COMPOSERS: Mercadante
LABELS: ASV
WORKS: Declmini I & II; La poesia
PERFORMER: Pietro Spada (pno); Philharmonia Soloists
CATALOGUE NO: CD DCA 936 DDD
Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870) was a gifted composer whose career lay mainly in the opera house, but whose reputation was soon eclipsed by the great Verdi. The Decimini (for ten players) are wonderfully urbane compositions. Effortlessly fluent and never dull, they are 19th-century equivalents of Mozart's divertimenti. These expressively warm performances carry complete conviction. La poesia is an unusual meditation for four cellos, written with considerable imagination. Terry Barfoot
Mercadante: Declmini I & II; La poesia
Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870) was a gifted composer whose career lay mainly in the opera house, but whose reputation was soon eclipsed by the great Verdi. The Decimini (for ten players) are wonderfully urbane compositions. Effortlessly fluent and never dull, they are 19th-century equivalents of Mozart's divertimenti. These expressively warm performances carry complete conviction. La poesia is an unusual meditation for four cellos, written with considerable imagination. Terry Barfoot
Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:48 pm