Here’s a real gem of a reissue, courtesy of Australian Eloquence. Pizzetti’s incidental suite for La Pisanella is a delicious essay in exoticism somewhat along the lines of Respighi’s Belkis, Queen of Sheba, but lighter, more sprightly, and less obviously “oriental” sounding. Conductor Lamberto Gardelli offers three movements from the full suite here, and you can catch the whole thing on Hyperion courtesy of Osmo Vänskä. Both are very fine performances, but the real treat here is Pizzetti’s Concerto de l’estate (or “Summer Concert”). This is actually a three-movement symphony; there are no featured solo instruments as in a true concerto or even a “concerto for orchestra.” The proximate inspiration comes from works such as Debussy’s La Mer or Trois Nocturnes. Each movement has a vaguely programmatic basis: morning, evening, and a festival with dancing. The tunes are terrific, the orchestration luminous, and it’s a wonder that the piece isn’t better known. Again, the performance is excellent, and so is the sound. Decca made some of its best recordings with the Suisse Romande orchestra in the mid-1960s, and this was one of them.
The couplings are intelligently chosen, and equally superb. This recording of Respighi’s Botticelli Pictures originally appeared on a short-lived Argo disc, coupled with some rare vocal pieces (the song cycle Sylvan Deities, and the choral Hymn for the Nativity of Our Lord). The whole album turned up on a Decca Double CD, paired with Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle. Heard by itself, this performance of the Pictures reveals itself as one of the very finest: beautifully detailed in its chamber-like textures, but sonorous and full at the climax of The Birth of Venus. It also goes without saying that Rota’s Concerto for Strings is immaculately played by I musici, and it too is an absolutely delightful work from first note to last. In short, this collection has everything: unusual but important repertoire, familiar items that make sensible couplings, and it’s all just about perfectly played and recorded. At budget price this release promises tremendous and long-lasting pleasure. [10/12/2006]
