Ottorino Respighi - Works for Flute & Orchestra (Roberto Fabbriciani; Nicola Paszkowski)

Information

Composer: Ottorino Respighi

• Suite pour instruments d'archet et flûte
• Melodia e Valse caressante per flauto e archi
• Serenata per piccola orchestra
• Gli uccelli, Suite per piccola orchestra

Roberto Fabbriciani, flute

Orchestra Sinfonica Abruzzese

Nicola Paszkowski, conductor

Date: 2021

Label: Tactus

-----------------------------------------------------------

Review

Many people only know of Ottorino Respighi through his trilogy of tone poems celebrating Rome. This release helps fill out the composer’s profile with some very unusual works. With the exception of Gli Uccelli, these selections come from the early part of Respighi’s career.

Those early works only exist in manuscript, and it’s not clear if they were ever performed. I’m so glad they are now! The pieces show Resphighi’s sure hand. Even with just a string orchestra and solo flute, he manages to create worlds of orchestral color.

Roberto Fabbricani plays in a relaxed manner. These aren’t flute concertos — technical demands are few. Musical demands aren’t. These works rely on the musicality of the performers. And that’s where Fabrricani and the Orchestra Sinfonica Abruzzese excel. These are performances that charm the listener.

I especially enjoyed the Suite for Strings and Flute. It has the lightness of an Eric Coates piece and is just as amiable in character. This would be a welcome addition to any orchestral program, I think.

Also of interest is the Gli Uccelli, suite for small orchestra. If you’re a fan of Respighi’s “Ancient Aires and Dances,” you’ll want to add this to your collection. Respighi recasts the music of several Baroque composers that were inspired by birds. The result is something only Respighi could achieve. It’s modern and ancient, and — of course — brilliantly orchestrated.

You don’t have to be a Respighi completist to enjoy this release.

— Ralph Graves

-----------------------------------------------------------

Ottorino Respighi (9 July 1879 – 18 April 1936) was an Italian composer, violinist, teacher, and musicologist and one of the leading Italian composers of the early 20th century. He studied at the Liceo Musicale di Bologna, and also studied briefly with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. His compositions range over operas, ballets, orchestral suites, choral songs, chamber music, and transcriptions of Italian compositions of the 16th–18th centuries, but his best known and most performed works are his three orchestral tone poems which brought him international fame: Fountains of Rome (1916), Pines of Rome (1924), and Roman Festivals (1928).

***

Roberto Fabbriciani (born 1949 in Arezzo) is an Italian flautist and composer. He studied under Mario Gordigiani and Severino Gazzelloni, eventually becoming the latter's assistant. Early in his career, he was member of the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Teatro alla Scala. Since the 1970s, Fabbriciani has collaborated with leading 20th-century composers like Berio, Boulez, Cage and Nono, often premiering works written for him. He has performed globally with esteemed conductors and major orchestras, establishing himself as a pioneering figure in contemporary flute music and experimental sound exploration.

***

Nicola Paszkowski is an Italian conductor. He graduated from the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini in Florence and further trained with Ferdinand Leitner and Carlo Maria Giulini. Active in both symphonic and operatic repertoire, he has collaborated with major orchestras and opera houses across Italy and internationally. Paszkowski led the Italian Youth Orchestra (2000–12), the Youth Orchestra of the Rome Opera House (2012–15), the Orchestra Sinfonica Abruzzese (2018–20) and has conducted at prestigious festivals, including Ravenna and Savonlinna. His recent work includes performances in Oman, Tokyo and Ravenna.

-----------------------------------------------------------