ERMANNO WOLF-FERRARI

This is a project very close to the heart of the BBC Philharmonic’s Principal Conductor, something reflected in the passionate performances he creates.

BBC Music magazine commented early on that ‘Noseda’s affection for the music is evident throughout’. Even at the time of his appointment, he spoke of his ambition to record the works of the twentieth-century Italian composers, and he has since recorded works by Respighi and Dallapiccola.

‘Gianandrea Noseda understands the music’s lyrical strength and fragile sound-world perfectly; the playing of the BBC Philharmonic is exemplary, too’, wrote The Guardian on the Dallapiccola disc.

Known mainly for his operatic compositions, perhaps especially the overture to Il segreto di Susanna, Wolf-Ferrari was that rare phenomenon, famously exemplified by Busoni, of an Italian composer better known in Germany than in his homeland. The son of a German painter and his Italian wife, Wolf-Ferrari made his home in Munich and was throughout his life divided by the two cultures, something that provided a foundation of his creative existence, particularly in his attachment to the neo-classical style.

Noseda and the BBC Philharmonic present extracts from five operas, I quattro rusteghi, Il segreto di Susanna, I gioielli della Madonna, Il campiello and La dama boba. They are complemented by the Suite-Concertino for bassoon, two horns and strings. The soloist is Karen Geoghegan who recently made her debut on Chandos following her appearance on the television programme Classical Star.

With such distinguished and sympathetic advocacy, the music of Wolf-Ferrari should achieve the worldwide recognition that it deserves.

"A warm welcome to a superb collection of Wolf-Ferrari’s sparkling orchestral music... The Chandos recording is first class, with the deep, resonant bass-drum in L’amore medico marvellously captured."

The Penguin Guide - 1000 Greatest Classical Recordings 2011-12

Three cheers then to Gianandrea Noseda who inspires the BBC Philharmonic to virtuoso heights in this selection of orchestral opera highlights.
Noseda conducts it all with quiet passion, and the BBC Philharmonic’s playing is finely judged in its combination of virtuosity and restraint. A treat.
Noseda adopts generally brisker tempi that Serebrier and, with Chandos’s brighter recorded sound and extra items, is the preferred choice.
Noseda and the BBC Philharmonic weight and pace these often feather light textures to perfection, particularly in the several delightful song-based movements with plucked or strummed accompaniments. But where this disc scores over most comparable compilations is in offering not just the usual operatic favourites but also a substantial 20-minute bonus in the form of the 1933 Suite-Concertino for bassoon and strings.
What a wonderful sound two early violins, dulcian and keyboards make!' The two violins are equal in every sense – the ensemble is impeccable, even in the most complex music – and it is revelatory to hear this material with a reed instrument on the bass, as a host of composers (especially later ones) expected in ensemble music. Fine playing from all concerned.

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