Respighi: Belkis, Queen of Sheba/Metamorphoseon [CD]

It's a shame that this Gramophone Award winning disc only has a solitary, three-star review on Amazon, as anyone glancing through the listings for Respighi might well pass over it as not worth their consideration. This is a review of the CD and I cannot speak for the apparent issues surrounding the download version of this album having been resolved (the primary reason for the three star rating from my fellow reviewer), but I can confirm that the sound quality of the compact disc is demonstration class; in fact, it was for the audio engineering that the Gramophone Award was made in 1986. The disc was also accorded three stars by the Penguin Guide.

These are opulent scores and the ballet suite in particular calls for a greatly enhanced orchestra, including a panoply of exotic percussion instruments*; if any example of the sound quality is needed, just listen to the impact of the timpani and other drums in the 'War Dance' - or the way the brass ring out with such impressive immediacy in the same movement and in the final 'Orgiastic Dance'. Part of the score calls for performers to play the "war drums" on stage, by dancing on top of them - this isn't a subtle work and there is more than an occasional pre-echo of the more sumptuous Hollywood film scores to it... But it was, after all, conceived as a musical and theatrical spectacle, and on those terms it is hard not to respond to its lushly orchestrated exoticism, its juxtaposition of sensually beautiful music with passages of barbaric energy, and its undeniable grandeur.

The 'Metamorphoseon' theme and variations offers a rare opportunity to hear the composer in "abstract" mode. It is based on a theme of noble bearing, played by the full string sections and answered by a counter-melody in the clarinet; throughout, the work displays a satisfyingly wide range of moods and effects, and despite the lack of any programmatic or pictorial connotations, Respighi's handling of the orchestra is as sensitive and as resourceful as we have come to expect from his 'Roman Trilogy' or other descriptive works. The longest and perhaps the most striking section of the work is an almost 7 minute series of cadenzas for various instruments - ushered in by the harp, this 'movement' weaves sinuous arabesques from woodwind, recitative-like passages for solo strings and sonorous fanfares from the horn into a background tapestry of mysteriously murmuring and shimmering strings; it really is a quite beautiful movement and forms the atmospheric heart of this fine and thoughtful work.

In its own way, this was a pioneering issue that shed new light on aspects of Respighi's compositional voice not then represented in either concert hall or record catalogue; and it certainly made (and still makes) a refreshing change from the repeated recordings of his 'Roman Trilogy'. 'Metamorphoseon' is particularly impressive and, I think, deserves a place in the concert hall, where I am sure it couldn't fail to make an impression, while the excerpts from 'Belkis' offer a tantalising selection from a work of which a full recording remains long overdue.

Highly recommended.

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* the full ballet score is even more extravagantly orchestrated, calling for sitars, wind-machines, vocal soloists and chorus, which extravagance may well have militated against it being recorded in full.

This is a wonderful CD of very much neglected music of Respighi, the ballet score is exotic, shimmering and thunderous showing how great Respighi is at handling a big orchestra and filling it full of colour, but for me the long forgotten masterpiece here is Metamorphoseon, just listen to the opening theme on a good seperate system and you'll be swept away in Respighi's sound world. Both works are full of of Respighi's great mind for melody.

These are rarely heard pieces by Respighi, and in fact this is the world premiere recordings for both of them. As far as I can tell, they both benefit from excellent performances.

Unfortunately, however, the quality of the download files is marred by clicks, pops and interference on an all-too-regular basis which make them almost impossible to listen to.

No doubt the CD is first class, but if Amazon wants to get in on the iTunes action, it will need to do better than this. Full marks for a swift refunding of my money, however.