Nino Rota’s concert music continues to benefit from the attention of independent labels such as Chandos and BIS. This latest disc offers some wonderful discoveries, foremost among them the gorgeous Harp Concerto, an expertly crafted, beautifully scored work that deserves to enter the general repertoire. It’s very well played by Luisa Prandina. Rota’s Bassoon Concerto also would grace any concert program; its theme and variations finale has particular charm. Unfortunately, while soloist Paolo Carlini hits all of the notes, he fails to project his part with sufficient intensity and dynamic range–the piece really calls for a more piercing, “French” timbre. The same reservations apply to Andrea Conti’s rather tepid playing in the Trombone Concerto, a slight work whose musical lightness in its outer movements sits oddly with the choice of solo instrument.
No such concerns apply to Castel del Monte, a lovely tone-poem for horn and orchestra full of evocative sonorities and genuinely poetic, gently sonorous writing for the featured instrument. Even if some of the performances here leave room for improvement, it’s very nice to have this music on disc as further evidence of Rota’s compositional skill, and the recorded sound flatters everyone involved. [5/3/2002]
