Alfredo CASELLA (1883-1947)
Symphony No. 1 in B minor, Op. 5 (1905-06) [37:59]
Sinfonia (Symphony No. 3), Op. 63 (1939-40) [41:55]
Symphonic Fragments from La donna serpente, Op. 50, (1928-31) [26:16]
Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 12 (1908-10) [49:20]
BBC Philharmonic/Gianandrea Noseda
rec. Studio 7, New Broadcasting House, Manchester, UK
12-13 January 2010 (op. 12); MediaCity UK, Salford, 22-23 November 2011 (op.
50); 6-7 November 2012 (op. 63); 11-12 February 2015 (op. 5)
Premiere recording (Op. 12)
CHANDOS CHAN10895(2) [80:10 + 75:53]
Next year in 2017 Gianandrea Noseda takes up his position
as chief conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC, after
being named Conductor of the Year at last year’s Musical America
awards. In celebration of this formidable achievement, Chandos have released
this ‘twofer’ on which they have corralled the complete symphonies
from the highly acclaimed Alfredo Casella 4 CD series which he made with the
BBC Philharmonic between 2009 and 2015.
The Symphony No. 1 in B minor, Op. 5 was begun in Paris and completed the
day before his 23rd birthday in Piedmont in 1906. In his mid-fifties Casella
looked back on it with some reservations, commenting that it was ‘very
juvenile’. I actually find it highly accomplished and brimming with
self-confidence for it was, after all, his first major composition. He frequently
boasted the ability to imitate the styles of other composers, and this chameleon-like
quality led to a charge of eclecticism which would dog him throughout his
career. Listening to this work for the first time I could hear Brahms, Borodin,
Tchaikovsky and Mahler, and what surprised me, more than anything else, is
that it is completely devoid of Gallic sensibilities - this from a student
of Gabriel Fauré. That said, it does make concessions to the Franckian template
of the three-movement form, strongly favoured by the French.
The first movement begins with a dark, sombre theme on the cellos and basses,
with Mussorgsky standing defiantly at the door. Eventually this opens out
into a vigorous march theme, which tends to dominate proceedings. The gloomy,
bleak demeanour extends to the ‘Mahlerian’ Adagio, which
Casella regarded highly enough to re-work and re-orchestrate as the slow movement
of his Second Symphony. The third movement has a slow introduction marked
Lent molto, and it acts as a transition to the finale proper, a heady
mix of Tchaikovsky, Wagner and Richard Strauss. The music is bold and exuberant
with generous soaring melodies.
Two years later the composer embarked on his Second Symphony, which he finished
in 1909. Sumptuously orchestrated, there is clearly a Mahlerian influence
pervading the work. Casella met Mahler in 1909, and the older composer was
amazed to learn that the younger man knew all his symphonies ‘by heart’.
Going against the current grain, he liked Mahler’s music and was instrumental
in arranging for the Austrian to conduct his Second Symphony Resurrection
at Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet in 1910. Six days later Casella premiered
his own Second Symphony at the Salle Gaveau.
It has a dark portentous opening, similar to its predecessor, with bell sounds
evoking eeriness. Soon, drama and passion are in full swing, and tension is
further created by the combative elements which underpin the music. There
are also moments of tender lyricism. A persistent ostinato rhythm ushers in
the Scherzo, which has a contrasting exotic-sounding middle section. The Mahlerian
slow movement is lifted from the First Symphony in a re-worked reincarnation.
Anguished sorrow is the prevailing mood. I couldn’t quite make my mind
up about the Finale – more Shostakovich than Mahler? It begins with
a grotesque march which, when the music settles, becomes angst-ridden. Towards
the end everything dies away. The fifth movement, a linked Epilogue, brings
a serene calm of consolation and peace to the end of the Symphony. Those bells
from the first movement make a final appearance. This, apparently, is the
very first recording of this work.
The composition of the Sinfonia (Symphony No. 3), Op. 63 coincided with the
outbreak of war in 1939 and occupied the composer for a year. I found the
prevailing mood generally more upbeat than in the previous two symphonies.
A solo oboe introduces a pastoral melody at the beginning, then the music
becomes preoccupied, and there’s a sharing out to the various sections
of the orchestra. The slow movement is tranquil and is distinguished by a
broad Mahlerian melody of heartfelt yearning. The Scherzo is in three sections,
the first an abrasive stampede, where declamatory gestures interject above
an ostinato bass. There’s a contrasting lighter central section; the
movement ends with a deftly orchestrated ‘Variazione’ section.
The Finale is a more optimistic and jubilant affair, rhythmically propulsive
and buoyant. The Mahlerian big tune puts in an appearance at one point. I
have to say that I wasn’t taken with the Op. 63 as much as I was to
the Second Symphony, which remains my particular favorite.
The composer was drawn to the work of the Italian playwright Carlo Gozzi (1720-1806),
who in effect provided the libretti for Prokofiev’s The Love of
Three Oranges and Puccini’s Turandot. He was particular
fond of La Donna Serpente, the story of a princess cursed and turned
into a snake. Wagner had used it in his early opera Die Feen. Casella
was attracted to the magical and comic elements in the story. It eventually
became an opera from which he extracted the Symphonic Fragments.
These consist of two series: the first dedicated to Fritz Reiner, and the
second to Bernardino Molinari. They form a pleasing contrast to the more heavily
laden symphonies. Displaying a wealth of ingenuity and invention, they are
brilliantly and imaginatively scored, showcasing orchestral colour at its
best.
Coming to Casella’s music for the first time, this has been a wonderful
discovery. These works are superbly recorded and the Chandos engineers are
to be lauded on achieving a successful balance throughout. The two venues
are excellent in every way in conferring warmth and spaciousness. The annotations
are well-written and, for me, helpful and informative. Gianandrea Noseda’s
passionate commitment to this composer is admirable.
Stephen Greenbank
Previous reviews (original releases): Volumes
1-3 ~ Volume
4
Support
us financially by purchasing this from |
|
 |
 |
 |
|