Born at a time when the music world was under the spell of Richard Wagner’s music, Erik Satie was perhaps the first French composer who chose aesthetics and a style that ignored the rampant Wagnerism. His piano works, short, hieratic, sometimes disarmingly simple, often bearing ironic and misleading titles, have inspired many musicians, such as Claude Debussy, who was Satie’s friend and admirer. This release offers some of the French composer’s more renowned works, such as the beautiful Trois Gymonopedies and the remarkable Six Gnossiennes, the long-lasting popularity of which is perhaps the best proof of Satie’s absolutely original talent. These works are presented by young pianist Giacomo Scinardo, whose highly successful recent recording of works by Mussorgsky was described by Fanfare as “exuberantly playful.”

Sarro, D.: Achille in Sciro [Opera]

Sammartini’s music is well worth hearing in these attractive performances.

Giovanni Battista Sammartini was the more famous of two musical Milanese brothers and one of the most influential agents in the development of the symphony. Roberto Gini has already recorded some of Sammartini’s Symphonies and Overtures for Dynamic (CDS414). This new recording presents nine of the symphonies from his early period (1724-39) as part of a planned project to record his entire symphonic repertoire. Though variously designated Overtura, Avertura, Sonata or Sinfonia, they all follow a three-movement fast-slow-fast format, with the exception of the Sinfonia in G, JC39, which has a four-movement format – not quite the precursor of the four-movement classical symphony, since the Minuetto forms the final movement, and is possibly tacked on from another work.

I am not sure why these recordings from 2005 have taken so long to be released. Everything about the finished product is inviting, from the moment one picks up the CD with its cover reproduction of Phaëton Driving Apollo’s Chariot. I mistook this for a Tiepolo at first, but it is by Nicolas Bertin, 1720, thus contemporary with the music. The painting is also reproduced on the label and on the front of the booklet, which is housed in a pocket in the well-designed triptych sleeve. The promise offered by the packaging is not belied by the music, the performance or the recording contained within.

I last encountered Sammartini’s music on a Virgin Classics recording entitled Improvisata: Sinfonie con titoli (3 63430 2 – see review). His Sinfonia in g minor, JC57, was one of the outstanding works on that recording, pre-dating (and influencing?) Haydn’s Sturm und Drang style – an energetic work which received an energetic performance from Europa Galante and Fabio Biondi. JW also found this an attractive work – see his review.

That same energy is apparent from the beginning of the new CD, as if Sammartini had taken the more vigorous aspects of Vivaldi and cranked them up a notch or two. If the Bertin painting on the cover leads the prospective purchaser to expect tame music in the galant style, it will prove misleading. Some of the music is not very different from Vivaldi – there are even odd echoes of passages from The Four Seasons and other works; the finale of JC36 offers several such instances – but much of it is so like early and mid-period Haydn as to make one wonder that he referred to Sammartini as a mere ‘scribbler’. Compare the opening movement of JC33, track 7, with Haydn’s mid-period symphonies.

Modern Italian interpreters of their own baroque legacy tend to prefer a more forceful style than such predecessors as I Musici, and Gini’s performances here are no exception. Not that the tempi are extreme: vigorous rather than breakneck – in fact, in the two works in common between the present recording and Kevin Mallon’s with the Aradia Ensemble on Naxos (8.557298), Mallon is the faster: a whole minute faster in JC36, 21 seconds faster in JC9. I am, in general, an admirer of Mallon’s performances, so I listened particularly intently to Gini’s version of JC36, to see where the discrepancy might arise. No sign of sluggishness in the opening vivace – a fastish opening, followed by a more relaxed but by no means slow tempo for the rest of the movement, with the music allowed to relax where appropriate (4:35 against Mallon’s 2:17).

The andante, too, seems to me to strike just about the right ‘walking’ tempo; this is Sammartini at his most charming and the charm – a wistful charm – comes over in Gini’s performance (3:36 against Mallon’s 5:00). The final allegro is as lively as I could wish it (1:38 against Mallon’s 1:35). I can only assume that the huge discrepancy in the times for the first movement is due to differences over the observation of repeats. The brief extract available on the classicsonline website indicates that Mallon’s tempo for the movement is lively, but the extract is too short to judge and I cannot locate a review of this recording on MusicWeb.

The notes in the Dynamic booklet single out the opening of JC9 as an example of sonorous attack in Sammartini’s style, an observation neatly exemplified by the performance. I might have liked just a shade sharper opening but as the movement develops the playing is all that it should be. The affetuoso slow movement of this work is one of the most affective on this CD and it, too, receives a performance to match without trying to squeeze too much emotion out of it. The final allegro is a good example of Sammartini’s impetuous style; no complaints about Gini’s interpretation. As with JC36, for all my respect for those performances of Kevin Mallon’s which I have heard, I cannot imagine that he betters Gini’s interpretation of this work.

The recorded sound is good – a little heavier than we are used to for period ensembles. The illustration in the gatefold shows Roberto Gini with a harpsichord in the background. If there is a harpsichord on this recording, it is virtually inaudible.

The notes are adequate but their multi-language format means that they are rather brief. The English translation is generally idiomatic but tends to assume that the reader will understand without further explanation such expressions as ‘ternary’. These Dynamic notes could usefully be supplemented by Keith Anderson’s for Naxos – generously made available free of charge on their website.

The quality of this recording encourages me to investigate Gini’s other Sammartini CD, to which I have referred above, and perhaps also his three Monteverdi recordings advertised in the packaging of the present CD. Sammartini’s music may not be as profound as the music of his pupil Glück and the composers who followed him, but it is unfailingly attractive and often engaging at a deeper level. If you like Vivaldi and want to see where the next generation took his music, you ought to try it.

-- Brian Wilson, MusicWeb International

A pleasant sampler of Giuseppe Sammartini.

We shouldn’t forget that the British have something of a share in the music of Giuseppe Sammartini, in much the same sense that we have a share in that of Handel. It was in London that Sammartini died in November 1750. The Whitehall Evening Post of Saturday 24 November 1750 reported that “Last week died at his Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, Signior S. Martini, Musick Master to her Royal Highness and thought to be the finest performer on the hautboy in Europe”. Sammartini had lived and worked in London since the summer of 1728. His greatest fame, as this brief obituary implies, was as a performer, in which capacity he was recorded – and praised – as a member of the orchestra in works by both Bononcini and Handel. He was appointed music master to the family of Frederick, Prince of Wales in 1736 and held the post until his death. During his years in London his chamber music was quite well known; his concertos were, for the most part, published after his death.

Of the concertos to be heard on this disc, it appears that the two flute concertos were probably relatively early works, written before Sammartini’s departure for London. The harpsichord concerto and the oboe concertos - which latter certainly speak of the composer’s own mastery and understanding of the instrument - belong to his years in London and, indeed, suggest how attentively he had listened to Handel.

Of the two concertos for flute, that in A major turns out, after a promising start, to be a relatively dull affair. The initial allegro contains some pleasant melodies and has a charming gracefulness; however, the ensuing andante (especially) and allegro are somewhat pedestrian. Invention is better sustained in the D major concerto, not least in the central siciliano which, though short, sings out delightfully. In the outer movements the music could surely benefit from a good deal more vivacity and punch than the present performers bring to it.

The harpsichord concerto was one of four published posthumously in London in 1754 ( Concertos for the Harpsicord or Organ with the Instrumental Parts for Violins, etc. Opera Nona, Printed for I. Walsh). It is an impressive piece, made up of a stately opening movement (marked andante spiritoso), an allegro assai which has some attractive writing for the harpsichord, an andante which has an attractive sense of spaciousness and contains much attractive interplay between orchestra and soloist, as does the closing allegro assai, characterised by an unfussy playfulness. The whole is well-played by Donatella Bianchi - an assured soloist I don’t remember encountering before - and I Musici Ambrosiani.

The two oboe concertos which close the disc are preserved in a manuscript ( RM23b8) in the British Library. The manuscript contains twelve concertos, only the last four of which make use of the oboe. The first of the two heard here has some striking writing for the oboe in its first movement, but the following andante and allegro grab the listener’s attention rather less than forcefully; there is a degree of ponderous stolidity in the way the andante is played - though the marking is andante ma non tanto - and the closing movement (tempo di menuetto) is a bit short on ideas. The second of these concertos is altogether more successful. Again in three movements, Sammartini’s writing is far more than merely well-crafted - the sense one has in listening to the first of these concertos; here there is consistent panache, expressed in solo writing of some virtuosity. Sammartini doubtless had his own abilities in mind when writing it, and he presumably performed it during his years in London. The brief central andante is richly expressive and the closing allegro is infectiously lilting. Francesco Quaranta is heard at his best here – and so is Sammartini.

Not all the music here is completely persuasive – but the best is very much so. The performances are always decent – sometimes much more than that.

-- Glyn Pursglove, MusicWeb International

Sammartini’s first concerti grossi, those of his Op. 2, are considered to be among the composer’s masterpieces. These intensely inspired pieces, composed with such vigorous spirit, sometimes hardly seem to fit the measured form of the concerto grosso. Sammartini’s themes enjoy a pliant lyricism, at times melancholic, at others passionate and vehement. The contrapuntal development is always masterful, both learned and extraordinarily subtle in nature, taking unexpected and thoroughly expressive turns, often through refined chromaticism and an original use of harmony. The continuous, inexhaustible variety of Sammartini’s thematic invention leaves no room for predictable developments; it constantly introduces new elements, with often truly beautiful results. I Musici, founded in 1951, is the oldest chamber ensemble still active today. Over the years, they have become world-renowned for their promotion of 18th century Italian music, most notably Vivaldi and his Four Seasons, which they first recorded in 1959, and which has sold over 25 million copies in various editions, the last of which was for Dynamic in 2012.

If today no one questions the greatness of Mozart, the most famous composer in Europe at the end of the 18th century was probably Antonio Salieri. For many years court composer of the Austrian Emperor, Salieri wrote an enormous amount of music, some of the best of which remains that composed for the theatre. Les Danaïdes was premièred at Paris’s Opéra on 26th April 1784 and met with a triumphant success. The present recording, qualitatively very high also from a technical point of view, dates from 1983 and features an extraordinary Montserrat Caballé in great vocal form. Gianluigi Gelmetti conducts the renowned RAI Orchestra.

SALIERI: Falstaff

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

Also available on standard DVD

The 2017 edition of the Reate Festival of Italy staged two operas composed by Nino Rota (1911-1979). Mostly known for his cinema soundtracks, Rota was able to merge the great Italian operatic tradition of Rossini, Puccini and Verdi into a contemporary musical language. I due timidi is drawn from a text of Italian writer Suso Cecchi d’Amico and the libretto of La notte di un nevrastenico was written by Riccardo Bacchelli. An all-star cast is featured here, including Giorgio Celenza, Sabrina Cortese, Daniele Adriani, Antonio Sapio, Chiara Osella, and Carlo Feola, among others. The Reate Festival Orchestra, led by Gabriele Bonolis, accompanies the soloists perfectly. This release is the world premiere recording of these works, and has been filmed in high-definition. Subtitled are available in Italian, English, German, French, Japanese, and Korean.

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REVIEW:

I due timidi is a gorgeous piece. Rota doesn't quite muster Puccini’s final layer of harmonic interest and novel orchestration but he rivals his senior for melodic generosity and is brilliant with vocal characterisation and linguistic clarity.

The performances are simply staged with a touch of commedia dell’arte and allowed to blossom in all the right ways by the conductor Gabriele Bonolis. There’s some ragged orchestral work but lovely singing that indulges Rota’s irresistible legatos. Daniele Adriani stands out as the male lover Raimondo in I due and as the Commendatore in La notte. His is not a classic Italian tenor sound, rather something with more grain but still adequate smoothness and notable presence.

– Gramophone

Also available on standard DVD and Blu-ray

The 2017 edition of the Reate Festival of Italy staged two operas composed by Nino Rota (1911-1979). Mostly known for his cinema soundtracks, Rota was able to merge the great Italian operatic tradition of Rossini, Puccini and Verdi into a contemporary musical language. I due timidi is drawn from a text of Italian writer Suso Cecchi d’Amico and the libretto of La notte di un nevrastenico was written by Riccardo Bacchelli. An all-star cast is featured here, including Giorgio Celenza, Sabrina Cortese, Daniele Adriani, Antonio Sapio, Chiara Osella, and Carlo Feola, among others. The Reate Festival Orchestra, led by Gabriele Bonolis, accompanies the soloists perfectly. This release is the world premiere recording of these works, and has been filmed in high-definition. Subtitled are available in Italian, English, German, French, Japanese, and Korean.

-----

REVIEW:

I due timidi is a gorgeous piece. Rota doesn't quite muster Puccini’s final layer of harmonic interest and novel orchestration but he rivals his senior for melodic generosity and is brilliant with vocal characterisation and linguistic clarity.

The performances are simply staged with a touch of commedia dell’arte and allowed to blossom in all the right ways by the conductor Gabriele Bonolis. There’s some ragged orchestral work but lovely singing that indulges Rota’s irresistible legatos. Daniele Adriani stands out as the male lover Raimondo in I due and as the Commendatore in La notte. His is not a classic Italian tenor sound, rather something with more grain but still adequate smoothness and notable presence.

– Gramophone

Also available on Blu-ray

The 2017 edition of the Reate Festival of Italy staged two operas composed by Nino Rota (1911-1979). Mostly known for his cinema soundtracks, Rota was able to merge the great Italian operatic tradition of Rossini, Puccini and Verdi into a contemporary musical language. I due timidi is drawn from a text of Italian writer Suso Cecchi d’Amico and the libretto of La notte di un nevrastenico was written by Riccardo Bacchelli. An all-star cast is featured here, including Giorgio Celenza, Sabrina Cortese, Daniele Adriani, Antonio Sapio, Chiara Osella, and Carlo Feola, among others. The Reate Festival Orchestra, led by Gabriele Bonolis, accompanies the soloists perfectly. This release is the world premiere recording of these works, and has been filmed in high-definition. Subtitled are available in Italian, English, German, French, Japanese, and Korean.

-----

REVIEW:

I due timidi is a gorgeous piece. Rota doesn't quite muster Puccini’s final layer of harmonic interest and novel orchestration but he rivals his senior for melodic generosity and is brilliant with vocal characterisation and linguistic clarity.

The performances are simply staged with a touch of commedia dell’arte and allowed to blossom in all the right ways by the conductor Gabriele Bonolis. There’s some ragged orchestral work but lovely singing that indulges Rota’s irresistible legatos. Daniele Adriani stands out as the male lover Raimondo in I due and as the Commendatore in La notte. His is not a classic Italian tenor sound, rather something with more grain but still adequate smoothness and notable presence.

– Gramophone

ROSSINI / NIEDERMEYER: Robert Bruce (French pasticcio of La

GIOACCHINO ROSSINI: Marianna Pizzolato; Marco Vinco; Maxim Mironov; Bruno De Simone;Barbara Bargnesi; Jose Maria Lo Monaco; Alex Esposito; Prague Chamber Choir/Lubomir Malt; Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna/Donato Renzetti; David Fo, director, set and costume designer; L GIOACCHINO ROSSINI: Italiana in Algeri, Dramma giocoso in two acts.NTSC All Region; LPCM 2.0; Dolby Digital 5.1; Color; 16/9; 150 mins; Subtitled in Italian, English, German & French.

Composer: Rossini Gioachino
Title: L’EQUIVOCO STRAVAGANTE
Performer: ERNESTINA: MARINA PRUDENSKJA
GAMBEROTTO: BRUNO DE SIMONE
BURALICCHIO: MARCO VINCO
ERMANNO: DMITRY KORCHAK
ROSALIA: AMANDA FORSYTHE
FRONTINO: RICARDO MIRABELLI
CONDUCTOR: UMBERTO BENEDETTI MICHELANGELI
DIRECTION: EMILIO SAGI
Scenes: FRANCESCO CALCAGNINI
Costumes: PEPA OJANGUREN
CORO DA CAMERA DI PRAGA
Maestro del Coro: Pavel Vanek
ORCHESTRA HAYDN of BOLZANO E TRENTO


PROGRAM INFORMATION:
L’Equivoco stravagante stages the classic situation of the young girl who does not intend to be wedded to the traditional rich braggart but prefers a timid young man who is short of money; this time the expedient used to drive off the undesired wooer is to have him believe that in reality the girl is a young boy who has been castrated - or in the euphemistic parlance of the time a musico. Seasoned with fanciful language, made up of bold neologisms and licentious double meanings, with expressions that are in turn silly, absurd, or hyperbolic, Gasbarri’s libretto offers no few aspects of modernity, while Rossini’s music already contains the melodic invention, the frenzied rhythms and musical eccentricities that within just a few months were to propel the composer unstoppably towards worldwide success.

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Also available on standard DVD

La Gazza Ladra is an "opera semiseria" which developed from the middle of the eighteenth century with the vogue for "Larmoyant" tales. By Rossini's time this genre was classified into a rigidly defined series of conventions: a drama with a happy ending, in which the innocent victim, unjustly condemned, should be saved from the scaffold at the eleventh hour and the rascal persecutor punished. The social setting of these operas always delt with a conflict between a feudal aristocracy ( that in La Gazza Ladra is replaced by arrogant welders of power ) and a world of humble people , nearly always peasants. - Known as 'The Thieving Magpie' in English, La Gazza Ladra deals with a servant girl accused of stealing some silverware with which the magpie of the title has actually absconded for its nest. Seemingly lightweight, the opera was rooted in a true story in which a young woman was actually put to death for the bird's "crime". - The overture neatly melds episodic colour with the weightier drama of symphonic sonata form. It features a parade of effects and lovely themes, including an especially famous one introduced by an oboe, that anticipates the characters and action to come, and then, following a spectacular crescendo, reworks several of these themes in a mini-development section.

Conductor: Lu? Jia
Director: Damiano Michieletto
Fabrizio - Paolo Bordogna
Lucia - Kleopatra Papatheologou
Giannetto - Dmitry Korchak
Ninetta - Mariola Cantarero
Fernando - Alex Esposito
Gottardo, il Podesta? - Michele Pertusi
Pippo - Manuela Custer
Isacco - Stefan Cifolelli
Prague Chamber Choir
Orchestra Haydn di Bozano e Trento
Rossini Opera Festival, Pesaro, 2007

Region: All Region
Sound Format: LPCM 2.0; Dolby Digital 5.1/DTS HD 5.1; Picture Format: 16/9
Length: 201 mins.
Sung in Italian
Subtitled in Italian, English, German, French & Spanish.

Rossini Gioachino
LA CENERENTOLA
Conductor: Evelino Pidò
Director: Daniele Abbado
Cenerentola - José Maria Lo Monaco
Don Ramiro - Maxim Mironov
Dandini - Roberto De Candia
Alidoro - Nicola Ulivieri
Don Magnifico - Paolo Bordogna
Clorinda - Eleonora Cilli
Tisbe - Alessandra Volpe
Orchestra & Chorus Fondazione Petruzzelli, Bari
Teatro Petruzzelli, Bari, 2010
Media: 2 DVDs

Abbado’s Cenerentola is set in a modern, realistic time.
Quoting the director’s own words, the ”emptiness of the stage leaves room for creativity, as the characters keep on changing and disguising their true identity. I have stuck to Rossini’s original notes while neglecting all the legends linked to the character of Cinderella”. We all know that Rossini and librettist Jacopo Ferretti in fact had gone a long way from Perrault’s fairy tale.
In the rather empty, bare stage the few scenographic elements strike the attention: the colorful costumes, the two giant chandeliers, the 1970’s kitchen.
The singers are young, talented and with very good acting skills.
Evelino Pidò conducts with a light, energetic touch that well suit the entire production.