Malipiero from Naxos

[M. Henriksen]

A September release from Naxos including 4 world première recordings. I'm not especially acquainted with Malipiero's music, but this certainly looks interesting:

http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.572409

Details about the compositions:

http://www.naxos.com/mainsite/blurbs_reviews.asp?item_code=8.572409&catNum=572409&filetype=About this Recording&language=English#


Morten

[Delicious Manager]

I have the complete Malipiero symphonies as released on Marco Polo in the early 1990s. I have found him a hard composer to get to love. His music ranges from the excellent to the tedious and uninspired, and everything in between. The Marco Polo series was dogged by some very ropey playing on occasions from the then-fledgling 'Moscow Symphony Orchestra' (formed from students when the USSR ceased to be) under Antonio de Almeida, coupled with rather dry, unflattering recordings. The orchestra seems to have got better in more recent recordings, but the fact remains that some performances are pretty under par. I also have Malipiero's complete string quartets, whose qualities are more immediately apparent. At Naxos's bargain price (and shop around for the best prices), this CD is probably worth exploring.

[eschiss1]

That Naxos CD looks like a reissue of a Marco Polo recording of a decade ago, at which time it was, to my knowledge, probably world premiere recordings (though always careful with such claims- I thought they were right about their recording of Creston's first symphony being its premiere recording, I certainly knew of no other, but apparently there was an LP six decades back containing the work... usw ) (And a better example perhaps being ASV's "premiere" recording of Bacewicz's 4th quartet some while back- a piece that had already received several recordings already; not sure who let their publicist get away with that claim. Wasn't a historical recording.)
Actually, the performers on this new recording are "Rome Symphony, La Vecchia". ...
... hold up.
Ok, the Marco Polo CDs released were the 11-plus-named but un-numbered symphonies, and
"Sette invenzioni Quattro invenzioni ; Il finto Arlecchino : symphonic fragments ; Vivaldiana" (recorded 1991, with the late Peter Maag conducting a Venetian orchestra);
"Tre commedie goldoniane" (1997, conducted by Christian Benda).
So actually this is mostly new, my mistake, though one of the Pause del Silenzio works was, it's true, on a Louisville Records LP and "Malipiero Pause" turns up 9 recorded hits on Worldcat between piano and orchestral versions between 1967 and 1990 (all, it does indeed seem, of Pause I- if Pause II has been recorded it was under another title than Pause del Silenzio II or L'esilio dell'eròe; cinque espressioni sinfoniche.)

(Three of Malipiero's symphonies at least were recorded before the Malipiero series and those LPs are worth seeking out in my opinion - especially the recording of sym. 7 under Mitropoulos (1950) and Celibidache in sym.4 (1970s LP).)

[Latvian]

I have the complete Malipiero symphonies as released on Marco Polo in the early 1990s. I have found him a hard composer to get to love. His music ranges from the excellent to the tedious and uninspired, and everything in between.

I agree! I also concur with eschiss1's comment that certain older recordings are worth seeking out. I find the Mitropoulos version more engaging than the Marco Polo/Naxos.

[alberto]

According to me the new Naxos presents four first recordings.
"Pause del Silenzio I" was recorded by the Italian label Fabbri in Lp era (I quote by memory, but I own the record: by Othmar Maga and Nurenberg Symphony). I would say also by L.Botstein and American Symphony. Not -I think- by Louisville (which recorded the much later "Notturno di canti e balli" and "Fantasie di ogni giorno").
I think Naxos is right in defining "Pause del Silenzio I" a masterwork (in the -admittedly very, very large- Malipiero's output).
About the Symphonies I would suggest also the Fourth with Koussewitztky and the BSO (1948, various labels).
A great performance fully worthy of the music (while the De Almeida and Moscow is diminutive).

[eschiss1]

I do note some recent issues with recordings of Pause I conducted by Maderna, though. Haven't heard the work yet in any recording I think but will soon. Of the Malipiero recordings I have heard the Celibidache 7th, the violin concerto no.1 LP, (the Caracciolo 6th also), and actually some of the late symphonies under Almeida on Marco Polo, I do rather like. Haven't heard yet but am intrigued by a number of recent releases, e.g. the Dialogi, the piano concertos on cpo...

[alberto]

I have read the review by David Hurvitz: full marks (ten).

[Dundonnell]

I have to say that the new Naxos disc of relatively early Malipiero orchestral music demonstrates to my ears a composer of supreme quality and inventiveness. I am extremely impressed by all five works on the disc(8.572409).

"Impressioni dal vero I"(1910-11) are indeed highly impressionistic, betraying the influence of Debussy and would strongly appeal, I suspect, to all lovers of Delius.
"Impressioni dal vero II"(1914-15) and "Impressioni dal vero III"(1921-22) on the other hand are vigorous. energetic pieces reminiscent of the Stravinsky of Petrushka and the Rite of Spring but combined with strong echos of the Respighi of the Fountains and Pines of Rome. Each of the three sets has three movements inspired rather than directly depicting particular birds and scenes of Italian life such as festivals or (particularly impressive) the first movement of set II-'Dialogue of Bells'.

Even better however and with claims, as made by David Gallagher in his as usual excellent booklet notes, to be Malipiero at his greatest are the two pieces known, somewhat enigmatically, as "Pause del silenzio I"(1917) and "Pause del silenzio II"(1925-26). The first advances Malipiero's compositional style more towards the Stravinsky of the 1920s but in an unmistakenly Italian context while the remarkable second shows, I think, Malipiero at the height of his powers in a work with both power and nobility.

Much as I admire Malipiero's symphonies I do not recall being so impressed by any of his orchestral compositions as much as I have been by the music on this excellent disc.

Highly recommended.

[M. Henriksen]

I couldn't agree more with your recommendation. This is surely a recording that can win Malipiero some new friends. Some say his output is very inconsistent, well then Naxos has done a good job selecting the works on this disc!


Morten