Concerto Köln - Gaetano Brunetti: 3 Symfonien (1994) CD-Rip

Two men named Gaetano Brunetti were born in Italy approximately nine years apart. This Gaetano (ca.1744-1798) became an eminent musical figure in Madrid, which included his fellow countrymen Domenico Scarlatti and Luigi Boccherini. The composer of perhaps 500 works, he wrote exclusively for the royal family and the imperial court. Jealous patrons, they locked up the vast bulk of his output, and only recently have his compositions begun to become available for publication. Among the 30 or so symphonies that have emerged are the 3 on this CD.

After a unison beginning, a formal ‘Larghetto’ opens the Symphony No.26, written in B Flat. With the upper strings dominating, a hint of what is to come emerges when the winds offer a distant echo. After a shift to a vigorous ‘Allegro’, interjections from a solo bassoon, followed by those by a single oboe punctuate this 1st movement as they are layered atop the energetic strings. Winds open the following ‘Largo’ with horns carrying the melody while the strings are often relegated to supplying accompanimental texture. With the use of a deliberately measured pace and unusual chromatic progressions, this 2nd movement sounds much like a transitional work looking forward to 19th century Romanticism than a typical one from the Classical era.

Marked ‘Allegretto, a 3rd movement ‘Quintetto’ replaces what is often a ‘Mineutto and is characterized by a complete absence of strings. When the strings do enter, with repressed urgency and in a minor key, they totally change the mood. The ‘harmonie musik’ of the brass and winds returns to close this delightful section with good natured charm. Sweeping string lines of the final ‘Allegro’ harken back to the 1st movement, employing virtuosic horns and frantic oboes to energize and elevate this closing segment.

While written in G Minor, a favorite key of the ‘Sturm und Drang’ composers, Symphony No.22 doesn’t explore the depths of a melancholic mood. Instead, Brunetti uses it to sharpen tonal contrasts. A series of swirling descending triplets in the violins in the opening ‘Allegro’ sets up the extended development section where he makes use of a great variety of orchestral colors. Softly undulating lower strings immediately follow in the ‘Andantino Amoroso’, offering a sharp divergence from the preceding section. The gentle pastoral mood continues as first the horns, and then the oboes take up the melody before drifting to a placid end.

Again using a ‘Quinetto’ instead of a ‘Minuetto’, Brunetti labels this one ‘Allegro moderato’. After docile brass and wood winds begin, the unexpectedly furious attack by the strings is startling. A brief reprise by the winds brings this 3rd movement to a calm, if uneasy close. A brisk exchange between the violin sections sets up a vigorous ‘Allegro di molto’. After hushed arpeggios are traded back and forth between the upper and lower strings, the brass and wood winds join for a full bodied assault that roars to a stirring conclusion.

Although the 1st section of the Symphony No.36, is in A Minor, the body of the work is composed in A Major. Dark and somber, the opening ‘Largo’ is grounded in the lower registers before the 2nd section of this 2 part 1st movement launches into a rousing ‘Allegro di molto’. Repeating the minor keyed intro at the end of the movement is not unusual, but the deft alteration that the music leads directly into the following ‘Andantino’ is. Restrained and introspective, this 2nd movement offers an extended respite before the delightful ‘Quintetto’ that follows.

The beginning section of the 3rd movement shows more developed interplay between the horns and oboes than the others on this disc. And when the strings enter for the contrasting middle section, it is not with a bang as in the previous two works, but with a muted whisper. The final ‘Allegro di molto’ displays Brunetti altering the structure of the traditional sonata form to achieve an original synthesis. After presenting the first theme, followed by the 2nd contrasting one, he brings back the opening motif, which would lead the audience to anticipate a rondo. Instead, he then inserts a brilliant development section, which unfolds at a breakneck pace and strengthens the case for a sonata form. Racing to a dazzling ending, the work finally concludes with a double codetta.

Sharp and clear, the recording by Capriccio is first-rate. Concerto Koln is terrific, highlighting the nuances of color and texture without sacrificing the driving intensity found in the outers movements of Brunetti’s work. These symphonies are the only available recording of his orchestral compositions. We can only hope more soon find their way to the light of day.