Search - Ottorino Respighi, Sergey Rachmaninov, Jesús López-Cobos :: Respighi: Transcriptions for Orchestra

A Sparkling Recording

D. A Wend | Buffalo Grove, IL USA | 08/03/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The works on this CD demonstrate Ottorino Respighi's remarkable abilities at orchestration. La Boutique Fantasque is a ballet that deserves to be better known. Respighi selected the music that Rossini wrote during his later years when it seemed that he was unable to compose anything of much substance. The truth is that Rossini, while maybe not ambitious, wrote some excellent music which he termed "Sins of My Old Age." La Boutique is set in a toy shop during the 1860's; at night when the customers and dollmakers go home the toys come to life. The ballet was written for Serge Diaghilev and was first performed in 1919 before a very appreciative audience. Perhaps the most familiar music is the Tarantella, which in the
Rossini original has been recorded by Luciano Pavarotti.The Rachmaninov transcriptions are as colorful as the Rossini ballet. Respighi selects some of Rachmaninov's Etudes-Tableaux to be orchestrated from the piano originals, and they make an interesting five movement suite. An interesting thing about the pieces is that Rachmaninov revealed to Respighi the subjects behind them. The first represents the sea and seagulls; the second is a scene at a fair, followed by a funeral march. The
fourth piece was inspired by the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale and the last piece is an oriental march.Both works are well-played by the Cincinnati Symphony and the recording by Telarc is first-rate."