GIOVANNI SGAMBATI (1841-1914): Piano Concerto in G Minor, Op. 15, GIOVANNI BATTISTA MARTINI (1706-1784): Andante, Rondo (transcr. Giuseppe Martucci [1856-1909]), (1653-1713): Tempo di Gavotta (transcr. Martucci), CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK (1714-1787): Melodia da "Orfeo" (transcr. Martucci), OTTORINO RESPIGHI (1879-1936): Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute (piano version).

Description: Only two recordings of this 1878 concerto have previously existed on CD, the last an ASV release of 11 years ago (09D003), so there's room for a new one. In the usual three movements, the first one stretching to 22 minutes, opening with a Lisztian motive and meandering through five minutes of orchestral ideas before the soloist enters. The work is in predominantly moderate tempos, the soloist with plenty of High Romantic motives to caress, thunder and cast out with glittering virtuosity, with a dreamy Romance for a slow movement and the final movement the most animated of the three. The remainder of the disc contains transcriptions for piano of baroque works (Gluck's Dance of the Blessed Spirits the exception); one notes that the 1918 Respighi contains three pieces from the third suite of Ancient Airs and Dances, whose orchestral version only appeared in 1923, making these, presumably, the original versions of at least those three. Roberto Giordano (piano), Orchestra I Pomeriggi Musicali; Marco Guidarini.