Francesco La Vecchia and his Roman band made an indelible impression
on me with their recordings of Alfredo Casella’s First
and Second
Symphonies. An added bonus was the discovery of these inexplicably
neglected works, among the finest of recent Naxos releases.
With those memorable experiences in mind I was especially keen
to hear this new Busoni disc. The pianist Roberto Cappello,
who is new to me, certainly has plenty of competition from the
likes of John Ogdon (EMI), Garrick Ohlsson (Telarc) and Marc-André
Hamelin (Hyperion).
I’m particularly fond of the Ohlsson, which combines magisterial
playing with good - if not outstanding - sonics, the able Christoph
von Dohnanyi directing the Cleveland Orchestra. And yes, this
sprawling five-part concerto is way too long, but with a genuinely
commanding pianist it passes quickly, and is apt to seem more
interesting than it actually is. In La Vecchia’s hands
the long orchestral prelude in the first movement has warmth,
body and a real sense of excitement. Indeed, it promises to
be a truly compelling and/or convincing version of this problematic
piece. But does it deliver?
In a word, no. The first shock is the rough, jangling piano,
Cappello attacking the notes for all they’re worth. Busoni
101, there’s quite enough bluster here without adding
more. Particularly disappointing is the orchestral playing,
which lacks the refinement and focus that makes the Casella
discs so special. True, Busoni’s empurpled writing is
a constant problem, but at least Dohnanyi and the Clevelanders
make a decent job of unravelling those tangled textures. Moreover,
Ohlsson combines brio with breadth, imbuing the music with a
modicum of character, something Cappello signally fails to do.
The second movement isn’t much better, Busoni’s
energetic writing unpardonably raw, the lacerating strings garnished
with a scarring piano in the upper registers. While this music
rambles anyway, one senses there’s no compass to get the
musicians out of troublesome thickets. Very occasionally, in
much quieter passages - notably the Pezzo serioso - Cappello
hints at settled introspection, only to veer off in hyperactive
pursuit of heaven knows what.
Once or twice I’ve had reason to disparage the variable
piano sound produced by Naxos, and I must do so again, for it’s
a real bar to enjoyment. Clearly, not all recordings are equal,
even those produced by the same teams in the same venues. If
in doubt just listen to the fine sonics of those Casella CDs,
which are as good as you’re likely to find anywhere. Back
to the concerto, and the Tarantella certainly gets the pulse
racing. As for articulation and focus, they’re impressive,
but that’s what Cappello does best.
There’s no escaping the border-line vulgarity of Busoni’s
concoction - some would even say it’s beyond help - but
listening to Ohlsson et al it’s clear that one
can play down this aspect of Busoni’s musical persona,
with thrilling results. Here, the latter half of the fourth
movement is simply excruciating in its mix of deranged pianism
and aggressive sound. Yes, this may be superficially exciting,
but it’s otherwise pretty intolerable. As for the restless
introduction to the final movement, it comes as a relief. The
playing lacks direction and the choir is dull and poorly focused.
A more unlovely performance of this concerto it would be hard
to imagine.
Dan Morgan
http://twitter.com/mahlerei
Tracklist
I. Prologo e Introito: Allegro, dolce e solenne [18:57]
II. Pezzo giocoso: Vivacemente, ma senza fretta [10:34]
III. Pezzo serioso: Introductio - Prima Pars - Altera Pars -
Ultima Pars [25:08]
IV. All'Italiana (Tarantella): Vivace - In un tempo [13:13]
V. Cantico: Largamente [11:58]
Roberto Cappello (piano) 
