This is an outstanding Respighi collection. Ewa Podles sings Il tramonto (Sunset) very beautifully, with a keen feeling for the sense of the text. Her voice has a certain “fruity” quality, a bit like Marilyn Horne’s, that won’t be to all tastes, but her impeccable technique and highly musical phrasing make this one of the best recordings of the work available. What a pity that Dux does not include the words! As for the remaining items, the Wroclaw Chamber Orchestra clearly is a first-class outfit, delivering superior results under conductor Michal Nesterowicz.
Each of “The Birds” is very well characterized, with more variation in tempo than in some other performances, and this interpretation of the Three Botticelli Pictures is outstanding–bright and colorful as the paintings themselves, and played with unobtrusive virtuosity. Nesterowicz really takes the trouble to have his musicians phrase and shape the melodies, with particularly impressive results in the first movement (“Spring”), which for once sounds like more than a collection of buzzing and whizzing trills with the occasional tune thrown in for contrast. Capping it all are really fine sonics, clean and natural, with Podles’ hefty voice very naturally balanced against the string orchestra accompaniment. You simply can’t go wrong here, and as fans of the composer already know, the music is absolutely delightful. A winner. [9/6/2005]
