Orchestral Music, Vol. 2: Symphony No. 2 / Theme and Variations / Tarantella / Gavotta

""Giuseppe Martucci (1856-1909) is a composer of no little success during his lifetime. Hailed as one of the premiere pianists of the age, he was also named the conductor of the Orchestra Napoletana, widely considered to be the best in Italy at the time. Naxos has embarked on a complete orchestral music series. Martucci would certainly be pleased, as these performances are outstanding, played to perfection by the Rome Symphony and captured is excellent sound. (This disc) contains Martucci's masterpiece Symphony No. 2. It was written in the last ten years of his life and took him over five years to complete. This is a not-to-be-missed series." (AudAud Five Stars Nov 2009)

Described by Gian Francesco Malipiero as "the beginning of the rebirth of non-operatic Italian music", Martucci's Second Symphony is his masterpiece.

Drawing on his abiding love of Brahms and Schumann, and initially championed by Toscanini, this attractive work has sadly become a rarity on the concert platform.

The remaining pieces, all originally for piano and predating the symphony, highlight different facets of this fascinating composer whose personal style, while recalling those of many others from Beethoven to Bax, is nonetheless distinctive and rewarding in its own right.

Martucci's Symphony No. 1 is available on 8570929.