Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra, George Hanson - Respighi: Orchestral Works (2001)

Tracklist

01. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: (Tema) Andante moderato
02. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus I. Moderato non troppo
03. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus II. Allegretto
04. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus III. Lento
05. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus IV. Lento espressivo
06. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus V. Molto vivace
07. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus VI. Vivo
08. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus VII. Cadenze
09. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus VIII. Andantino mosso
10. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus IX. Lento non troppo
11. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus X. Molto allegro
12. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus XI. Molto allegro
13. Metamorphoseon. Modi XII. Tema e Variazioni: Modus XII. Vivo non troppo
14. Rossiniana. Suite per orchestra da ""Les Riens"" di Rossini: I. Capri e Taormina (Barcarola e Siciliana). Allegretto - Andantino
15. Rossiniana. Suite per orchestra da ""Les Riens"" di Rossini: II. Lamento. Andantino maestoso
16. Rossiniana. Suite per orchestra da ""Les Riens"" di Rossini: III. Intermezzo. Allegretto moderato
17. Rossiniana. Suite per orchestra da ""Les Riens"" di Rossini: VI. Tarantella ""puro sangue"". Allegro vivacissimo
18. Burlesca per orchestra: Andante. Allegretto
19. Passacaglia in do Minore di Giovanni Sebastiano Bach: Andante con moto

These rarely heard works offer listeners an introduction to very different aspects of Respighi's orchestral oeuvre. The mighty "Metamorphoseon", a breathtaking symphonic interpretation of Bach's C minor Passacaglia, a suite on themes by Rossini as well as the world premiere recording of an early burlesque are performed by the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra, conducted by George Hanson.

Recorded in MDG's innovative 2+2+2 technology in one of the best concert halls in Europe, the Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal is acoustically almost identical to Vienna's Musikverein, supporting the full range of dynamics that an orchestra can play.

Respighi uses different modes to vary the theme of his "Metamorphoseon" in a highly sonorous study that pulls out all the stops in the art of orchestration. His intention was to remove the archaic tonal idiom of Gregorian chant "from the Catholic liturgy and to make its artistic and human values serviceable to the modern tonal idiom" (Elsa Respighi). Each variation offers almost every instrumental group a virtuosic solo, inspiring the ambitious orchestra to unimagined heights. It is without a doubt a bravura piece in its genre.

Already quite monumental in the original, the C minor Passacaglia gains additional weight in Respighi's version, becoming more virtuosic and powerful than spiritual and introspective in character. The mighty sound of the concert organ in the Great Hall is heard in all its trembling splendour with a 64-foot stop in the pedal at the end of the piece. Warning: This magnificent "queen of instruments" may cause enthusiastic rapture!

Ottorino Respighi bequeathed an extremely multifaceted oeuvre to posterity in more than just the field of orchestral music. His music was almost completely obscured by the overwhelming success of his popular Roman tone poems and therefore for many decades was unable to command the attention it deserved. This recording redresses this imbalance and thus corrects our image of Respighi: the maestro from Bologna has to be regarded as one of the greats of the early twentieth century and one with his own unique artistic creed.

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [flac]