Sgambati's Second Symphony from the Italian magazine "Amadeus"

[Wheesht]

I'm getting more and more interested in this CD, but I do not know how to get it from outside Italy. Has anyone here tried just writing to them (e-mail)?

[JeremyMHolmes]

Wheesht, yes, I did, and they were very helpful, replying in just a few minutes with details of how to order this individual issue/CD. Mine is now on its way! Use news@amadeusonline.net to contact them.

[Wheesht]

Thank you very much, Savoir_Faire, I'll try that.

[Alan Howe]

Has anyone else got hold of this recording yet? I'm just playing the finale - and what a magnificent piece it is. The whole thing has the stamp of a masterpiece.

[alberto]

Sometimes the records produced by, and for, the Italian magazine Amadeus have begun, months later, a new life under normal distributional channels (under various labels).
That has concerned, mainly, very sung composers. I have no idea if that could happen to the Sgambati Cd.

[JeremyMHolmes]

Alan,
Yes, I received the disc very promptly this week after contacting Amadeus magazine directly. You are absolutely right, the Symphony is a real find, and both it and the concerto (also available in a different performance on an earlier ASV CD) are IMHO superbly played and recorded. My thanks to you all for the recommendation!
On a slight tangent, I enjoyed reading the magazine, and the very interesting biographical article on Sgambati spurred me on to purchasing his Requiem (on Carus).

[eschiss1]

If you don't know his string quartet e.g. I recommend that as well...

[DennisS]

Thanks Savoir-faire for your advice how to order direct from the Amadeus magazine site using the email address you provided. I have just made my payment to them and eagerly look forward to receiving the magazine/CD shortly.

[Wheesht]

My copy of the magazine with the CD has now arrived - second class p&p cost more than the magazine itself, but it did not take long for it to arrive. I have listened to the Symphony just once so far, but it is already clear to me that it was absolutely worth getting my hands on this!

[Alan Howe]

Any more opinions on this magnificent and important symphony?

[DennisS]

I am still waiting for my copy to arrive. As soon as it arrives, I will of course listen to it straight away and then post my opinion of the symphony on UC.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, Dennis.

[DennisS]

A very pleasant surprise this morning, the Amadeus magazine and Sgambati CD finally arrived this morning(originally ordered 26 March). I am eagerly looking forward to listening to it later today. As soon as I am familiar with the work, I will report back to UC.

[DennisS]

For the past week or so I have been listening to Sgambati's Symphony no 2 almost daily, indeed on a couple of occasions I have listened to the symphony twice through without a break. That should already make clear my impression of this symphony!  I too think this symphony is marvellous and a real find! For me personally, this is THE symphony of 2015 so far! I was absolutely taken with it from the very first hearing. I concur fully with the comments already made in this thread. I too hear a bit of Liszt and some Wagner but mostly I hear the wonderful Italianate, joyous voice of Sgambati. I really like all 4 movements but would qualify this statement with the following comments. My absolute favourite movement is the scherzo, movement number 2. Three times in this movement is heard the exhilarating theme, first introduced at 3:55 and 8:29 in the opening movement. But in the scherzo this theme is given its full expression: a joyous Italian dance-like interpretation sweeping the listener along with its sheer joie de vivre. Needless to say, I have also listened to this movement as a stand-alone movement; I am that fond of it!!! The opening movement does indeed have a thrilling forward impulsion to it and finishes, it seems, almost too quickly. The third movement Andante con moto is pastoral/bucolic in feel and is quite beautiful in its simplicity. If I am being a little critical, I find the first half of the concluding movement, for me at least, slightly (but only very slightly) lacking in the inspiration of the other three movements. But from 4:45 onwards, starting with some wonderful writing for flute, this movement really takes off and moves all too swiftly to an exciting conclusion. A marvellous, marvellous symphony! If I had to pick out just one highly attractive feature of Sgambati's writing, I would not hesitate to choose his orchestral writing skills and the magical orchestral colours he imparts to his music, particularly in Symphony no 2! I was so swept away by his second symphony that I had to get out Symphony no 1 again and give it another listen or two. I am already revising my opinion of his first symphony but I have to say that I still prefer by far Symphony no 2! Thank you UC for discovering this symphony!!!

[DennisS]

Alan, would you please kindly correct my spelling of Sgambati in my previous post. Don't know where I got a double "tt" from! Thank you.