Respighi; Rimsky-Korsakov - Roman Festivals; Pines of Rome; Golden Cockerel (Lorin Maazel)

Information

Composer: Ottorino Respighi; Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

• Respighi - Roman Festivals
• Respighi - Pines of Rome
• Rimsky-Korsakov - The Golden Cockerel (Le coq d'or), suite

Cleveland Orchestra

Lorin Maazel, conductor

Date: 1976; 1979

Label: Decca

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Review

When this 1976 recording was released, the Gramophone reviewer said, "There really is no point in making comparisons here. Maazel's account of Roman Festivals is something of a revelation - by far the finest recording this work has ever achieved. The sophistication of the Decca sound picture is really breathtaking and high praise must be given to the recording team…for the skill and musicality of the balance."

High praise indeed! So what does it sound like now comparing it to all the newer digital recordings that have been released since? Well, for a start this reissue has been refurbished in 96KHz 24-bit digital transfer sound. The result is even more clarity and transparency and added perspectives.

The opening 'Cirenses' of Feste romane has real power and bite, the scene grisly and barbaric, and, as Ivan March writing in the booklet notes, aptly describes it, it has "true Roman gladiatorial vulgarity. The following 'Il giubileo' sounds really magnificent: pacing, phrasing, dynamics - all impressive. The pious pilgrims sound wearied by their journey but their jubilation at their first sight of Rome, and hearing her bells, is breathtaking. 'L'ottobrata' also impresses strongly with the Cleveland's splendid horns leading into the revelry. The lovely mandolin and violin solos are beguiling. The concluding 'La Befana' is a wild and colourful Epiphany celebration that is tremendously exciting.

The accompanying performance of Pini di Roma is something special too. The excited shrieks of children at play among the 'Pines of the Villa Borghèsa' are very convincing and the 'Pines by a Catacomb', beginning in solemnity, develops, via the glowingly hopeful trumpet solo, into a grand crescendo at the sounds of approaching plainchant The 'Janiculum Pines' sound nicely romantic and that nightingale is very sweet and is blended well. The approaching juggernaut that is the Roman legions approaching between the 'Pines of the Appian Way' sounds tremendous.

Instead of Fontane di Roma, we have another first class performance of Rimsky Korsakov's Le Coq d'or with Maazel revealing all its sensuality and colour . The diaphonous sheen on the Cleveland strings in 'King Dodon in his palace', sounds particularly ravishing.

Readers will probably remember that Maazel would record all three Respighi Roman tone poems, with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, for Sony, in 1996. That newer digital recording is impressive too but I prefer these earlier readings by a small margin

— Ian Lace

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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).

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Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (18 March 1844 – 21 June 1908) was a prominent Russian composer and a key figure in the development of Russian classical music. He was a member of the group of composers known as "The Five" which dedicated to creating a distinctively Russian sound. Rimsky-Korsakov is best known for his orchestral works, including Scheherazade, Capriccio Espagnol, and Russian Easter Overture. His compositions often feature vibrant orchestration, exotic themes, and rich harmonic textures. He also contributed to the development of Russian opera, with notable works such as The Snow Maiden and Sadko.

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Lorin Maazel (6 March 1930 – 13 July 2014) was an American conductor. A musical prodigy, he began conducting early, before enrolling at the University of Pittsburgh. Over his career, he held prominent conducting positions with leading orchestras such as the Cleveland Orchestra (1972–82), the Orchestre National de France (1977–90), the Vienna State Opera (as its first American director, 1982–84), and the New York Philharmonic (2002–09). Renowned for his versatility in both opera and symphonic music, Maazel recorded over 300 works spanning composers like Beethoven, Brahms, Mahler and Mozart.

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