Wednesday, July 13, 2011

MusicWeb-International on Respighi CD 'this is a novel and worthy release'; Kelly Hall-Tompkins is Concertmaster




[Kelly Hall-Tompkins; Respighi Violin Concerto in A; Chamber Orchestra of New York; Naxos 8.572332 (2011) (77:32)]

Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins is Concertmaster of the Chamber Orchestra of New York. Its new Naxos CD of Ottorino Respighi's Violin Concerto in A major has been revised and completed by Salvatore Di Vittorio. The recording was "WQXR Album of the week." We present excerpts of the review of this disc by Ian Lace of MusicWeb-International.com:

Ottorino RESPIGHI (1879-1936)
Violin Concerto in A major * (rev. compl. Salvatore Di Vittorio) (1903) [21:08]
Suite for Strings (rev. Salvatore Di Vittorio) (1902) [27:33]
Aria for Strings * (transcr. Salvatore Di Vittorio) (1901) [5:51]
Rossiniana: Suite for Orchestra (after Gioacchino Rossini) (1925) [23:01]
Laura Marzadori (violin)
Chamber Orchestra of New York, Ottorino Respighi/Salvatore Di Vittorio
rec.
* world premiere recordings
Naxos 8.572332 [77:32]


“For Respighi enthusiasts this is a novel and worthy release. The Chamber Orchestra of New York ‘Ottorino Respighi’ was founded by Salvatore Di Vittorio in 2006. It comprises leading young professional musicians. As its name implies, a principal aim is to promote the music of Respighi and other Italian masters. On the evidence of this CD, their enthusiasm and that of their conductor is indisputable. His revisions, transcriptions and completions are sensitive to Respighi’s neo-Baroque style.

"Respighi’s unfinished A major Violin Concerto was written in 1903 when the composer was in his mid-twenties. He completed the first two movements and began the third in piano reduction with only a few measures orchestrated. Di Vittorio has reviewed all three movements enhancing the orchestration of the first two and extending the scope of the third using material from the other movements. This Violin Concerto has a sunny disposition. It is lyrical and romantic and is reminiscent of Vivaldi and the youthful Mendelssohn.

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