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ROSSINI/RESPIGHI La Boutique Fantasque RESPIGHI Impressioni Brasiliane Orchestre Symphonique De Montreal conducted by Charles Dutoit DECCA 455 938-2

 


Crotchet

Amazon




After his Roman Tone Poem cycle, Respighi's most popular work is undoubtedly his ballet after the music of Rossini. It is a delightful and sparkling collection of melodies enhanced by Respighi's colourful orchestrations for a tale about toys coming to life in a toy shop after closing time. Visitors to the shop (American and Russian) had separately bought the male and female Can-Can dolls but the toys are determined that they will not be parted from each other and collectively drive the buyers from the shop when they call to collect the dolls the next morning. During the ballet, each of the dolls perform their dances: Mazurka, Cossak Dance, CanCan, Tarantella, Galop and a Valse lente etc. This new release is quite simply the best since the wonderful 1981Andrew Davis recording with the Toronto Symphony.

Respighi was drawn to South America by the establishment of both Brazilian and Argentine branches of his publisher, Ricordi. In 1927 the composer visited Brazil for concerts in São Paulo Respighi adored the country and was especially impressed by the raw tropical light and shade and most of all by his visit to the snake farm - the Instituto Butantan near São Paulo where snakes were "milked" for their venom. Returning home, he wrote his Impressioni Brasiliani. The first movement is a sensuous, langorous perfumed evocation of a Notte tropicale. You sense the heavy, scented atmosphere of a Brazilian night with a small band playing in the mid-distance and romance in the air. The central movement is a startlingly vivid portrait of the snakes slithering around at the Butanton snake farm. An allusion to the Dies irae reminds us of their deadly bite.

The final movement Canzona e Danza is all colour and movement. Dutoit delivers a brilliant reading that compares with the best of the competition - Jesús López-Cobos with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on Telarc (coupled with Respighi's Church Windows).

Reviewer

Ian Lace

Reviewer

Ian Lace

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