Ildebrando Pizzetti was among the triad of first-generation modernist Italian composers, although he was nowhere near as daring as his colleagues in that circle, Alfredo Casella and Gian Francesco Malipiero. Indeed, much of his music is even less forward looking than that of his slightly older contemporary Ottorino Respighi. The keynote work on this Marco Polo release -- Canti dell stagione alta (Songs of the High Season) is a piano concerto dating from 1930; however, if it weren't for its thick scoring and slightly tart ...
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Ildebrando Pizzetti was among the triad of first-generation modernist Italian composers, although he was nowhere near as daring as his colleagues in that circle, Alfredo Casella and Gian Francesco Malipiero. Indeed, much of his music is even less forward looking than that of his slightly older contemporary Ottorino Respighi. The keynote work on this Marco Polo release -- Canti dell stagione alta (Songs of the High Season) is a piano concerto dating from 1930; however, if it weren't for its thick scoring and slightly tart harmonic language, one could easily situate it within the realm of Rachmaninov, although it has a melodic profile that is distinctly Italian. The Preludio from the three-act musical tragedy Fedra (composed in 1909, but not performed until 1915) is more challenging and colorfully heart wrenching than the concerto, being based on a libretto by Gabriele d'Annunzio, the major literary figure in Italy at the time. D'Annunzio was also involved in the making of Giovanni Pastrone's epic film...
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