Search - Giovanni Bottesini, Matthew Gibson, Franco Petracchi :: Bottesini, Vol. 3: Passioni Amorose and other works

Bottesini vol.3 Passioni Amorose and other works

06/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The music of Bottesini is very operatic in nature, coming directly from the tradition of Bellini and Donizetti. The double bass music of Bottesini can easily fall victim to the same problem as the above mentioned opera composers, over-interpretation. An operatically derived style is not unlike a rich dessert. While a double fudge cheese cake with chocolate chip mocha frosting sounds tempting, it soon grows to be cloyingly sweet. The same rings true for the interpretation of the music of Bottesini. The tendency is often to add far too much sugar. The beauty of Mr. Martin's CD is his tasteful performance which allows the music to come to life. The Duo Concertante with Moray Welsh, is almost never performed because of the need of a virtuoso cellist as well as bassist. Welsh performs beautifully, making this the ONLY recording of this piece to own (I believe there is only one other in existence). Mr. Martin approaches the Concerto in C minor with taste and elegance. It is also a pleasure to hear the orchestral pieces of Bottesini included on this disc. If you are interested in the music of Bottesini, Thomas Martin's Bottesini series (of which this is #3) should be the first place you look. Martin has a deep understanding of Bottesini's music and performs it with the utmost grace and taste."