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Respighi: The Birds; Ancient Airs & Dances / Neschling, Liège Royal Philharmonic
BIS

Respighi: The Birds; Ancient Airs & Dances / Neschling, Liège Royal Philharmonic

$21.99

Details

Composer
Ottorino Respighi
Artist
Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liege
Format
SACD
Label
BIS
Released
Mar 03, 2023
Catalog #
BIS-2540
UPC
7318599925400

About

With the present album, the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège and John Neschling bring us the sixth and last instalment in a series that has been called ‘the finest-ever survey of the composer’s orchestral output undertaken by a single conductor’ (BBC Music Magazine). The immense popularity of the Roman Trilogy has had the effect of obscuring many parts of Respighi’s oeuvre, including arrangements of pieces from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. These arrangements, a genuine declaration of love for this music, were less an attempt at musicological reconstruction than ‘free transcriptions for orchestra’ as the composer described them.

The four suites on this album, Gli Uccelli (The Birds) and the three entitled Ancient Dances and Airs, bear witness to this art. Gli Uccelli consists of five pieces originally written for harpsichord or lute which, as the title suggests, evoke birds set in colourful soundscapes. The Ancient Dances and Airs are suites each made of four pieces for lute or guitar from the Italian and French repertoire of the late 16th and early 17th centuries adorned with new orchestral colours. The success of these suites owes much to their orchestration: subtle and sober with timbres of rare sophistication. A refined treat from the Italian master of orchestration.

REVIEWS:

The conductor must have put an extra teaspoon of baking soda in the batter, because these performances are uncommonly airy. Much of this music is suffused with an autumnal melancholy, and Neschling and his orchestra capture that very well. For example, try the Villanella from Suite No. 1 of the Ancient Airs and Dances, where several members of the orchestra take turns stepping into the spotlight, which they do most atmospherically. In the same suite’s Gagliarda, there is a sense of lively occasion, but Neschling does not allow it to become starchy or pompous.

I think this is a winner on all counts.

-- Fanfare

In more instances than I can count on this Neschling recording, I find myself sitting up straight, having heard him do something that brings the music to life in a way that I had not heard before on other recordings. He knows how to “read between the lines” and to bring out that extra “something” that separates the great conductors from the mere kapellmeisters.

-- MusicWeb International

Tracklist 17 tracks

  1. 1 I. Preludio: Allegro moderato 02:52
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Preludio: Allegro moderato
    Duration
    02:52
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  2. 2 II. La colomba (The dove): Andante expressivo 05:19
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. La colomba (The dove): Andante expressivo
    Duration
    05:19
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  3. 3 III. La gallina (The hen): Allegro vivace 03:02
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. La gallina (The hen): Allegro vivace
    Duration
    03:02
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  4. 4 IV. L'usignuolo (The nightingale): Andante mosso 04:11
    Track
    4
    Title
    IV. L'usignuolo (The nightingale): Andante mosso
    Duration
    04:11
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  5. 5 V. Il cucù (The cuckoo): Allegro 04:45
    Track
    5
    Title
    V. Il cucù (The cuckoo): Allegro
    Duration
    04:45
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  6. 6 I. Balletto detto Il Conte Orlando 02:53
    Track
    6
    Title
    I. Balletto detto Il Conte Orlando
    Duration
    02:53
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  7. 7 II. Gagliarda 03:45
    Track
    7
    Title
    II. Gagliarda
    Duration
    03:45
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  8. 8 III. Villanella 05:01
    Track
    8
    Title
    III. Villanella
    Duration
    05:01
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  9. 9 IV. Passo mezzo e Mascherada 03:52
    Track
    9
    Title
    IV. Passo mezzo e Mascherada
    Duration
    03:52
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  10. 10 I. Laura soave. Balletto con gagliarda, saltarello e canario 03:50
    Track
    10
    Title
    I. Laura soave. Balletto con gagliarda, saltarello e canario
    Duration
    03:50
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  11. 11 II. Danza rustica 03:55
    Track
    11
    Title
    II. Danza rustica
    Duration
    03:55
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  12. 12 III. Campanae parisienses - Aria 05:39
    Track
    12
    Title
    III. Campanae parisienses - Aria
    Duration
    05:39
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  13. 13 IV. Bergamasca 04:36
    Track
    13
    Title
    IV. Bergamasca
    Duration
    04:36
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  14. 14 I. Italiana 03:45
    Track
    14
    Title
    I. Italiana
    Duration
    03:45
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  15. 15 II. Arie di Corte 08:43
    Track
    15
    Title
    II. Arie di Corte
    Duration
    08:43
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  16. 16 III. Siciliana 03:44
    Track
    16
    Title
    III. Siciliana
    Duration
    03:44
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling
  17. 17 IV. Passacaglia 03:50
    Track
    17
    Title
    IV. Passacaglia
    Duration
    03:50
    Composer
    Ottorino Respighi
    Ensemble
    Orchestre philharmonique royal de Liège
    Conductor
    John Neschling