Gian Francesco MALIPIERO (1883-1973)
Tre commedie goldoniane (Three Goldoni Comedies - symphonic fragments)(1925)
[17:25]
No. 1. La bottega da caffè (The Coffee-house) [3:12]
No. 2. Sior Todero brontolon (Grumpy Sior Todero) [7:35]
No. 3. La baruffe chiozzotte (Quarrels in Chioggia) [6:37]
Stradivario (Ballet in One Act)* (1947-1948) [15:12]
La Cimarosiana (1921) [10:20]
Gabrieliana (1971) [15:04]
Tamas Major (violin)*
Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana/Christian Benda
rec. 26-30 September 1997, Auditorio della RSI, Lugano, Switzerland.
Previously released as Marco Polo 8.225118
NAXOS ITALIAN CLASSICS 8.570883 [58:02]
The Naxos Italian Classics series has produced some fine discs. These include
top-notch versions of Alfredo Casella’s First
and Second
symphonies with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma under Francesco La Vecchia.
That revival of interest will surely extend to the works of Malipiero, a contemporary
of Casella’s and also a founder member of the Corporazione delle Nuove
Musiche. The disc under review is not new - it was issued on the now defunct
Marco Polo label in the late-1990s - and the music is hardly core repertoire.
All the more surprising, as the pieces recorded here are really rather good.
Not only that, the playing of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana is very
idiomatic, too.
The three fragments from Malipiero’s opera Tre commedie goldoniane
have an open-faced, genial air; La bottega da caffè is a perky
little number, underpinned by some delightful, burbling rhythms, the out-of-sorts
Sior Todero characterised by low, rather comical brass. As vignettes
go, these are lightly drawn, and all credit to conductor Christian Benda for
bringing out the many subtleties of colour and rhythm. The latter is a key
element here, the molto perpetuo of La baruffe chiozzotte discreetly
done. It’s an odd blend of chamber-like scoring and gaudy effects -
the bells for instance - but it hangs together well and never outstays its
welcome. Most entertaining.
The short, post-war ballet Stradivario, centred on a stolen Strad that
comes to life and dances with a variety of other instruments, is surprisingly
light on its feet. Violinist Tamas Major is a little thin-sounding as the
protagonist, but it’s the boisterous bass drum - well caught - that
threatens to steal the show. There’s plenty of dynamic range here; the
orchestra is convincingly balanced, woodwind solos rise naturally from the
mix and the brass are thrilling in their brisk, repeated figures. There’s
an abiding sense of fun in this music, epitomised by the smile-inducing march
for flutes and drums. A real tonic, this.
Malipiero’s interest in Italian composers of the 16th, 17th
and 18th centuries dates back to his youth, where he spent hours
copying the music of Monteverdi and other early masters. This fascination,
shared by his compatriots Casella and Respighi, is most evident in La Cimarosiana,
inspired by the music of Domenico Cimarosa (1749-1801).But it’s
not just a fastidious, dry little exercise in retro-writing; for instance,
sandwiched between the elegant Andante grazioso and Non troppo mosso
is an uncouth, streetwise Allegro moderato that’s both bizarre
and entirely in keeping with Malipero’s well-developed sense of mischief
and whimsy. Make no mistake though, the period features are skilfully done
and the music is very well played; the limpid Larghetto is especially
attractive.
As a Venetian himself, Malipiero would have had a special affection for the
music of Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1554/57-1612), whose distinctive style
is joyfully conveyed in the bracing Gabrieliana. The up-front OSI brass
are very bright indeed - brazen, even - which seems entirely appropriate in
this context. That said, it’s all a tad fatiguing at times. Not as relaxed
and congenial as the other items, perhaps, but it does reveal a more studied,
serious aspect of the composer’s musical persona.
This is a most rewarding reissue, and a tantalising glimpse into Malipiero’s
endearing sound-world. There are several discs in this series - some of the
symphonies have already been reviewed on these pages - so if this collection
piques your interest don’t hesitate to give them a try.
Dan Morgan
This is a most rewarding reissue, and a tantalising glimpse into Malipiero’s
endearing sound-world.
Review of other Malipiero releases on Naxos
8.570878 - Symphonies Vol. 1
8.570880
- Symphonies Vol. 3
8.570881
- Symphonies Vol. 4
8.570882
- Symphonies Vol. 5