VITTORE VENEZIANI (1878-1958): La Badia di Pomposa, Parisina.

Description: We've offered odd things many times over the years - that's what we're here for - but this is among the oddest: two melodramas from 1900-01, a genre whose heyday was a century before that time, featuring the poetry of Domenico Tumiati, set to music by a composer best-known (in Italy, at least) as a choral conductor and teacher. The orchestral versions were reduced by a Giordano Tunioli (contemporaneous with the premieres), presumably for easier performance by smaller ensembles - string quartet 3-5 winds, harmonium, harp and various percussion. The poetry is late Romantic in style (we are told); the music certainly is. But, without texts, your Italian will have to be ship-shape! No texts. Arnoldo Foà (reciter), Instrumental Ensemble of the Conservatory of Music of Adria and Ferrara; Giorgio Fabbri.