Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936)
Feste Romane P157 (1928) [23:46]
Fontane di Roma P106 (1914-16) [14:50]
Pini di Roma P141 (1923-24) [21:14]
Sinfonia of London/John Wilson
rec. 2019, Church of St. Augustine, Kilburn, London
Recorded in 24 bit/96KHz 5.0 channel surround sound
CHANDOS CHSA5261 SACD [60:06]
This disc is the third release from John Wilson and
his elite session orchestra, Sinfonia of London. Things started
auspiciously with the first disc of Korngold's sweeping Symphony
which in turn swept the recent BBC Music Magazine Awards winning
the "2020 Best Orchestral Recording" category - and rightly
so. The second release was a tantalising compilation of familiar and
rare French music which again has received consistently rave reviews.
So, can this third disc build on success of the earlier two, especially
since the repertoire here is unashamedly mainstream? The answer is a
simple and resounding yes.
The Korngold recording was notable for the staggering brilliance of
the playing, the demonstration-worthy quality of the engineering and
production, and the convincing but individual interpretation all of
which made it one of my 2019 Records of the Year. Those same values
are presented here in all of Respighi's orchestral glory. Before
listening to the disc, I had a little niggling query whether another
recording of fairly standard repertoire was the best use of such a talented
ensemble. But when something is this good then any such reservations
are swept aside as irrelevancies. At about an hour long, the programming
of Respighi's three Rome tone-poems makes for a good, if not
overly generous, CD (Pappano on Warner adds the lovely Il Tramanto
to his already impressive disc).
For many years, Respighi's fame rested on these three works alongside
the less extravagant The Birds and the three suites of Ancient
Airs and Dances. However, in recent times labels such as Chandos
and latterly BIS, Brilliant and more sporadically Telarc have introduced
listeners to the rich and diverse world of Respighi's orchestral
oeuvre. Chandos started that trend with early to mid 1980's recordings
of (then) rare works including Church Windows, Belkis Queen of Sheba
and Metamorphoseon. The latter paired on a disc which also
won a Gramophone engineering award. What that disc did for the composer
in 1985, this new disc repeats in 2020. The music that makes up this
Roman Trilogy is very familiar to many listeners. Each work consists
of four contrasting musical portraits and in order of composition they
are; Fontane di Roma, Pini di Roma and finally Feste Romane.
The nay-sayers will point towards the gaudy extravagance of the scores
which is in some degree true, but every cinematic climax is carefully
matched and balanced by passages of real poetic beauty. Yes, there are
novelties such as the use of a recorded nightingale in Pini presso
una catacomba [track 10] or the deploying of buccine [a kind of
ancient Roman trumpet] at the climax of the fourth movement of same
work [track 12], or the chaotic melee that closes La Befana
[track 4]. But that can obscure the remarkable skill with which Respighi
handles such a vast array of instrumental colour. And that
is where this new recording is such a triumph. I have a slight fixation
with this work and as such have too many recordings of it in my collection.
Simply put - for all the fine, exciting and compelling versions I know,
I have never heard this music presented with such power and detail and
sheer visceral excitement but also with such control and sophisticated
balance - it is literally revelatory.
John Wilson directs typically energetic but detailed performances. Generally
speaking his tempi sit at the livelier end of the average, but his particular
success is the brilliance of the performing style. So the music - whether
soft or loud - has a focus and control that is particularly compelling.
Additionally, he brings a vitality to the music that transcends simple
fast tempi; rhythms are beautifully pointed, melodic lines have lyrical
freedom and, as mentioned, the ensemble playing has razor-sharp precision.
Of course, it has to be said that Wilson's handpicked orchestra
are able to respond to his every musical whim. Collectively and individually
the quality of the playing - technically and musically - is simply superb.
The strings play with a unanimity and precision from front to back that
is the hallmark of only the very finest ensembles. Likewise the wind
and brass choirs exhibit cohesion and character. The many solo lines
are played with such skill as to leave me lost for superlatives. Whether
it is leader Andrew Haveron's poised but sensuous solos, or the
principal clarinet's meltingly atmospheric solo in the same Catacomba
movement mentioned earlier or the raucously characterful trumpet and
trombone in La Befana, each player perfectly encapsulates the
descriptive nature of the music at that moment.
As mentioned there have been - and remain - many famous recordings from
every era. After all this is repertoire that allows both performers
and recording companies to display their wares to greatest effect. Look
no further than Fritz Reiner in Chicago on RCA in the 1950's
[who avoided Feste], Ormandy in Philadelphia on CBS/Sony in
the 60's (and again about 12 years later for RCA), or Muti back
in Philadelphia for EMI/Warner in 1985 or Dutoit showcasing his Montreal
orchestra for Decca in 1983. Indeed every audiophile label seems to
have recorded these works as exemplars of their audio virility. In purely
sonic terms, the closest challenge to this new disc is the decade old
SA-CD recording from BIS by John Neschling in Sao Paulo. I have to say,
I do not know that recording but it was very well received. Neschling
has gone onto record a series of Respighi discs for BIS but the remainder
have been in Liege and although good, I find neither the recording or
execution to be on as exalted a level as this new disc. In direct comparison
to any/all of the famous versions mentioned above, for all their varying
qualities there are some trade-offs. Reiner and Ormandy offer dynamic
interpretations superbly played but sonically cannot compete with this
new disc. Muti offers excitingly colourful interpretations packed with
personality and brilliance. The Philadelphians are predictably fabulous
but the EMI recording can sound a little congested at the biggest climaxes
in a way this Chandos does not. Dutoit sounds simply too cautious too
often. Of course the Decca/St. Eustache recording is gorgeous but this
music needs to be both meltingly poetic or riotously muscular. Dutoit
does not sound wholly comfortable in the latter. At this point, worth
noting the curious fact that nearly all the well-known recordings have
come from Britain, Italy and America (North and South). Apart from Karajan's
recording - which again avoided Feste - I cannot think
of another famous recording by the main German or French orchestras.
Nigel Simeone's excellent liner points out that both Furtwängler
and Karl Böhm performed Feste - neither a conductor one might
expect to favour this repertoire.
There are three other recordings I enjoy a lot, each slightly unexpected
in different ways. Evgeny Svetlanov conducts the Swedish Radio Symphony
Orchestra in a live 1999 Swedish Radio broadcast. Svetlanov has previously
recorded these works with his own USSR SO but this radio version is
a happy fusion of Svetlanov's dynamic personality and some fine
playing and decent recording. An example of Svetlanov's individuality
is his heavily-trudging I pini della Via Appia where the Roman
Legionnaires take 6:43 to Wilson's [far from rushed-sounding]
5:12. Svetlanov is nearly a full two minutes slower in the preceding
catacombs as well! Then there is Antonio Pedrotti bringing some Southern
European sunshine to the Czech PO on Supraphon. Again the character
of this performance is the key. For its age, the sound is still perfectly
good if not a patch on the new recording, but I always find the individuality
of the Czech player's sound from this period a delight. Lastly,
back in the USA, is Lorin Maazel's second recording of the work
on Sony in Pittsburgh. His first version - which omitted Fontane
- is a predictably brilliant/classic Decca recording from Cleveland.
But just a touch too synthetically brilliant perhaps? In Pittsburgh,
he recorded all three works and both interpretations and playing are
very fine indeed. The especial interest with this disc is that Sony
briefly experimented with using a single stereo pair of microphones
strung above and slightly behind the conductor. The results are remarkably
impressive - for sure the price you pay is the loss of some inner detail
but conversely this does sound like a genuine concert hall experience.
I would urge anyone interested in this work to hear this version that
can still be bought in the usual online stores very cheaply.
But the fact remains that this new John Wilson recording is
exceptional. I remember reading at the time of the first release of
the Korngold Symphony that Chandos were returning to St. Augustine's
Church Kilburn for the first time in some years. Why ever that choice
was made, the results are astonishing. The liner lists the technical
recording equipment used. I am not enough of an expert to know if this
has substantially altered from previous Chandos rigs but producer Brian
Pidgeon with veteran engineer Ralph Couzens have created a demonstration-quality
disc if ever there was one. It has been recorded in 24 bit 5.0 channel
surround sound. I listened to the SA-CD stereo layer and I would say
it is the finest large-scale orchestral recording I have heard in some
time. I see from the recording dates that all three of the discs released
by these artists so far were recorded across two intense series of sessions
some eight months apart. The Korngold disc was a delight, but perhaps
the relative rarity of the music meant that the technical excellence
of the disc while acknowledged, was less of a primary concern. The familiarity
and scale of these Respighi works slightly reverses that process.
The dynamic range is predictably wide but not annoyingly so where quiet
passages disappear into the sound floor and loud ones have you scrabbling
to turn down the volume. The sound stage - even in the stereo version
- is wide, deep and wonderfully detailed in the instrumental placement.
At several places in these scores, Respighi deploys an organ to resplendent
effect. There is no note to the contrary, so I assume the church organ
was used during the actual orchestral sessions. Whatever the truth,
the impact of the deep pedals is thrilling - exactly as one imagines
Respighi wanted it to be. Likewise the previously-mentioned buccine
play in wonderful antiphonal separation from their modern trumpet counterparts
which makes for a very theatrical effect - again surely just what the
music needs. But the less 'spectacular' aspects of these
scores are recorded with just as much care and precision. Respighi's
use of orchestral piano, harp and celeste register with ideal clarity
without feeling unduly spotlit. This is one of those pleasurable occasions
when it seems pointless to 'review' a disc when really
all you want to do is sit back and enjoy it.
As will be clear by now, I consider this a wholly successful disc and
it is a shoo-in for a place in my record-of-the-year list. I would be
amazed if it does not feature in at least the engineering category for
major awards next year. I would like to think it would be considered
for orchestral awards too although I wonder if some lingering (misplaced)
snobbery regarding the musical quality of these scores will work against
it.
Even by the consistently high standards of the label, this might just
be one of Chandos' finest feats of engineering ever, showcasing
the superlative and sophisticated playing of John Wilson's Sinfonia
of London. A genuine triumph.
Nick Barnard
