Gifted as an opera composer, but somewhat out of his element in other disciplines, Riccardo Zandonai tended to treat his orchestral compositions as offshoots of his work for the stage: he supplied them with all the drama, lyricism, and scene painting that comes naturally in the theater, but paid less attention to the organization of ideas and their development. This is perhaps why his Concerto Romantico for violin and orchestra (1919) and Quadri di Segantini (1931) sound a little like "operas without words," so strong are the outpourings of melodies over flamboyant accompaniments; and strikingly contrasted moods create tension instead of rigorous thematic argumentation. This may seem an unfair simplification of Zandonai's methods, but it is almost beside the point to resist his music on these grounds. His brilliant colors, heightened emotional expressions, and vivid technical displays make the Concerto Romantico appealing and memorable, if not wholly satisfying intellectually; and violinist Stefano Zanchetta and the Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento, conducted by Maurizio Dini Ciacci, give life and luster to this entertaining showpiece without worrying unduly over its formal deficiencies. The Quadri di Segantini, conducted by
Giuseppe Grazioli, sounds a bit like shimmering soundtrack music, and may hold less interest for its association with any specific paintings by Segantini, and appeal more for its lush sonorities and atmospherically lovely tunes. CPO's sound quality is top-notch.