Respighi’s Sinfonia Drammatica has been recorded three times (at least): Nazareth on Naxos with the Slovak Philharmonic; Downes on Chandos with the BBC Philharmonic; and this one. All three offer similar timings, but the Nazareth remains the best. Granted, the Slovak Philharmonic is not a great orchestra, but for some reason the players sound right in this music. The work itself is a shapeless blob of fin-de-siècle Sturm und Drang, darkly scored with reckless excess, and thematically rather undistinguished. In the right hands, it can be fun. Downes is pretty good but a touch bland (typically), while the Slovak Phil players have a brightness and edge, especially in the brass and winds, that cut through the murk like a bracing dash of malt vinegar on a greasy order of fish and chips.
This performance, on the other hand, is simply too dark, with recessed winds, backward percussion, and a generous focus on the bass drum and organ pedals that somehow weighs the textures down even more. Had this been the only available version it might not have mattered, but there is strong competition and in direct comparison the superiority of Nazareth’s rendition, particularly, is very evident. No complaints, though, about the Belgafor Overture, and this is the only version of the symphony that features a coupling–you’ll know if that makes this release more compelling.
I don’t care anymore about SACD multichannel sound. The industry hasn’t supported the format to any degree, and I’m more than happy with good old-fashioned stereo. There’s no doubt that BIS’ engineering is very realistic. It’s just that in this particular work, that doesn’t especially help.
