Topic: Malipiero's mausoleum

[Scriptavolant]

Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973) belonged to the Generation of the 80s (1880); according to John Waterhouse he has been the most original personality within the group (others were: Casella, Alfano, Respighi, Pizzetti etc.); according to Luigi DallaPiccola he’s the most important Italian musical personality after Giuseppe Verdi. Bruno Maderna cared a lot for his music too, and directed some of his works.

The aims of the Generation of the 80s were to find new ways out of the stalemate caused by the popular veneration of the Italian melodramma; each composer of the group looked for a personal path to achieve new mediums of expression. One could simplify things considering Malipiero a post-romantic (or even anti-romantic) neo-classicist, with sturdy roots in the instrumental Italian tradition of the XVIII Century, and back to madrigalism and polyphonic tradition. His style is the antythesis of traditional development, laying on free motivic inspiration and gregorian monody. A wonderful, desperate and often mocking evocation of ghostly worlds, which may be interpreted as an homage to the loss of ancient Italy splendour (far away from shallow nationalistic issues, that's obvious).
His late works tend to adopt atonal solutions.

I had only two great musical passions so far: Wagner’s Ouvertures (a juvenile love) and Malipiero’s symphonies, which I’d recommend to anyone interested; I know less about his chamber music, but would recommend his String Quartes:



and the “Ricercari”



Along with his piano music as well (attached).

Here’s his naxos page with the complete symphonic cicle recorded by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra and De Almeida.
http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/655.htm

[springrite]

I have just 3 CDs of his music and, frankly, I find them quite boring. After Verdi and the other opera composers, the first (non-operatic) Italian composer that really tickled my fancy was Dallapiccola.

[vandermolen]

An interesting, if uneven, composer. I have most of the Marco Polos, below is my favourite; a great disc:

http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.223602

I've just ordered the string quartets. Thanks for raising Malipiero, I also like the paintings by Mantovani (presumably not the band leader!) on the front of thye Marco Polo releases.

[Scriptavolant]

An interesting, if uneven, composer. I have most of the Marco Polos, below is my favourite; a great disc:

http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.223602

I've just ordered the string quartets. Thanks for raising Malipiero, I also like the paintings by Mantovani (presumably not the band leader!) on the front of thye Marco Polo releases.

Know what? I was stunned by the beauty of those paintings, especially "Nightfall" (first Cd of the Serie, my favourite). Nevertheless I couldn't find any information on this artist.

[vandermolen]

Know what? I was stunned by the beauty of those paintings, especially "Nightfall" (first Cd of the Serie, my favourite). Nevertheless I couldn't find any information on this artist.

They reminded me of paintings by Georgio de Chirico and have the same haunting, poetic quality to them.

[Drasko]

Probably Alessandro Mantovani (1814-1892)

[Scriptavolant]

They reminded me of paintings by Georgio de Chirico and have the same haunting, poetic quality to them.

When I did not know who the painter was, I made the same suggestion, though De Chirico is probably even more surrealistic and abstract.

[vandermolen]

I'm sure from my own limited internet research (ie googled the name) that Drasko is right but I assumed that Mantovani was a more recent artist. I must try to find out more. Certainly, he seems like a forerunner of Surrealism.

[Scriptavolant]

Mmm..I'm sceptical, and think too he's a more recent artist.

If you look at this painting:
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.223696

You'll see that the building on the left of the praying woman is pretty obviously of modern making (I'd say 1950s-1960s). You can even see the window's blind.

[Drasko]

Could be Adelchi Riccardo Mantovani

[Scriptavolant]

Yes! Most probably that's the guy.



The style is pretty similar and marvelous. Thanx Drasko!

[vandermolen]

Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973) belonged to the Generation of the 80s (1880); according to John Waterhouse he has been the most original personality within the group (others were: Casella, Alfano, Respighi, Pizzetti etc.); according to Luigi DallaPiccola he’s the most important Italian musical personality after Giuseppe Verdi. Bruno Maderna cared a lot for his music too, and directed some of his works.

The aims of the Generation of the 80s were to find new ways out of the stalemate caused by the popular veneration of the Italian melodramma; each composer of the group looked for a personal path to achieve new mediums of expression. One could simplify things considering Malipiero a post-romantic (or even anti-romantic) neo-classicist, with sturdy roots in the instrumental Italian tradition of the XVIII Century, and back to madrigalism and polyphonic tradition. His style is the antythesis of traditional development, laying on free motivic inspiration and gregorian monody. A wonderful, desperate and often mocking evocation of ghostly worlds, which may be interpreted as an homage to the loss of ancient Italy splendour (far away from shallow nationalistic issues, that's obvious).
His late works tend to adopt atonal solutions.

I had only two great musical passions so far: Wagner’s Ouvertures (a juvenile love) and Malipiero’s symphonies, which I’d recommend to anyone interested; I know less about his chamber music, but would recommend his String Quartes:



and the “Ricercari”



Along with his piano music as well (attached).

Here’s his naxos page with the complete symphonic cicle recorded by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra and De Almeida.
http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/655.htm

I just bought the sting quartets thanks to your recommendation and thought them to be absolutely excellent, my favourite being No 5 but they are all great.  I enjoyed the double CD set so much that I listened to all eight string quartets consecutively (the longest is only about 20 mins). In some ways, I think that these are finer works than some of the symphonies. A great find and well-packaged and great value on Brilliant Classics.

So thank you for the recommendation.

[Scriptavolant]

Oh, you're welcome. I'm glad you've enjoyed his SQs, I've not been listening to them for a while, but remember my preference went to No. 2 "Stornelli e Ballate", based on popular songs. I'm still waiting for the Brilliant Box to arrive, I did already have the edition on the ASV label.
I would really like to know your impressions on the symphonies if you have any, and which one you consider less fine (I think Malipiero's atonality is not particularly inspired or maybe I'm just unable to understand it).

If you happen to be interested in his piano works (attached in the OP), I've put the files on sharing some time ago and you still can find them in peer to peer.

[karlhenning]

Come on!  He's really from Arkansas, right? (Little Rock . . . .)

[karlhenning]

Just kidding!

I need to get to listening to Malipiero.

[Scriptavolant]

Just kidding!

JUst to have some tasting you could start by listening to some sample on the naxos website.

[vandermolen]

Oh, you're welcome. I'm glad you've enjoyed his SQs, I've not been listening to them for a while, but remember my preference went to No. 2 "Stornelli e Ballate", based on popular songs. I'm still waiting for the Brilliant Box to arrive, I did already have the edition on the ASV label.
I would really like to know your impressions on the symphonies if you have any, and which one you consider less fine (I think Malipiero's atonality is not particularly inspired or maybe I'm just unable to understand it).

If you happen to be interested in his piano works (attached in the OP), I've put the files on sharing some time ago and you still can find them in peer to peer.

I especially like the Marco Polo CD with Sinfonia del Mare and symphonies 3 and 4 but I have not got to grips with the others (Zodiac Symphony, for example), I have about three other Marco Polo CDs with the symphonies and have just ordered his Piano Concerto 3 on a different label. I intend to have another go at the symphonies and will report back in due course.

[Dundonnell]

CPO has just announced the forthcoming release of a two CD set of Malipiero's 6 Piano Concerti. That is certainly enterprising of them!
There is an old Louisville Orchestra performance from 1960 of Piano Concerto No.3 with Benjamin Owen as soloist. I remember thinking that it was a rather dry piece but I still reckon that I will have to give this new set a go!

[snyprrr]

Woefully underfunded thread...

A) WARNING: Get the SQs 1-8 on Dynamic, not Brilliant. If you really like these SQs, the bright, tight Dynamic recording makes these SQs really really more Italian...trust me ...and the Venice based quartet really has these things locked down. Very improvisatory.

B)SYMPHONIES: I heard No.3 and No.4 were the pinnacle, but I felt each was done in by a very stompy noisy finale (the slow mvmts however are heavenly). The Marco Polo w/No.7 and the Sym. de Antigonia? became my fav. No.7 has all the rustic beauty of the others, but the finale isn't quite as...I'll say bombastic. And the Antigonia Sym. is probably the best of the unnumbered syms. I also have the string sym, No.6 (on Denon w/Rota and a great piece by Morricone).

I have a rare Nuevo Era cd with Grottesco, Cello Cto, Ricercare, and Dialogo No.1? and this cd shows up Malipiero's 1920's clanky, quirky stuff to great effect. S. Palm plays the Cto. Very Milhaud-y, but a bit cranky-er. Great fun. Great cd. There is a companion disc in this series, a 2cd set of Casella by the same troupe.

C)CHAMBER: Besides the quirky SQs, I have a Dischi Recordi cd w/Sonata a tre (piano trio), Sonata a cinq (fl,hrp,str),wind qnt Dialogo, and SQ NO.8. The piano trio from @1920 IS a masterpiece IMHO. Again, all good fun here.

And Stradivarius has released all the Dialoghi (though the 2 or 3 I have suffice) and a 2-cd set of chamber music called Endecatode?. This would be the only other Malipiero disc I feel I would "neeeed" as it seems like a veritable treasure chest (and no duplications, I believe).

Malipiero's language hardened in the 50s-60s (like Chavez, Rawsthorne, Bloch, and other composers of the generation), but I really like his version of crankiness.

But the SQs really are some of the most chipper, cheerful, exhuberantly melodic and rhapsodic and quirky SQs I know. No one sounds like these SQs. It's like he keeps writing the same SQ over and over, in a good way, and they are so infectious. But please spend the $$$ and get the Dynamic recording.

[vandermolen]

Woefully underfunded thread...

A) WARNING: Get the SQs 1-8 on Dynamic, not Brilliant. If you really like these SQs, the bright, tight Dynamic recording makes these SQs really really more Italian...trust me ...and the Venice based quartet really has these things locked down. Very improvisatory.

B)SYMPHONIES: I heard No.3 and No.4 were the pinnacle, but I felt each was done in by a very stompy noisy finale (the slow mvmts however are heavenly). The Marco Polo w/No.7 and the Sym. de Antigonia? became my fav. No.7 has all the rustic beauty of the others, but the finale isn't quite as...I'll say bombastic. And the Antigonia Sym. is probably the best of the unnumbered syms. I also have the string sym, No.6 (on Denon w/Rota and a great piece by Morricone).

I have a rare Nuevo Era cd with Grottesco, Cello Cto, Ricercare, and Dialogo No.1? and this cd shows up Malipiero's 1920's clanky, quirky stuff to great effect. S. Palm plays the Cto. Very Milhaud-y, but a bit cranky-er. Great fun. Great cd. There is a companion disc in this series, a 2cd set of Casella by the same troupe.

C)CHAMBER: Besides the quirky SQs, I have a Dischi Recordi cd w/Sonata a tre (piano trio), Sonata a cinq (fl,hrp,str),wind qnt Dialogo, and SQ NO.8. The piano trio from @1920 IS a masterpiece IMHO. Again, all good fun here.

And Stradivarius has released all the Dialoghi (though the 2 or 3 I have suffice) and a 2-cd set of chamber music called Endecatode?. This would be the only other Malipiero disc I feel I would "neeeed" as it seems like a veritable treasure chest (and no duplications, I believe).

Malipiero's language hardened in the 50s-60s (like Chavez, Rawsthorne, Bloch, and other composers of the generation), but I really like his version of crankiness.

But the SQs really are some of the most chipper, cheerful, exhuberantly melodic and rhapsodic and quirky SQs I know. No one sounds like these SQs. It's like he keeps writing the same SQ over and over, in a good way, and they are so infectious. But please spend the $$$ and get the Dynamic recording.

Interesting points.  Have just ordered this CD, which features Mitropolous conducting Malipiero's 7th Symphony.