of an audience. The masterpieces composed by two Italian film composers in particular, Nino Rota and Ennio Morricone, embody the cultural identity of most Italians and they have become recognised and loved by audiences around the world. The film themes on this album capture the magical combination of romance, melancholy, friendship, and violence. The notes vibrate with such passion that the compositions continue to engage the listener, bringing the work of these great Italian composers to life wherever and whenever it is performed.

Film music is meant to be an accompaniment to the action on screen. However, the music of the great Italian composers is so powerful and enduring that these melodies can stand on their own merit, transporting us to another time and place, evoking memories of past experiences or introducing us to new worlds, places which we can only see in our imagination. This album is a tribute to the Italian spirit, to my spirit, expressed through a musical journey: it offers Postcards from Italy.’

Double 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Standards Lost and Found (Volume 2) hosts two compositions by Ornette Coleman (Jayne and When Will The Blues Leave?) a clear homage to the composer, father of free jazz, and an overt demonstration of musical intent and fundamental aesthetic reference. Charlie Parker's Anthropology is respectfully dedicated to a new interpretation of the more recent jazz tradition from which the four musicians descend, as are the two compositions by Thelonious Monk: 'Round Midnight and Epistrophy, which, along with Jamal's fresh New Rhumba however, testify to an already much-transformed tradition. Gato's In Search of the Mystery and Gato Blues fit perfectly into the set list and reflect the significant role of the Argentine tenor player who in this way places his compositional signature on the record. Jayne is from Coleman's first album Something Else!!!! from 1958. Anthropology explodes at a tempo of 140 bpm in cut time and the virtuoso exposition of the melody showcases Gato's high technical ability and precise timing. The moment his solo starts Gato gives the impression of a saxophonist who could easily play on all the chord changes using the be-bop language, but deliberately decides not to. New Rhumba was composed and recorded by pianist Ahmad Jamal when he was only 25 years old and had already matured a thoroughly personal style. 'Round Midnight, Thelonious Monk's celebrated ballad from the early 1940s, is included as a tribute to the great pianist, but certainly also because of the extreme beauty of the melody that Gato tackles with no special elaboration while hinting at flickers of high notes and always using a full, harsh sound. Gato Blues bears Barbieri's signature.

This Blu-ray Disc is only playable on Blu-ray Disc players and not compatible with standard DVD players.

Also available on standard DVD

Enrico di Borgogna is a melodramma per musica that was premiered in Venice in 1818, marking Donizetti’s stage debut. The plot of this rare opera follows a rather traditional scheme: Enrico wants to defeat the son of the villain who usurped his father’s throne and is about to marry his beloved Elisa. Fortunately, he succeeds in stopping the marriage and regaining his inheritance. This release is a world premiere video recording of the 2018 Donizetti Opera festival performance, which received great reviews for its brilliant staging. Director Silvia Paoli uses a “theatre within the theatre” approach which gives way to moments of sheer humor and amusement: as the curtain opens, the public is brought back to the time of the opera premiere. Played on period instruments by Academia Montis Regalis and conducted by repertoire specialist Alessandro De Marchi, this opera features two prima donnas like Sonia Ganassi and Anna Bonitatibus in the main roles. Extra content: interviews with Conductor Alessandro De Marchi, Sonia Ganassi and Anna Bonitatibus. “This was…a genuinely funny presentation, which had the audience laughing out loud. Everything was treated as a source of fun, from the narrative, and its mix of characters through the theatrical conventions of the time, even poking fun at the singers themselves. It was all staged in a blaze of color, fast-moving action, fabulous costumes and cleverly managed extraneous silliness.” (Operawire) [Anna Bonitatibus] displayed a burnished, deep timbre, sparkling coloratura and wonderful phrasing, confirming her status as the most interesting mezzo of her generation.” (Bachtrack.com) “Sonia Ganassi…has a strong, dynamically versatile and flexible voice which she is able to manage intelligently and with skill. . “(Operawire)

-----

REVIEW:

A love story with the usual intrigues is at center of the plot of Donizetti’s rediscovered opera Enrico di Borgogna. A lively staging, tight tempi as well as glowing colors from the orchestra, a very good choir and good soloists make this a valuable production.

– Pizzicato