Respighi: Concerto All'antica / Alogna, Di Vittorio, Chamber Orchestra of New York
Ottorino Respighi was in the vanguard of the 20th-century rebirth of Italian symphonic music. Famed for his Roman Trilogy, Respighi was also prominent in the synthesis of pre-Classical melodic styles and late-Romantic harmonies and textures. These are the elements that make the Ancient Airs and Dances so captivating and expressive, as Respighi draws on dances by 16th-century composers to brilliant effect. The Concerto all’antica is an early, beautifully poetic work that again draws on ancient styles, in a recording that uses the first printed critical edition of the work by Salvatore Di Vittorio, published in 2019.
REVIEWS:
Respighi fans will want to have this for the sake of the otherwise unavailable Concerto all’antica, but others should also find the performances of the three suites of Ancient Airs and Dances most enjoyable. And all of us should be grateful to Naxos for their continued interest in the exploration of the output of an always fascinating composer.
– MusicWeb International
The Concerto All’antica is almost certainly unknown compared with the familiar Ancient Airs and Dances but it is an immensely appealing work, very much in the same vein. The score was only printed in a critical edition in 2019 and so is here recorded for the first time. It is good to have it available.
– Lark Reviews (2/2021)
Davide Alogna performs the Concerto with unbridled dexterity, and his virtuosic gifts enable him to surmount all the challenges that Respighi sets with consummate ease. Faultless performances from Di Vittorio and his New Yorkers complete an enchanting disc full of amiable yet at times vibrant momenti musicali all’antica. Sound and annotations are first-rate, while the playing time is generous indeed.
– Classical Music Daily (Gerald French; 3/2021)
