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Respighi: Sinfonia Drammatica
Ottorino Respighi, Edward Downes, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Respighi: Sinfonia Drammatica
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (3) - Disc #1

Respighi was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov (along with Stravinsky), and the parallels between the two are curious. Both composers demonstrated their mastery of the late Romantic orchestral vocabulary by turning to Baroque...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Ottorino Respighi, Edward Downes, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra
Title: Respighi: Sinfonia Drammatica
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Chandos
Release Date: 2/8/1994
Genre: Classical
Styles: Historical Periods, Modern, 20th, & 21st Century, Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 095115921326

Synopsis

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Respighi was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov (along with Stravinsky), and the parallels between the two are curious. Both composers demonstrated their mastery of the late Romantic orchestral vocabulary by turning to Baroque and Renaissance music and adopting a neo-classical aesthetic. Both composers also "graduated" by writing a huge Romantic symphony. But whereas Stravinsky's Symphony in E-flat takes Tchaikovsky and Borodin as its model, Respighi is more indebted to the German masters, particularly Strauss. The piece is scored for a vast orchestra with a large percussion section and organ, and it's simply a big, passionate, splashy chunk of late Romantic schlock. In short, it's great, and this performance takes no prisoners. --David Hurwitz

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CD Reviews

If you like the Alpine Symphony then get this
Adrian | Gold Coast, Australia | 02/22/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a latter recording of Respighi's Sinfonia drammatica (1993) and is even preferable to the Naxos. This is a dazzling performance with real conviction and is also superbly recorded.



Highly recommended!"
Respighi's only symphony
Eric S. Kim | Southern California | 09/14/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)

""Sinfonia Drammatica" is Ottorino Respighi's only symphony that he's ever created. Unfortunately, this has been rarely performed, and it probably won't be a part of the worldwide repertoire anytime soon. I think the reason why is because it feels very stretched (it could have worked far better if it were cut in half, with only 30 minutes in length). Nonetheless, this 60-minute piece has almost everything that Strauss's "Eine Alpensinfonie" and Mahler's ten symphonies convey. Not only do you get your traditional impressionistic Respighi lyricism, you also get some Straussian tones and Mahlerian textures. Sounds of Rimsky-Korsakov come alive, of course. And there are even moments when some of the softer sections of Wagner's Ring Cycle are heavily borrowed. It may be true that this symphony really lacks originality, but the music is still worth listening. You get some of Respighi's finest lyrical moments and some fantastic imagery. The third movement is a bit unsteady, as the orchestration is mildly all over the place, but aside from that, this is a great and underrated composition from Respighi.



The late Edward Downes provides a very keen and precise reading of the score, while the BBC Philharmonic plays wonderfully. The top-notch sound quality from Chandos is, as usual, highly recommended."