Aura, rather like Dr Stefano Olcese's Dynamic (another
admirable Italian firm), have a sleeping giant of a catalogue. Tucked
in amongst its pages are many treasures both recent and historic. This
disc, with its rather short playing time, draws our attention to the
non-operatic heritage of the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
You will probably know of Martucci from the ASV discs of his symphonies
and two piano concertos. This Piano Quintet has the sunlit radiance
of the Delius cello sonata encased in bel canto lyricism. It
sounds a little like Franz Schmidt and Joseph Marx. The surging up-rearing
dynamism of this work touches on similarly robust works such as the
quintets by Vierne and Cras as well as the other ensemble chamber music
of Widor and Bonnal. The Respighi is a much shorter work written by
a young composer in his early twenties. This three movement quintet
is a rousing and surging piece rather similar at times to early and
triumphant Fauré (e.g. the Piano Quartet No. 1). It is an engaging
work with some striking ideas and treatments as in the hoarse and scorching
allegro. By the way, Martucci was one of Respighi's professors. Prati
is a pupil of Ciccolini and András Schiff. She throws off the
challenges of both works with confident abandon. If the quartet are
a shade more careful the overall effect is still euphoric and fresh
with discovery.
This is a worthy collection which, if short on duration,
opens up world premiere recordings of these two splendid late romantic
quintets.
Rob Barnett
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Patrizia Prati (piano) 
