Customer Reviews

Respighi: Transcriptions for Orchestra

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The works on this CD demonstrate Ottorino Respighi's remarkable abilities at orchestration. La Boutique Fantasque is a ballet that deserves to be better known. Respighi selected the music that Rossini wrote during his later years when it seemed that he was unable to compose anything of much substance. The truth is that Rossini, while maybe not ambitious, wrote some excellent music which he termed "Sins of My Old Age."

La Boutique is set in a toy shop during the 1860's; at night when the customers and dollmakers go home the toys come to life. The ballet was written for Serge Diaghilev and was first performed in 1919 before a very appreciative audience. Perhaps the most familiar music is the Tarantella, which in the
Rossini original has been recorded by Luciano Pavarotti.

The Rachmaninov transcriptions are as colorful as the Rossini ballet. Respighi selects some of Rachmaninov's Etudes-Tableaux to be orchestrated from the piano originals, and they make an interesting five movement suite. An interesting thing about the pieces is that Rachmaninov revealed to Respighi the subjects behind them. The first represents the sea and seagulls; the second is a scene at a fair, followed by a funeral march. The
fourth piece was inspired by the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale and the last piece is an oriental march.

Both works are well-played by the Cincinnati Symphony and the recording by Telarc is first-rate.

Ottorino Respighi spent three (3) years (1900-1903) in Russia studying composition while serving as principal violist in the orchestra of the Imperial Opera Company. As a result, he was commissioned to write a ballet based on orchestra transcriptions of Rossini's post-operatic compositions (mainly from Rossini's short compositions that he called "Sins of my Old Age" or "Some Nothings". This ballet became known as" La Boutique fantasique" or "The Fantastic Toyshop". This Telarc recording with Jesus Lopez-Cobos and the Cincinnati Symphony of the aforesaid work is so very enjoyable--full of life and energy and, to me, capturing the lively humor of Rossini. Also included are Respighi's transcriptions of five (5) of Rachmaninoff's "Etudes-tableaux" that Rachmaninoff picked for Respighi to transcribe for orchestra. Those too are given fine performances in this recording.

I certainly agree with the previous reviewer that this music should be better known. It truly shows Respighi, Rossini and Rachmaninoff at their compositional best!

If you desire some "light" but very appealing orchestra music, you can't go wrong with this 1995 digital recording. By the way, the sound is very good tool