[.ca] Pines Of Rome/Birds/Fountains

Sparkling, scintillating brilliance . . . chiaroscuro beauty:
This review applies to the works -Pines of Rome-, -The Birds-, and -Fountains of Rome- performed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Louis Lane on Telarc. Listening and enjoyment and enthusiasm are all subjective elements which can't be "quantified" for everyone's satisfaction. I can only say that I have "perfectionist" ears and eyes, so I have real trouble finding personally satisfying sound reproduction devices as well as particular versions of classical works which I "get into." There are some other versions of this work which I like very much also, conductor Daniel Gatti's with the Orchestra of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, conductor Giuseppe Sinopoli's with the New York Philharmonic on Deutsche Grammophon, and conductor Jesus Lopez- Cobos with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra on Telarc. What makes me decide to review Lane's recording is his concern with tempo and dynamics...the transition from the sunny brilliance of the Pines of the Villa Borghese to the dark, quiet mystery and softness of the Pines Near a Catacomb is a wonder, and for me, breath-taking. The sound clarity and "presence" of this Telarc recording are outstanding. In the Pines of the Villa Borghese you can hear the instruments giving out percussive effects to imitate the toys of the children. But it is the sunny, sparkling brilliance and tempo of the orchestra as well that make this piece scintillating! Of all of the pieces in the Pines, my own particular favorite (for its associations) is the Pines of the Janiculum -- that dreamy, lyrical, almost mystic portrayal of moonlight among the pines and the lyrical warbling of the nightingale. I am somewhat of a connoisseur of the warbling nightingale in these recordings. I don't like Von Karajan's nightingale; it does not have the echoing resonance of the symphony hall, but sounds as if it is recorded in nature; and the Von Karajan nightingale only tweets, it doesn't have the glorious, full-throated warble of the Lane nightingale and some of the other recordings. The gentle piano introduction to the Janiculum in the Lane recording, the harmonious pacing -- very lyrical and peaceful and haunting (in beauty, not grief or languid weariness), the soulful clarinet, the caressing strings...all give this recorded version optimal stars from me. -- Robert Kilgore.

My First Respighi Album, And Still My Favorite.:
After seeing Disney's "Fantasia 2000" in the Summer of that year I realized that I had found a new love of Classical music in Respighi's 'Pines of Rome.' I quickly picked up the soundtrack album with James Levine conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a superb, although abbreviated, performance of 'Pines' for the Fantasia sequel. However this little snippet did not keep me satisfied. For my birthday later that year my father gave me this album of Louis Lane and the Atlanta S.O. performing 'Pines,' 'The Birds,' and 'Fountains.' I was mesmorized by Respighi's music and the images and feeling conjured when listening to it. I had fallen in love. Naturally this album holds a special place in my heart even today after collecting nearly every Respighi album I could put my hands on. So that makes it doubly difficult for me to critique it. At the very least, this is a fine performance. The tempi are consistent, if a little on the slow side (the 'Fountain at Trevi' being the most clear example). The brass section is strong and stingy (just the way Telarc likes it) sometimes at the expense of loosing the strings in the mix. Louis Lane clearly understood the moods and images Respighi yearned for in his days of composition and succeeds in conveying those through the players. Technically speaking, this is a beautifully captured performance, no doubt benefiting from Telarc's pure digital recording and mixing methods. I have never heard bass such as that in the climax of 'Pines Near a Catacomb.' When you buy a Telarc Digital album you can be assured there is a high level of clarity; that you will be able to distinguish between all types of instruments during both the soft, gentle moments, and during the greatest crescendos. This CD is no exception. My only real gripe is that there is no 'Roman Festivals' on this CD to complete the Roman Tone Poem Triptych. I would have loved to hear how Lane handled the most infamous of Respighi's Poems. Instead of the intensity of 'Festivals' we get the frivolity of 'The Birds.' While containing a few light themes to whistle when you're stranded from your music, 'The Birds' seem merely an exercise in orchestral personification. I suppose only so many albums can contain all three poems before it becomes a stale program. The good news is that Telarc released an album with 'Festivals' and 'Church Windows' in 1994 by Jesus Lopez-Cobos and the Cincinnati S.O., another terrific sounding album.

Music, Not Noise .... Thank you, Louis Lane & Telarc!:
Ever since Toscanini's RCA recordings (early 1950s), these Respighi tone poems have been played as sonic block-busters, with engineering to match. It seems everybody's idea of this music is driven by the last section of "The Pines of Rome," which famously evokes a march of Roman legionnaries via a steady crescendo of orchestral volume that finally explodes in an orgy of brass playing. But there are subtler pleasures in these pieces, especially in "The Fountains of Rome," and in this recording I've finally found Respighi performances that sound like music, not noise. Not that conductor Louis Lane and the fine Atlanta orchestra underplay the parts that need it; there's plenty of drama here, trust me. But Lane was an assistant to legendary conductor George Szell in Cleveland for many years, and he clearly learned how to achieve proper orchestral balances, even when working with the massively large orchestra favored by late Romantic composers like Respighi. For once, Respighi's orchestral texures register with the necessary nuance and subtlety. And Telarc's sound complements Lane's approach with an appropriate acoustic: very "hi-fi," but not in your face. Instead of garishly spotlighting individual sections, Telarc works its magic to ensure that the entire orchestra registers with a marvelous warmth. Given the subtleties of Lane's approach, I think it's no accident that he chose to couple "Pines" and "Fountains" with Respighi's suite "The Birds" rather than with the more glitzy "Roman Festivals." "The Birds" ("Gli Uccelli") is a Renaissance/Baroque pastiche cut from the same cloth as Respighi's perennially popular "Ancient Airs and Dances." So if you love the Respighi of the "Ancient Airs" and abhor the composer of the flashier tone poems, buy this CD. It may just be the Respighi disc of your dreams! Final word: "Louis Lane and the Atlanta Symphony" might not have the cache of Toscanini/NBC, Bernstein/New York, Karajan/Berlin, and God-knows how many other high-powered teams that have recorded this music. But for my money, this very musical Telarc CD beats the competition hands down. (Also note that this is one of many earlier (late 1980s) Telarc digital CDs that the company has reissued in a new budget series. Same great Telarc sound and sophisticated packaging, but at a very nice price.)

• I. Pines Of The Villa Borghese
• II. Pines Near A Catacomb
• III. Pines Of The Janiculum
• IV. Pines Of The Appian Way
• I. Prelude
• II. The Dove
• The Birds: III. The Hen
• IV. The Nightingale
• V. Cuckoo
• I. Fountain Of Valle Giulia At Dawn
• II. Triton Fountain At Morn
• III. Fountain Of Trevi At Mid-Day
• IV. Villa Medici Fountain At Sunset