Morini

Before the great conductor Ferenc Fricsay died (tragically young at the age of 48 in 1963), he made dozens of brilliant mono and stereo recordings for Deutsche Grammophon. Many of his most significant recordings have been released on CD, though some have already drifted out-of-print (Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, Mozart Syms 29, 39-41 and Beethoven Syms 3, 5 & 7) and others are only available as expensive imports. This past year there has even been a limited edition boxed set of his music released (in the "Original Masters" series – see my review).

Italian violinist Enrico Gatti has made various recordings of the late Baroque violin repertory with Ensemble 415 and other groups, and his booklet notes, as encrusted with decorations as the music itself, are always part of the attraction. Here he holds forth, in English, French, and German translations of the original Italian, on Giuseppe Tartini's life and career, heading his reflections with an Emily Dickinson poem (unfortunately somewhat less effective in German) and diverging into such avenues as an attack on daily newspaper journalism as it pertains to Baroque music.

There have been many famous collaborations between musicians who normally are thought of as having solo careers, Rubinstein and Heifetz and Kempff and Fournier to name but a few. Such is also the case with the two artists heard here: violinist Erica Morini and pianist Rudolf Firkusny. Although they enjoyed a brief stint together in the recording studio, as well, on this album we are treated to a rare live performance.

Lamenti e patetici sospiri di innamorati infelici sono gli eterni temi della cantata italiana; un piccolo dramma lirico-narrativo che ogni autore cerca di rinnovare con raffinate varianti stilistiche.