Rare is the album that features works by
Puccini that do not include anything selected from his operas. Indeed, this compact disc showcases three works that may be unfamiliar to lovers of La bohème. The first work featured, Preludio Sinfonico, was completed when the composer was just 18 years of age, and bears distinction as
Puccini's premiere opus. While certainly a work of early simplicity, it does contain the sumptuous lyrical lines that characterize
Puccini's later works, beautifully realized and shaped by conductor
Antonio Pappano and the
London Symphony Orchestra. The Messa di Gloria is also an early work, and was in fact
Puccini's graduation piece for the Musical Institute of Lucca, Italy. Tenor
Roberto Alagna, baritone
Thomas Hampson, and the
London Symphony Chorus all radiate musicality under
Pappano's energetic, sweeping baton, although the work itself is not one of
Puccini's most interesting. The real gem, in fact, is the work named after the flower associated with funeral rites in Italy, Crisantemi, a piece for string orchestra. An arrangement by the composer of an elegy originally written for string quartet was composed in a single night in 1890, written as a memorial for Duke of Savoy. This work has a lush coldness that shimmers in the hands of
Pappano, who brings an innate musical phrasing to this haunting, somber work. In fact, an Italian by blood,
Pappano brings atmosphere, commitment, and excitement to all of the works on the album. The EMI liner notes unfortunately tell nothing in depth of any of
Puccini's works, and the massive translated biographies of the conductor (with no mention of the music) are frustrating. The bottom line: although the grainy sound quality is sub-par for a modern recording (2000), these performances are nevertheless a worthwhile introduction to
Puccini's early, non-operatic works.