Among first generation of Italian modernists perhaps Ildebrando Pizzetti is the least recognized figure of all. While Alfredo Casella is dogged by his fascist ties, at least a piece or two of his is still played; Gian Francesco Malipiero may not be well-known outside Europe, he remains revered in Italy and is recognized internationally for his early advocacy, in modern times, of Vivaldi. However, Pizzetti is mainly represented on disc by ancient recordings of his operas, put out by companies who didn't have to pay for the ...
Read More
Among first generation of Italian modernists perhaps Ildebrando Pizzetti is the least recognized figure of all. While Alfredo Casella is dogged by his fascist ties, at least a piece or two of his is still played; Gian Francesco Malipiero may not be well-known outside Europe, he remains revered in Italy and is recognized internationally for his early advocacy, in modern times, of Vivaldi. However, Pizzetti is mainly represented on disc by ancient recordings of his operas, put out by companies who didn't have to pay for the recordings for the benefit of whoever might take an interest in them. There are a couple of exceptions; DVD fans of silent movies have been treated to some of the original soundtrack music Pizzetti composed for the Italian epic Cabiria (1914), and at the end of the century, Hyperion paid some lip service to Pizzetti with a fine disc of orchestral music featuring the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Osmo Vänskä; that disc is getting the Helios treatment in 2009. Naxos' Pizzetti:...
Read Less
