Founded in 2006 by composer and conductor
Salvatore di Vittorio, the New York Chamber Orchestra 'Ottorini Respighi' has among its goals the promotion of
Respighi's works. This is a noble and worthwhile endeavor as many listeners are undoubtedly unfamiliar with the bulk of
Respighi's vast output apart from the extremely popular Roman Trilogy. The orchestra is made up entirely of young professional musicians, a model found less frequently in the U.S. than abroad. Listening to this Naxos album,
di Vittorio's orchestra sounds every bit as mature and seasoned as more veteran orchestras. The program features
di Vittorio's own revised version of the Suite for strings, a work that can easily be counted among the great string serenades of
Tchaikovsky,
Elgar, and
Dvorák. In the suite, the able-bodied chamber orchestra produces a wonderfully rich, velvety tone that ideally complements
Respighi's melodious writing and expert scoring. The same appealing sound quality is achieved when the winds and brass join in for the Rossiniana Suite for orchestra. Top billing on the program goes to the A major Violin Concerto, P. 49. This concerto went unfinished by
Respighi, and is heard here in a completed and revised version by
di Vittorio. Though the work is interesting, it is also the least successful on the album.
Respighi's trademark lush orchestration and suave writing are absent here. What's more, violinist
Laura Marzadori's playing of the solo part is sometimes strained and occasionally marred intonation difficulties. Still, the recording fills a gap in recordings of
Respighi's oeuvre and is more than worthwhile for the Suite for strings alone.