Alfredo Casella - Paganiniana; Serenata; La Giara (Christian Benda)

Information

Composer: Alfredo Casella

• Paganiniana: Divertimento for Orchestra, Op. 65
• Serenata, Op. 46bis for Chamber Orchestra
• La Giara, Op. 41bis: Suite sinfonica

Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana

Christian Benda, conductor

Date: 1998

Label: Naxos

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Alfredo Casella (25 July 1883 – 5 March 1947) was an Italian composer, pianist and conductor. He studied in Paris under Louis Diémer and Gabriel Fauré before returning to Italy in 1914 to teach at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome. From 1927 to 1929, he served as principal conductor of the Boston Pops. Casella played a key role in reviving interest in Antonio Vivaldi's music, notably through organizing the 1939 Vivaldi Week. A major figure in the Neoclassical revival, his own compositions were deeply influenced by earlier Italian music. His notable works include La Giara, Paganiniana, and concertos for various instruments.

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Christian Benda, a descendant of a distinguished musical family, is chief conductor and artistic director of the Prague Sinfonia Orchestra. He appears regularly with major international orchestras such as the Shanghai Philharmonic, Moscow Virtuosi and Suisse Romande, and at renowned festivals including Prague Spring and the Menuhin Festival. Benda has recorded extensively, notably works by Schubert and Rossini for Naxos, often collaborating with acclaimed soloists such as Renée Fleming. As a composer, his micro-operas, which blend music, narration, and dance, have premiered in Vienna and Prague.

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