ROSSINI: “Album de Château” Complete works for piano Vol. 7 – Paolo Giacometti, piano – Channel Classics

by | Jan 30, 2007 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews | 0 comments

ROSSINI: “Album de Château” Complete works for piano Vol. 7 – Paolo Giacometti, piano – Channel Classics Multichannel SACD CCS SA 24106, 75:07 ***:

Tracklist: Prelude Pretentieux, Specimen de Mon Temps, Valse Anti-Dansante, Prelude Semipastorale, Tarantelle pur Sang, Un Reve, Prelude suo-disant Dramatique, Specimen de l’Avenir

I thought it best to list the little pieces of this volume at the top, so one can appreciate Rossini’s wit in coming up with them. Though Italian, he titled them in French because it provided more opportunity for the sort of wordplay the French seem to love. It is thought that he was also thumbing his nose at his publishers – who seemed more interested in the titles of his compositions than the music because of the titles’ effect on sales. These are the remaining eight pieces from Rossini’s Castle Album – the other ones having been in the previous volume. But there’s nothing about brave Knights of the Round Table here. I would classify these pieces as the sort of parlor-piano music that was popular in the years around the middle of the 19th century.

Only the first prelude is very short; the others range from seven to over 12 minutes. Giacometti plays them on an 1858 Pleyel piano, whose sound aids in placing the pieces at that time and that location in the past. With the surround option one feels like a guest sitting in one of those grossly over-decorated Victorian parlors. Some tracks reminded me of certain of Gottschalk’s piano pieces. The composer’s wicked sense of humor comes thru on several of the pieces; one might be reminded of Erik Satie in that area. Generally though, I didn’t find these pieces nearly as high quality musically as most of those on the earlier volumes, and probably wouldn’t audition them again.  Your take on them may be different.

 – John Sunier

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