What an excellently compiled disc this is, a really well chosen programme, a lovely mix of different composers, and some very well chosen works, this is not like some compilations by Karajan / Marriner etc, that bring together a bunch of different performances recorded at different times, but this is a planned recital, all recorded together for this disc especially, some real thought has gone into it, the works were composed roughly around the same time, the first half of the disc is dedicated to Italian Composers, and the second half to French Composers, i love the way it mixes some very well known works, with some rarer items, the end product is more than the sum of its parts.
Silvio Varviso is a Swiss Conductor, he was born in 1924, and died nearly 6 years ago in 2006, he recorded this disc in 1983, the front cover picture [by Vulvio Roiter] is strange, i think it's of a mummer at the Carnival of Venice, yes Venice does get snow, but i don't think at Easter when the Carnival is, i guess this is a bird man, it's actually a really good shot, i like the lace wings, the black of the guy in stark contrast to the white of the snow, the lettering is excellent also, listing all the Composers, a great idea visually.
There was so much good stuff on here, one after another i was wowed at the inventiveness of so many great Composers, the military / brass in the Rossini Thieving Magpie, the Ponchielli Dance Of The Hours is a favourite of mine on this disc, and the different sections are thrilling, the Mascagni Intermezzi is something i would love to have played at my funeral!, and the Saint-Saens Bacchanale is full of Eastern flair and wonder, but very surprisingly the piece that really got to me was the Puccini Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut, a piece that on previous listenings hadn't truly caught my attention, it starts off very low key, almost like a String Quartet, Cello and Viola playing a duet, but when it opens up [1:15-1:48], the whole thing explodes into a sad refrain that only Puccini knows how to do, and then the strings swoon [1:48+], it's a glorious moment, Puccini really knows how to tug those heartstrings, and also he knows how to brings the piece down into a lovely refrain after a forte [3:04+], and even further along there's a cherishable moment of denouement on the refrained violins [3:29-3:46], Puccini certainly knows how to bring things to a close, the closing thoughts of this short piece are expertly done [4:01+], wow! a nice new favourite.
Here's Pablo Varela conducting Puccini's Manon Lescaut Intermezzo on YouTube.
