Sursum Corda/Erich Wolfgang Korngold

How rewarding it must have been when Korngold went to the podium, received his Oscar for best score for The Adventures Of Robin Hood, part of which consisted of material from “Sursum Corda,” which was booed when it was first introduced in 1920. Likely because of the booing Korngold took the time to write some program notes for the premiere of the work in the U.S. in Chicago in 1922. At the time it wasn’t understood because it was too modern. Today that idea is laughable and while the work isn’t played often it is well accepted as part of the growing interest in the music of Korngold. Erich today is equally accepted as a classical and golden age film composer with his themes readily exchanged between the two genres.

“Sursum Corda” (Lift Up Your Hearts) is patterned after tone poems of Richard Strauss and is also dedicated to him, Korngold’s childhood mentor. It tells a story of hope and optimism (major keys) with some conflict but you somehow know that good is going to win out in the end. It has two wonderful melodies one of which was the leitmotif for Robin Hood in the film. Being a former horn player I can fully appreciate the great difficulty in performing this piece. Perhaps the difficulty of the work contributed to the less than enthusiastic response from the audience. I could certainly see many hours of practice necessary to get the passages correct. The BBC Philharmonic is in top-notch form and performs this work nicely under the baton of Matthias Bamert.

The other work included on this CD is “Sinfonietta,” Op. 5 an amazing work from a 14 year old who impressed Richard Strauss, Jean Sibelius, and others with his amazing talent. Had it not been for Nazism and a 50-year absence of being performed who knows how popular this work could have been? The entire work is based on the theme Motif of the Cheerful Heart written in B major (Erich loved major keys) it is bright and cheerful. His sound and style were already being formed with this work. One who is familiar with his Hollywood works can already hear the style from so many of the great Warner Bros. Films he worked on. One cannot help but enjoy this symphonic work.

Available at a budget price from Chandos #10432X this recording has been remastered from the original 1994 Chandos #9317. Both recordings are the same the difference being a 24bit remastering. Recommended

Performed by the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Matthias Bamert

Produced by Ralph Couzens

Engineered by Don Hartridge

Track Listing:

1.…Sursum Corda (19:31)

Sinfonietta, Op. 5

2.…FlieBend (10:32)

3.…Scherzo (8:56)

4.…Molto andante (8:09)

5.…Finale (15:14)

Total Time=62:42

Metropolis Symphony/Daugherty

Inspired by the 50th anniversary of Superman in comics, Michael Daugherty began composing his (5) movement work in 1988. Its premiere performance was given in 1994 at Carnegie Hall, performed by the Baltimore Symphony conducted by David Zinman. While it has been around for 15 years this new Naxos release is my first introduction to this intriguing work, which even includes comic book font on the outer sleeve of the CD.

The talented Daugherty received his doctorate from Yale, teaches music, theater, and dance at the University of Michigan, and has conducted many of the major symphonies of the world. Not only is he involved in orchestral works but he is also known for his chamber and band compositions.

While each of the (5) movements of Metropolis are works in their own right and can be performed individually, according to the liner notes from the composer, this reviewer enjoys the work in full. “Lex,” a diabolical foe of Superman, is presented on the violin in a frantic devilish fashion. One could find it similar to what Herrmann did with his music for Mr. Scratch in The Devil and Daniel Webster or Danse Macabre from Saint Saens. “Krypton,” where Superman was born and escaped from, is a dark movement that begins with strings, a fire horn, and the ominous sound of the clanging of bells, with a main theme that has a similar style to the theme from Sunset Boulevard. The trombones let one know that the end is near in this movement. “Mxyzptlk,” was a comical character, and a scherzo that features two flutes on either side of the stage one trying to outdo the other! It nicely represents the mischievous 5th dimension demon. “Oh, Lois!” is not a romantic encounter but a modern sounding slapstick style played as the composer puts it “faster than a speeding bullet.” “Red Cape Tango,” the highlight and finale of the movement, features the often-played Latin death chant Dies Irae, one of the more recognizable melodies of all time. Given a tango beat part of the time featuring castanets and generous selection of percussion, the movement of 13+ minutes is given ample time to develop. Setting aside the Superman character one could easily see how this could be part of a ballet. This reviewer was extremely impressed with Daugherty’s effective use of percussion in this symphony.

Deus ex Machina, God from the machine, is a work for piano and orchestra about the impact that the coal burning train had on our country. Divided into three movements each one tells a story through paintings, the funeral train of Lincoln, and historic photographs, rather than following the structure of a typical piano concerto. “Fast Forward,” uses the piano not as a source of melody but rhythmic chords and tempos which complements the percussion and the orchestra to create the sounds one might think of with a train. “Train of Tears” is a eulogy that also features “Taps” in the slow, sad, and moving piece of the (7) day trip the train took from Washington D.C. to Springfield, Illinois for the burial of Abraham Lincoln. One can hear the sound of the trains on the tracks in the final movement “Night Steam.”

This will make a nice addition to your hopefully ever growing collection of American Classics on Naxos. Superman collectors will also find this a welcome addition to their collections.

Track Listing:

Metropolis Symphony (1988-93) for Orchestra

1.…Lex (10:01)

2.…Krypton (6:46)

3.…MXYZPTLK (7:02)

4.…Oh, Lois! (5:05)

5.…Red Cape Tango (13:41)

Deus ex Machina (2007) for Piano and Orchestra

6.…Fast Forward (7:40)

7.…Train of Tears (14:17)

8.…Night Stream (11:22)

Total Playing Time is 75:55

Performed by the Nashville Symphony conducted by Giancario Guerrero

Piano by Terrence Wilson in Deus ex Machina

Naxos CD# is 8.559635

Norwegian Rhapsodies/Svendsen

Johan Svendsen (1840-1911) wrote music at the same time as his fellow Norwegian Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) and while Grieg is a household name in classical music Svendsen is pretty much of an unknown. He actually supplemented where Grieg was less productive as Johan’s instrument was the orchestra: it was the one he knew best and the one he wrote most of his compositions for. He wrote somewhere in the middle of the Romantic period yet form wise much of his material is as that of a classicist. Writing primarily in a major key his work is upbeat and lively, a perfect setting for Norwegian folk material.

The (4) “Norwegian Rhapsodies” were written during the 1876-1877 period of time and are based on themes found in Lindeman’s “Older and Newer Norwegian Mountain Melodies,” material that Grieg also availed himself of for several of his works. In fact Svendsen’s No. 1 Norwegian Rhapsody and Grieg’s No. 3 Symphonic Dance use the same theme from the collection of Lindeman melodies. The 40+ minutes for the (4) rhapsodies are everything one might imagine of country life in Norway. A tranquil setting, folk dancing, a romantic interlude, mountain streams, and picturesque landscape are all things that come to mind when you listen to this music. These are pleasant and easy to listen to with melodies and orchestral arranging showing his strong command.

“Romeo and Juliet” ranks near the top of stories that have been put to music by composers and the Svendsen treatment while not as strong a work as Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, and Prokofiev it still depicts the romance and tragedy of lost love in a short overture. Svendsen wrote this work after the 1st Rhapsody and before the 2nd in 1876. The premiere of the work was only met with mild enthusiasm, perhaps because it wasn’t what audiences really expected.

“Zorahayda” is a true program work, which is based on a Washington Irving story The Legend of the Rose of the Alhambra that tells the story of a Moorish princess and her love for a Christian knight. This is quite the delicate work offering solo violin, oboe, horn and pizzicato from the strings in an easy to listen to style. It seems to be well suited to the slightly smaller size South Jutland Symphony Orchestra. Bjartre Engeset certainly has the feel for conducting Scandinavian type music. His enthusiasm is definitely translated to the recording.

While we couldn’t classify Johan as an unknown composer he is certainly rarely if ever performed. This CD, along with Naxos 8.553898, his two symphonies are ones to be explored. Recommended.

 

Produced and engineered by Tim Handley

Naxos CD# is 8.570322

Performed by the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bjarte Engeset

Track Listing:

1.… Romeo and Juliet, Op. 18 (12:17)

2.… Norwegian Rhapsody No. 1, Op. 17 (9:13)

3.… Norwegian Rhapsody No. 2, Op. 19 (8:51)

4.… Norwegian Rhapsody No. 3, Op. 21 (9:54)

5.… Norwegian Rhapsody No. 4, Op. 22 (12:18)

6.… Sorehead (12:21)

Total Time is 64:55

Masquerade/Glazunov

Over my many years of listening to Russian classical music Alexander Glazunov has been one of the staples in my collection. Alexander was quite prolific with 110 numbered works and another 40 works without an opus number. He began composing at a rather early age (16) and he continued for 50+ years composing 8 symphonies, 7 string quartets, 5 concertos, 3 ballets, and numerous orchestral works. However, “Masquerade” slipped under my radar and this new Naxos release #8.570211 is my first experience with this music except for the “Valse-Fantaisie” section of the work, a highly addictive melody of the first order. This is something I’ve heard and enjoyed for many years.

The Lermontov play, written in 1836,was a criticism of the decadence of the St. Petersburg society and his critique of contemporary society was promptly banned for 30 years. Glazunov wrote the music in 1912-13 for Meyerhold’s production, which was performed in 1917. Even though there are 26 tracks for the 38+ minutes it is recorded in such a way that the transition from track to track flow isn’t noticeable at all. While this reviewer has never had the opportunity to see a production of the play I had no problem listening to the music as a separate stand-alone experience. It is filled with wonderful dances written in Mazurka, Quadrille, Galop, Polonaise, and Valse style, all melodic and quite easy on the ear. While the work definitely has the sound of Russia and Glazunov, it doesn’t have the heaviness in the orchestration, which is often associated with Russian classical material. One could easily download the five dance and waltz tracks to a MP3 device and have 16 minutes of easy to listen to material. Act 1V Scene 1 is certainly one that you would hear in a church and the Gnesin Academy Chorus without orchestra sings it in a very moving religious rendition. The chorus is also a welcome addition to the “Mazurka,” a lively dance with another catchy melody. You’ll also enjoy the melodies of the “Polonaise,” “Galop,” and the “Quadrille.”

Two Pieces, a work written early on (1886) is a fine example of the tranquil delicate side of Alexander. It features first a pastoral setting and then a bit oriental mystery and intrigue. Pas de caractere is a Hungarian dance filled with a gypsy passion. Intermezzo romantico, has a title that s peaks for itself.

While I cannot put Glazunov in a top category as a composer I certainly must rate him as being well above average for all of the recordings that I own. This recording is no exception. It is one that is filled with a variety of styles, orchestrations, and strong melodies. The Naxos affordable price is always a bonus. Recommended

Maintitles rating is ***1/2

Performed by: Russian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dmitry Yablonsky and the Gnesin Academy Chorus

Naxos CD# is 8.570211

Track Listing:

Act I

1….Tableau 2 (0:47)

2….Pantomime 1 (0:32)

3….Mazurka…. (4:07)

4….Pantomime 3 (1:53)

5….Quadrille (1:11)

6….Pantomime 4 (1:09)

7….Scene 2 (0:50)

8….Pantomime 5 (0:23)

9….Scene 3 (1:06)

10. Pantomime 6 (0:59)

11. Scene 4 (0:47)

12. Pantomime 7 (0:13)

13. Entrance 7 (0:28)

14. Pantomime 8 (0:17)

15. Scene 6: Galop (2:24)

Act III

16. Tableau 8: Polonaise (3:04)

17. Tableau 3: Chiming Clock (0:59)

18. Tableau 6 (0:24)

19. Valse-Fantaisie (5:37)

20. Tableau 9 (1:02)

21. Entr’acte (1:45)

Act IV

22. Scene 1 (3:15)

23. Entrance 6 (0:27)

24. Pantomime 11 (0:22)

25. Chorus (0:37)

26. Moderato (2:56)

Two Pieces, Op. 14

27. No. 1: Idylle (8:38)

28. No. 2 Reverie orientale (7:15)

29. Pas de caractere, Op. 68 (2:22)

30. Romantic Intermezzo, Op. 69 (11:09)

Total Time is 66:57

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35/Korngold

As much of a child prodigy as Mozart, Korngold has the distinction of being perfectly at home in the concert hall or film stage. While Waxman, Goldenthal, Rozsa, Herrmann, and John Williams have composed works for symphony orchestra, only Korngold can boast of composing successful operas as a teenager, having a wonderful career as a highly successful composer for the silver screen, and then returning to the concert hall for the rest of his career.

This CD was released at the same time as the Tribute Film Classics (TFC1006) complete reconstruction recording of the 1937 Warner Brothers The Prince And The Pauper. In fact I’d just finished listening to it and was checking for grammar and spelling on my review as I began to listen to the new Naxos release of the Violin Concerto. What a special treat to be able to hear the Prince and Pauper theme fully developed in the 3rd (Finale) movement of the concerto. Warner Brothers had agreed to let Korngold re-use his themes in his concert works thus the D major Violin Concerto contains the themes from Another Dawn, Juarez, Anthony Adverse, and The Prince And The Pauper. The truly romantic melodic piece, with sections of virtuosity playing from Philippe Quint, puts you on that blanket in a favorite place sharing a lunch with someone you hold dear. Film music but in a different context.

Written at the age of 14, the Schauspiel Overture (Overture to a Drama), Op. 4 is certainly a mature work considering the young age Korngold composed and orchestrated it. It begins sounding much like a Wagner intro to an opera, quite Germanic and dramatic. However, it changes gear and you can hear his style he used in such films as “The Adventure of Robin Hood.” It’s a jovial carefree time where you envision people running about preparing for a huge festival.

The final selection on the recording is an orchestral version of the music from the 1918 play Much Ado Nothing. The original concept of chamber orchestra had to be re-arranged for violin and piano only and the version performed on this CD is rarely if ever heard. The concert suite is something that you’d expect to hear in music about the Shakespeare play. It is a jovial, lively, and romantic 16+ minute work that expresses the versatility of Korngold.

Film music lovers will relish the Violin Concerto and the performance of Philippe Quint and the themes it offers. The Schauspiel Overture and Much Ado About Nothing Suite are really nice additions and merely enhance this CD. Recommended.

Main titles Rating is ****

Produced by David Frost

Naxos CD# is 8.570791

Track List:

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35

1…Moderato nobile (8:49)

2…Romance: Andante (7:50)

3…Finale: Allegro assai vivace (7:01)

4… Overture to a Drama, Op. 4 (13:31)

Much Ado About Nothing-Concert Suite, Op. 11

5…Overture (5:11)

6…Bridal Morning (3:24)

7…Dogberry and Verges (2:42)

8…Intermezzo: Garden Scene (2:10)

9…Hornpipe (2:40)

Total Time is 53:40

Piano Concerto and Symphony No. 4/Giannini

Here is yet another unknown composer I recently discovered through Naxos and their American Classic series of recordings. Vittorio Giannini (1903-1966) was born into a musical family with his mother, a singer, being the primary encouragement to pursue a musical career. He attended the Milan Conservatory, graduated from Julliard, and while he never wrote for the silver screen he very easily could have, having taught film composers David Amram (The Manchurian Candidate), John Corigliano (The Red Violin), and Thomas Pasatieri (Orchestration for Thomas Newman) at the Manhattan School of Music.

Classified as a “neo-romantic,” I think you’ll find that his Piano Concerto, composed in 1935 should be placed in the romantic category. To my knowledge this is the first recording of the work since it was premiered in New York City in 1937. The addicting theme is used throughout the first movement and one could easily be reminded of Rachmaninoff for the grandiose style, which it is arranged. Bold flashy scales and additional thematic material are the order of the day. At 21+ minutes it is given the opportunity to be fully developed. The second movement is an Adagio, a variation on the first movement theme but a highly seductive romantic variation that could easily take its place on any compilation of Adagio movements. Delicate is the key word for this movement. The third movement returns to a theme from the first movement, introduces a new one, has some very nice scherzo passages, and a fugue which seems out of place at first but upon further listening is right at home in the movement. While it was written at a very early age (22) this is not a student work and shows real maturity in many parts. While I have nothing to compare the performance of Gabriela Imreh with, I got the feeling that she felt right at home with the concerto and understood the piece quite well.

Written approximately 25 years later Giannini’s 4th Symphony (of 7) expresses thematic, modern, and romantic material as well as a sampling of dissonance. One could easily conjure up visions of silver screen situations. Like the piano concerto this is the first recording of the material since the Juillard Orchestra premiered it nearly 50 years ago. The key to this work is the superb orchestration that Giannini was able to achieve and the fine well rehearsed performance of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Spalding. Recommended.

Produced and engineered by Tim Handley

Naxos CD# 8.559352

Daniel Spalding conducts the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Gabriela Imreh, Piano (Tracks 1-3)

Track Listing:

Piano Concerto

1… Sostenuto-Allegro moderato (21:24)

2… Adagio (8:35)

3… Burlesca: Allegro vigoroso (11:13)

Symphony No. 4

4… Allegro con passione (8:40)

5… Sustention e calmo (7:33)

6… Allegro (7:09)

Total Time is 64:34

Sirens/Gliere

Writing in the early to mid 20th Century, Reinhold learned his craft well from Arensky and Ippolitov-Ivanov, creating wonderful harmony and orchestrating. His work was praised in 1948 as continuing the Russian romantic tradition from the government, while Shostakovich, Myaskovsky, and Prokofiev were condemned for their work, thus an overwhelming acceptance from Stalin, something difficult to obtain.

Written in 1908, the same year as his second symphony a busy composing time for Gliere, the symphonic poem uses the “Sirens” from Greek mythology as the basis for his composition. Sailors would hear the magic music from the “Sirens” and their ship would be lured to the island where it would crash and sink on the hidden rocks. Both Odysseus and Orpheus used various methods to prevent themselves and their sailors from hearing the magic songs. The single 13+ minute work is divided into 5 sections as noted by the composer put performed without pause.

1…The Sea

2…The Isle of the Sirens

3…Approach of the Vessel

4…The Song of the Sirens

5…The Shipwreck

The work begins with an ominous statement in a minor key with rumbling from the kettledrum and basses in the background, yet another interesting interpretation of the expansive ever-moving ocean from a composer. It leads into a happier flighty section; a land of enchantment and peace or so thinks the sailors and the listener. The calling of the brass, with the magical melody from the “Sirens” supported by harp, flute, and celesta lead the music into a jagged yearning climax of doom, a motif very similar in nature to a passage from Gliere’s epic Third Symphony ’Ilya Murometz.’ It comes to a conclusion in a ppp with only the lower register of the orchestra.

This certainly must take its place with the likes of “Isle of the Dead,” “The Sea,” “The Island,” and other works about the body of water that encompasses over ½ the earth. To my knowledge it is the only available recording on the market although there has been a Melodiya recording (M10 39547) long out of print. The people at Naxos, in my opinion, have been able to find and make available a lot of obscure material that is quality composing, worthy of recording. While I have no other recording to compare it to I found it to be well performed and recorded. It is coupled with his 1st Symphony, a very early work that will be reviewed separately. We can assuredly put this in the category of classical recordings you don’t have but should. Recommended.

Total Time is 13:34

Performed by the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Stephen Gunzenhauser.

Naxos CD# 8.550898

Piano Concerto in F minor/Arensky

Not considered much of a household name in classical music, Anton Arensky wrote during the late19th and early 20th century, studied under Rimsky-Korsakov at St. Petersburg, taught composition at the Moscow conservatory teaching Rachmaninoff, Gliere, and Scriabin among others. He was also a director of the St. Petersburg Imperial Choir from 1895-1901 before he spent his last years performing on the piano and conducting. While Rimsky-Korsakov certainly had to have some influence on his composing it was Tchaikovsky who had the greatest impression. His life style, which included drinking and gambling, contributed to his poor health and he died an early death from tuberculosis at the age of 44. While his contributions were relatively small leave it to Naxos to release (4) seldom performed works.

The liner notes, written by David Truslove, bring out an interesting point that is, very few composers can offer a piano concerto of such quality so early on (opus #2) as Anton did. Written in his final year at St. Petersburg (1882), this is far more than a student work, one that shows some real quality. It has that flare of a Chopin piece in a definite Russian folk-lore/melody style. The first movement, an allegro maestoso, brings this out nicely with a combination of Lizst, Chopin, and his own style. I especially enjoyed the Scherzo (3rd movement), which combined the elements of a nice lively melody, good balance between orchestra and soloist and some technically challenging playing. Gone was the heaviness of the Russian music, which is often evident in Russian pieces written around this time. The andante is elegant and delicate with a nice balance between piano and orchestra. Fantasia on Russia Folksongs, Op. 48 does have that solemn, yearning Russian music with only an occasional respite of Lizst/Chopin showmanship. The two themes presented were taken from a collection of folk songs of Ivan Trovimovich Anton heard in a recital. To the Memory of Suvorov is a very stoic Russian march that one would expect to hear at the honoring of a general, which was the reason for the music. Nothing out of the ordinary unless you’re into marches and then the melody might be of interest to you. Symphonic Scherzo may have been composed prior to his Piano Concerto but little is known about it. It could have been a student piece, part of an abandoned symphony, or just a stand-alone piece. Could this be his opus no. 1? It is a composition this reviewer had never heard before but having had several listens to it (put it in the MP3 Player) I found the work to be quite satisfying. Even though it showed a lack of developmental skills having been written when he was 20, it has a catchy Russian influenced theme, one that has the teachings of Rimsky-Korsakov all over it. This is one that I plan to go back and listen to on a regular basis.

While I can’t compare the performances of Scherbakov and Yablonsky conducting the Russian Philharmonic with other recordings this reviewer can find no fault in it or the audio recording. This is a CD that falls into my category of classical recordings you don’t have but should.

Naxos CD# is 8.570526

Track Listing:

Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 2

1… Allegro maestoso (11:53)

2… Andante con moto (7:08)

3… Scherzo-Finale: Allegro molto (7:13)

4… Fantasia on Russia Folksongs, Op. 48 (8:34)

5… To the Memory of Suvorov (4:33)

6… Symphonic Scherzo (9:45)

Konstantin Scherbakov, Piano on Tracks 1-4

Russian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dmitry Yablonsky

Piano Concerto #7, Op. 132/Ferdinand Ries

The 2009 Penguin Guide had a total of 0 recordings in their perfect guide to building your classical collection. It only took me about 10 minutes into this new Naxos recording to come to the decision that they were wrong in their assessment, at least in the case of this recording and at the very least for offering nothing from this talented recorder.Ferdinand Ries was a student, secretary, and copyist for Beethoven during the years of 1803-1805. He made his debut as a pianist in 1804 performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #3 in C Minor, Op. 37 with his own cadenza, to good reviews. He left Vienna in 1805 to avoid the draft but stayed in touch with Ludwig over the years, aiding him with getting some of his publications in London performed and published, including the 9th Symphony in 1822.

My first listen gave me the impression that the 7th Concerto, composed in 1823, wasn’t written in the first part of the 19th Century but somewhat later on, perhaps as much as 25 years later. While not as technical or romantic as I’ve heard, the 1st movement, an allegro con moto is lyrical and stylish enough for me to have stopped what I was doing and just listen. The opening/ prelude statement, showing the Beethoven influence, is 3+ minutes and introduces quite nicely the piano, which offers another theme showing off the skill of the soloist, Hinterhuber in this case. The larghetto is a pretty one, reminding one of romantic times in a delicate fashion. If one were beginning to nod off with the somewhat tranquil nature of the second movement the allegro will certainly open those sleepy eyes in the third and final movement. Quite vivacious it certainly shows the skill of the soloist. While Grand Variations on ‘Rule Britannia’, Op. 116 is not my cup of tea it is a pleasant listening experience for the person who finds this majestic theme one they find enjoyable. Perhaps not being British might have something to do with my opinion. The concluding work, Introduction ET Variations Brillantes, Op. 170, is based on the song “Soldier, soldier will you marry me?” and offers a nice balance between orchestra and the piano solo sections. It is a nice theme that is nicely developed and allows the technical ability of the soloist to come to the forefront.

This is an excellent way to be introduced to the work of Ries and if one is interested there are 4 more offerings of his piano works performed by Susan Kagan and Christopher Hinterhuber on the Naxos label.

Track Listing and Times:

Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 132 (34:59)
1… Grave-Allegro con moto
2… Larghetto
3… Allegro
4…Grand Variations on ‘Rule Britannia’, Op. 116 (15:58)
5…Introduction ET Variations Brillantes, Op. 170 (14:35)
Total Time is 66:02

Church Windows & Brazilian Impressions/Respighi

While Respighi wrote numerous works for over 30 years including opera, ballet, vocal, choral, chamber, and concerto works, he is primarily known for his three symphonic poems about Rome. Festivals, Pines, and Fountains have been recorded by many of the finest orchestras in the world and have given Respighi his name in the classical world. Yet works such as Church Windows and Brazilian Impressions deserve much more than just an occasional casual listen. Written during the 1920’s both works are fine examples of tone poems.

Originally written as a 3-movement piano prelude work, Ottorino added a 4th movement, orchestrated it, and with the help of a friend Claudio Guastalia named it Church Windows with appropriate stained-glass windows of artwork as titles for the individual movements. Keep in mind that all of this was done after the completion of the work so there was no real inspiration because of a particular work of art. “The Flight Into Egypt” is an overall solemn religious sounding work with almost birds in flight sounds from the clarinet, oboe, and flute. “St. Michael Archangel” immediately changes the mood to one of a tense battle. It features wind swirling, a majestic theme from the brass, and loud backing from the percussion. After the apparent victory there are some tranquil harp moments complemented by an off-stage trumpet. Short lived; the action yet rises again with the piece closing with an fff crash from a tam-tam. “The Matins of St Clare” is delicate in nature with a meditation type quality, overall serene and thought provoking. The final movement “St Gregory the Great” starts slowly with ominous chords from lower register strings along with brass calls. The music slowly builds into to a crescendo with an organ solo, giving it a religious feeling. It proceeds on a joyous note and ends in a grandiose conclusion.

Brazilian Impressions, written as a result of his first trip to Rio de Janeiro in 1927, the folk music Ottorino heard is nicely incorporated into this all too brief 3 movement, 18+ minute work. “Tropical Night” is a summer filled romantic nocturne featuring a wonderful melody that is everything you would think of if you were in Brazil on a romantic holiday with the exception of a lack of marimba percussion. “Butantan. In A Snake Garden near Sao Paulo” is a creepy memory with tambourine for rattlesnake noises, use of “Dies Irae”, and low slithering sounding woodwinds. “Song and Dance” brings about the vision of a couple in a cabaret performing a samba alone on a dance floor backed by orchestra and couples sitting at tables looking on.

This early 1984 recording from Chandos (8317) has a nice warm sound with good clarity and depth. It is available as a CD or as an MP3 or lossless download from Chandos as well as classics online. One to be explored if your taste is in tone poem works. Recommended

Performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Geoffrey Simon

Produced by B. Couzens
Recorded by R. Couzens
Chandos #8317
Track Listing:

CHURCH WINDOWS
1… The Flight into Egypt (5:35)
2… St Michael Archangel (5:47)
3… The Matins of St Clare (5:30)
4… St Gregory the Great
BRAZILIAN IMPRESSIONS
5… Tropical Nigh (9:40)
6… Butantan. In a Snake Garden near Sao Paulo
7… Song and Dance (4:04)

Total Time is 45:24