Opere per corno e pianoforte, from Verdi (!) to Rota
The program presented here by Nilo Caracristi and Giancarlo Guarino covers various centuries and styles, from Verdi to Rota.
Verdi? Well, a Fantasia sopra alcuni motivi dell'opera "I due Foscari" di Giuseppe Verdi, by Gustavo Rossari (1827-81), published in 1850, in a revision by Hideyuki Okuda published by Kayo-sha, Tokyo. And what a player Nilo Caracristi is: a cadenza in he Rossini goes screamingly high without any problems.
Gustavo Rossari was first horn at La Scala from 1859-69, and was clearly a major virtuoso. The Fantasia itself is skilfully constructed, revelling in Verdi's melodic fecundity. For al the score's difficulties, there is an underlying lyricism, beautifully projected by Caracristi and his fine pianist, Giancarlo Guarino:
Giorgio Ferrari (1925-2010) is a Genoa-born composer new to me: his Sonata for horn and piano was composed in 1957 and premiered two years later. There is surely something of Hindemith in the first movement's incessant rhythmic vitality and determination. And rather like Hindemith and that composer's instrumental sonatas, the piano part is no walk in the park. Here, Giancarlo Guarino is superb, his technique rock-solid:
The central Adagio boasts an innate lyricism, beautifully projected here by both Caracristi and Guarino, while the finale is a joy, full of fanfares and unexpected frolickery, finding both Caracristi and Guarino light on their feet. Here's that finale, full of unexpected twists:
The Scriabin Romanza (in A minor) is better known, of course: at least, to horn players!. An early work dating from 1899, it is innately lyrical, and from a time when Chopin's shadow still fell over his work. The tempo in Caracristi and Guarino's performance is ideal, offering space for reflection, but also just enough flow:
... back to obscurity with a Fantasia by Buenos Aires-born Fabián Pérez Tedesco (born 1963). The piece was commissioned by Caracristi, with the express request for the highlighting of rhythm and nostalgic sensitivity. They appear in reverse order the slow opening section very much infused with an aching lyricism (Tedesco's musical vocabulary is lovely, with a heady note that perhaps links to Scriabin), the jaunty second very much rhythm-fuelled. This Fantasia was composed in 2016:
A Ballad and Salsa next, by Donato Semeraro (born 1970), a close friend of Caracristi. Written on the occasion of Caracristi's 50th birthday, there is a carefree jollity here as well as nods to the next composer, Nono Rota. A horn player himself (by no means the rule for composers on this anthology), Semeraro writes sensitively for this instrument. Here's the luxurious, somewhat jazzy Ballad:
The sound of a football/police whistle is something of a surprise: it initiates the “Salsa,” which features notably light-fingered playing from Giancarlo Guarino, and a performance of fine definition from Caracristi. South American dance is most definitely apparent here:
There are links perhaps to the glowering sound or Nino Rota, the "Love and Goodbye" from what is given here as “Il Padrino parta seconda”; The Godfather 2, to thee and me. It even includes some singing.
Incidentally, the fabulous cover is the 1913 paining The French Horn Player by Josef Kinzel (1852-1925): this article includes some background, and various examples of Kinzel's art - including another painting of a brass player!
This recording is available from Amazon as a disc priced at £15.99, or MP3s at a far more reasonable £7.99. iDagio here; rest of streaming below.
