During the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Decca recorded a number of albums of overtures with some of its key conductors. Many of these were singled out by the press for their terrific sound quality (the fabled ‘Decca Sound’) and for their often adventurous programming. Some of them also included entr’actes and intermezzi. Prized as collectors’ items, many of the original LPs exchange hands at high prices. And most of these reissues, in Decca Eloquence’s ‘Romantic Overtures’ series appear in CD, in part or whole, for the first time.
Romantic Overtures – Volume 2 showcases the artistry of Piero Gamba who conducted showpieces for Decca and partnered, among others, Ruggiero Ricci as well as Julius Katchen in his magnificent cycle of the Beethoven Concertos. This 2CD set includes his very first recording for Decca, of Rossini Overtures (1955). Five years later, he recorded another LP of Rossini Overtures, the only common item being William Tell (the stereo recording is truly thrilling, the record as a whole one of Decca’s best kept secrets!). Both recordings are included here (with both versions of William Tell).
The Egmont Overture was originally coupled with Katchen’s recording of Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto; and also included is all of the LP entitled ‘Adventures in Sound’ which included overtures and intermezzi by Verdi, Mascagni, Mancinelli, Martucci and Ponchielli.
A real rarity is Stanley Black’s Overture to a Costume Comedy, recorded at the 1957 ‘Adventures in Sound’ sessions but only included on a 45rpm EP in mono. This is its first release on CD and in stereo.
CD 1
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Egmont Overture, Op. 84
GIUSEPPE VERDI:
La traviata: Prelude to Act I
La traviata: Prelude to Act III
I vespri siciliani: Overture
PIETRO MASCAGNI: Cavalleria rusticana: Intermezzo sinfonico
FABRIZIO MANCINELLI: Cleopatra: Overture
GIUSEPPE MARTUCCI: Notturno
AMILCARE PONCHIELLI: La Gioconda: Dance of the Hours
STANLEY BLACK: Overture to a Costume Comedy
GIOACHINO ROSSINI: Guillaume Tell: Overture [1955 recording]
CD 2
GIOACHINO ROSSINI:
Le Siège de Corinthe: Overture
Tancredi: Overture
Il Signor Bruschino: Overture
La Cenerentola: Overture (Sinfonia)
La gazza ladra: Overture
La scala di seta: Overture (arr. Perry)
Il barbiere di Siviglia: Overture (Sinfonia)
Semiramide: Overture
Guillaume Tell: Overture [1960 recording]
London Symphony Orchestra
Piero Gamba
Recording Producers: Ray Minshull (Egmont); Erik Smith (La traviata, Cavalleria rusticana, Cleopatra, I vespri siciliani, Notturno, La Gioconda, Overture to a Costume Comedy); Unknown (Guillaume Tell: 1955, Le Siège de Corinthe, Tancredi, Il Signor Bruschino, La Cenerentola); Ray Minshull (La gazza ladra, La scala di seta, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Semiramide, Guillaume Tell: 1960)
Balance Engineers: Kenneth Wilkinson (Egmont); Cyril Windebank (La traviata, Cavalleria rusticana, Cleopatra, I vespri siciliani, Notturno, La Gioconda, Overture to a Costume Comedy); Unknown (Guillaume Tell: 1955, Le Siège de Corinthe, Tancredi, Il Signor Bruschino, La Cenerentola); Kenneth Wilkinson (La gazza ladra, La scala di seta, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Semiramide, Guillaume Tell: 1960)
Recording Locations: Kingsway Hall, London, UK, 1–2 September 1955 (Guillaume Tell: CD1, Le Siège de Corinthe, Tancredi, Il Signor Bruschino, La Cenerentola); 7–9 January 1957 (La traviata, Cavalleria rusticana, Cleopatra, I vespri siciliani, Notturno, La Gioconda, Overture to a Costume Comedy); 15–16 November 1960 (La gazza ladra, La scala di seta, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Semiramide, Guillaume Tell: CD2); Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London, UK, December 1963 (Egmont)
‘The LSO supports Gamba brilliantly … a natural sound, clear and with a well-defined bass’ (Rossini: 1955) Gramophone
‘Performances throughout are good … well recorded’ Gramophone
‘’La gazza ladra’: the battery guaranteed to batter one through the back of one’s chair … The allegros are very fast indeed [and] one is open-mouthed to find that the LSO wind players still manage to phrase with their natural artistry and the violins at the opening of the allegro in ‘Semiramide’ have all their repeated notes exactly together … Gamba’s Rossini crescendos are all superbly controlled, and with the vivid stereo recording I cannot imagine anyone failing to find this disc very exciting.’ Gramophone