Sgambati Symphonies 1 & 2

[Alan Howe]

There's no doubt in my mind that Sgambati 1 and 2 are major symphonic statements worthy of admission to the standard repertoire. There's nothing really like them - they're that individual. And memorable? I'll say!

This new cpo CD is an award-worthy contribution to the promotion of Sgambati as a composer to be reckoned with.

[hyperdanny]

these are the timings of the Attardi 2nd..maybe somebody who already has the CPO cd could kindly provide comparison?.....

                        I              II            III           IV             TT
Rudner:         

Attardi          10:49         8:05         8:36       10:16       37:46

[Ilja]

From my radio dub of the Rudner, which is presumably the same one on the CD, I get this:


                        I              II            III           IV             TT
Rudner:        12:01        7:46         11:03     10:06       40:52

Attardi          10:49         8:05         8:36       10:16       37:46

Quite different tempi, then.

[adriano]

Rudner's  durations on the cpo CD:

1st Symphony:
9:30 - 9:55 - 5:24 - 6:42 - 6:56  TT 38:30
2nd Symphony:
12:00 - 7:46 - 11:04 - 10:09  TT: 41:00

Just for the documentation - and not for an artistic comparison!

[Alan Howe]

By the way, on the CD the brass in No.2 - horns in particular - make much more of an impact than on the radio dub. A case of successful subsequent re-mixing, I assume.

[Holger]

Just as a footnote (I don't have the disc yet - it will be part of my monthly jpc order next week alongside the Lachner and van der Pals discs): I have a good deal of Naxos discs with La Vecchia conducting (most of this is repertoire outside this forum's interests), and his recordings are typically rather slow, often slower than any other recording of the same works available. Therefore, I am not astonished about the five minutes difference between his recording and Ola Rudner's new version.

I bought the Naxos recording when it came out years ago, and I remember this symphony as a powerful and very interesting work. I am looking forward to Ola Rudner's new recording which will no doubt be fine. Years ago when I was still at school we had to do a two week work experience of our choice. I did that at the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie. By chance, Rudner was the conductor of the concerts they were preparing, so that I had the chance to attend the rehearsals and concerts. That was really a great experience.

[Alan Howe]

Rudner will, I am sure, be the standard recommendation for both symphonies for the foreseeable future - unless there's a sudden spurt of interest from other conductors and labels.

[hyperdanny]

thanks for the timings..even if of course minutes and seconds are only part of the story, it's nonetheless interesting and enticing that they are quite markedly different..both this and the Lachner are going to be in my June order..

[adriano]

You are right, Holger, about maestro La Vecchia. Unfortunately his promising projects on Brilliant (and on Naxos) came to an end since the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma had to be closed down in 2014 due to lack of funds, so it became only 12 years old. That's why the Brilliant box of "Respighi, complete orchestral works" is a misleading title, since there are some least 15 works missing!

[eschiss1]

incidentally though apples/oranges, the piano duet performance on Tactus takes the 4th movement serenade rather fast at 5:25, the first movement is 11 min. (repeat?)...

[hyperdanny]

Finally I found the time for a proper listening, and it's a stunning disc.
While in the 1st I still have a slight preference for La Vecchia's more measured tempi and Naxos's more immediate sound (but it's such a nice luxury to have an alternative high-quality vision og this reperteoire!), instead the 2nd is a revelation.
Rudner's cogent, perfectly formed, epic traversal IMHO supports this work's claim to "standard repertoire" quality standards.
It makes seem the Attardi like a run-through, which of course in some ways is what it was, being the work a relative novelty-rediscovery at the time.
Even the Reutlingen orchestra, that in a couple occasions didn't overly impress, seems inspired by the music.
So, apologies to my "home orchestra", but for the Sgambati 2nd there's a new reference.

[rosflute]

I would like to correct Hyperdanny's comment, based on Attardi's misinformation, that Attardi's performance was an absolute novelty-rediscovery at the time. This is not true. As Attardi knew very well, the second symphony had previously received two performances more than a year before his. Those first performances were in Rome in February 2014 performed by the Rome orchestra conducted by La Vecchia. I was present at those 2 performances, for which I also supplied the orchestral parts and score. [That orchestral set and score mysteriously went missing shortly after the Rome orchestra's collapse at the end of 2014]. Attardi's score and performance didn't appear until September 2015. Furthermore since 2006, I had been selling a virtual performance of the second symphony on CD, which had received a review in Classical Music magazine.
At my own expense, in the three years from 2003 - 2006, I made several trips to Rome where I spent a total of more than six weeks of long days in the Casanatense library, labouriously copying out the notes of the symphony from the hand written orchestral parts. I published the First Edition of the second symphony in 2006, supplying copies to the British Library and Biblioteca Casanatense. Then, in 2011, I published a second revised edition. So it hurts when someone else tries to take credit for my work. 

[hyperdanny]

I corrected my post and I apologize for the incorrect and misleading comment: I was not aware of any of that backstory.
I only would add that I have the utmost respect and admiration for rosflute's efforts and , since I like really very much La Vecchia's 1st, it's doubly a loss that Naxos did not release the 2nd.

[rosflute]

No problem, Hyperdanny, and no need for you to apologise. But thanks, anyway.

[Alan Howe]

Here's a properly appreciative review:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2018/Aug/Sgambati_sys_5551952.htm