AMILCARE PONCHIELLI (1834-1886): Piano Music - Danza delle ore from La Gioconda, Il primo affetto, Op. 91, Amicizia, Op. 95, T’amerò sempre, Op. 87, Tutti ebbri, Op. 90, Elegia, Add 9, Improvviso, Notturno, Op. 93, Gavotte poudrée,Op. 91, Elegia. Op. 92, Saltellina-polka, Op.98, Elegia funebre in onore di Felice Frasi, Op. 89, La staffetta di Gambolo, Op. 88, Marcia funebre per i funerali di Francesco Lucca, Op. 112.

Description: Not merely the frothy and sparkling salon pieces you’d expect from a composer relaxing between operas: most of the pieces issued here were published in the 1870s and 1880s, and some of them are far more substantial than mere album-leaves. Yet they are hardly known at all; Riccardo Muti recorded an orchestration of the somber and touching Elegia funebre from 1881, but this is the only available version of the piano original. Even more imposing in scale is the 16-minute Funeral March which Ponchielli wrote late in 1872 to honor the passing of the publisher Francesco Lucca. Ester Fusar Poli (piano).