CIARDI Grand Concerto for Flute and Piano in D (arr. Fabbriciani). L’eco dell’Arno (arr. Fabbriciani). Il carnevale di Venezia (arr. Fabbriciani). Le rossignol du nord. Un sospiro del cuore. La Smorfiosetta. Di chi? Piccola fantasia su due stornelli napoletani • Roberto Fabbriciani (fl); Massimiliano Damerini (pn); Friuli Venezia Giulia SO; Stefan Fraas, cond • NAXOS 8.557857. (63:24)

If you are like most people, you have probably never heard of Cesare Ciardi. Even if you happen to be a flutist, it is quite likely that his name will ring only a very faint bell. And yet there was a time when Ciardi was all the rage, the flutists’ answer to Paganini. Having established his reputation as a flute virtuoso during the midpart of the 19th century, Ciardi wrote music that was mainly devised to display his prowess. And judging by his writing, he must have been a fine flutist indeed. His works are full of technically challenging passages that even nowadays intrigue the flutists but tend to leave audiences only mildly interested. They are an excellent example of the kind of salon music that enjoyed considerable popularity among the flourishing bourgeoisie of the time, and thus have an appeal (although peripheral) to anyone who is interested in the flute, or in 19th-century musical mores.

Fabbriciani deserves accolades for bringing this repertoire to the spotlight once more, and for doing so in a passionate way. This recording shows a high degree of commitment both from him and his very fine pianist and from the solid orchestra that accompanies him in the first three pieces. His technique is appropriately brilliant, and he plays with an ease and familiarity with the musical language that comes from his own personal history. I would have appreciated it if he had shown a bit more sense of humor, if he had taken more liberty with the score and really exaggerated the gestures (as Damerini does, whenever he has a chance). But I cannot deny that even if a bit too earnest, Fabbriciani does not lack a rough, instinctive charm that fits these works to a tee.

If there is something that bothers me about this recording, it is the quality of the flute sound, which is windy and unrefined, especially in the high register. And before anyone tells me that this comes with the territory, let me evoke Sharon Bezaly’s recording of similar repertoire, where her sound is consistently marvelous, with absolutely no damage to the interpretation! On the other hand, granted, it is simply not fair to compare anybody to Sharon Bezaly. Besides, there is a great phrase by Marcel Moyse, one of the greatest flutists and professors of the last century, that keeps coming to my mind: “a beautiful sound is of interest only to other flutists.” If you are able to set aside the quest for the holy grail of tone purity, you might even have fun with this unpretentious repertoire.

FANFARE: Laura Rónai