by Alessandro Rolla
Mario Carbotta, flute
Denis Zanchetta, basset horn
Massimiliano Caldi, conductor
Chamber Orchestra “Milano Classica”
In this world premiere recording Massimiliano Caldi with the “Milano Classica” Chamber Orchestra offers some interesting compositions by Alessandro Rolla, such as the Symphony in D major, which stands out for its naturalness and variety of melodic invention, the Symphony in B-flat major, which is more streamlined and formal, and some concertos the one for basset horn and orchestra, which is exquisitely classical in its alternation of lyrical and virtuosic moments, and especially the one for flute and orchestra, where the soloist is engaged in a crescendo of agility intended to emphasize every technical and expressive aspect of him.
Dymanic label – Year 2002
Reviews
Famiglia Cristiana, March 25, 2004 – Giorgio Vitali
“Rolla is a neoclassicist, an admirer of eighteenth-century clarity and forms. And there are two motives that, appreciated at the time, still make his music alive: pleasantness and virtuosity. We find them in his Concertos: the one for flute in D major, first recorded, and the one for basset horn in F major. But also in the two very pleasant Symphonies that complete the CD, also recorded for the first time. Massimiliano Caldi conducts the Milan orchestra, lending a liveliness that does justice to scores that testify to how music at the time was alive and audiences consumed novelty for pleasure.”
Compact Disc Classics – John Toffano
The Milano Classica Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Massimiliano Caldi, presents us with two concertos and two symphonies by Alessandro Rolla, a composer of neoclassical taste, active in Milan both as first violin of the Teatro alla Scala and as a teacher at the new Conservatory.
The program begins with the Concerto in D major for flute and orchestra, here in its world premiere recording, one of the few pages dedicated by Rolla to the solo flute in the symphonic field. The flute writing requires, both in the allegro movements and in the central Adagio, a considerable amount of virtuosity, a task that Mario Carbotta performs with skill and musicality, also demonstrating appreciable control of sound and effective flexibility in phrasing.
The subsequent Symphonies are also world premiere recordings and are distinguished by the composer’s flowing melodic vein, supported by expert use of orchestral timbres. The program concludes with the Concerto in F major for basset horn and orchestra, interesting for the presence of an instrument that one rarely has the opportunity to hear. The soloist, Denis Zanchetta, gives us a serene reading, full of light and melodically well shaped.
Limpidissima is again his reading of the Largo sostenuto and authoritative virtuosity in the concluding movement.
The Milano Classica Chamber Orchestra sustains the rehearsal with good blend, beautiful sound, thanks also to Caldi’s expert conducting.