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4.0 out of 5 stars
Fine songs, admirable artistry, a worthy project, September 9, 2000
This is the first of two volumes that have appeared so far in Channel Classics's admirably executed project to record Respighi's complete songs for voice and piano. The volumes do not follow strict chronological order, so this volume contains a mixture of songs ranging from the late 1890's ("L'ultima ebrezza", "Notturno" and "Tanto bello") to the 1917 set entitled "Deita Silvane". Included in this first volume are some, but not all, of Respighi's most popular songs, the most notable omission being "Nebbie", which appears on the second volume. Early songs like "Contrasto", "Stornellatrice" and the "Cinque Canti all'antica" are readily accessible, particularly in these performances, where great attention is paid to phrasing, dynamics, language, and the many details that reward repeated listening. The "Deita Silvane" songs are more impressionistic, so their appeal is less in the melodic line and more in chromatic tone pictures, as Respighi moves toward the style of his famous orchestral works "The Fountains of Rome" and "The Pines of Rome". For confirmed Respighi fans, the course of action is simple: buy both volumes of this set and eagerly anticipate future releases. This project is a serious effort to present the composer's complete output for voice and piano. To this end Channel Classics have engaged sensitive artists and supplied helpful liner notes in Italian and English (the more complete notes are in the first volume; the second volume's notes refer to the previous volume). Texts (largely Italian, but some French) and English translations are included for all songs. For listeners who are looking for a taste of Respighi's music and may only want to start with a single volume, the first volume is a logical choice. Not only does it contain many famous earlier songs, but "Deita Silvane" is considered by Potito Pedarra, who wrote the liner notes, to be Respighi's finest effort for voice and piano. Nevertheless, certain listeners might prefer to start with the second volume, since it contains more dramatic music (I'm thinking here of "Nebbie", with its echos of Puccini, and the recitative-like "E se un giorno tornasse"), and also because two different singers present the songs. While many reviewers collected on Channel Classic's web page speak (in Italian, English and Dutch) of the wonderful timbre of Leonardo de Lisi, I am not so taken with it personally. I cannot fault phrasing, dynamics, support, diction, or anything that would imply bad singing. He is a fine artist. But he has a slightly nasal tone, which I don't mind in the French, and French-influenced, music, but to me it sounds slightly pinched or spread in the more lyrical Italian songs. Listening to his voice for the full hour of music on this volume is less pleasant for me than listening to him alternating with soprano Andrea Catzel on the second volume, and others might appreciate the variety as well.
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