An oddity: here are
Respighi’s celebrated three Roman tone
poems in arrangements by Peter Lawrence,
an Englishman, born in Barrow-in-Furness.
The scoring is for brass wind instruments
and the performers are a German youth
band. The recording is all the more
enterprising because of its interesting
booklet that includes many pictures
of the actual fountains and pines around
Rome to illustrate each movement, the
notes for which are printed in German
and English.
I will confess that
I approached my review with some trepidation
wondering how Respighi’s wonderful colours
and effects could possibly be transmuted
effectively. But Lawrence’s transcriptions
are most sympathetic using the brass
band’s colourations and timbres to best
effect; within these limitations they
are most impressive. Some transcriptions
like the ‘Triton Fountain’ are a little
wayward but not contrary to the spirit
of the originals and not without interest.
Not surprisingly, the quieter more evocative
and sensitively shaded movements like
‘Villa Medici Fountain at sunset’ and
the ‘Janiculum’ Pines lose the most,
although that nightingale is not forsaken
and some interesting tongue-fluttering
accompanies its song. The misty early
morning evocation of the Valle Giulia
is nicely caught too. The ‘Appian Way
Pines’ march, is as might be expected,
a very successful blistering crescendo
with nice perspectives and enthusiastically
rasping brass.
The fifteen young Germans
(fourteen boys and one girl) perform
with great skill and enthusiasm; their
playing exciting, sensitively phrased
and adroitly accented.
For Respighi admirers
(and others) a reserved recommendation
to be filed under ‘Respighi curios’.
In case this caveat might deter I will
assure, in conclusion, that these are
sympathetic transcriptions performed
with style and enthusiasm.
Ian Lace
Junge Deutsche Blechbläsersolisten/Walter
Hilgers 
