Charles Castronovo (tenor); Munich Radio Orchestra/Ivan Repušić
BR Klassik 900349 68:27 mins
A relatively minor element within his output, Puccini’s songs remain little known – though occasionally a singer will include a handful in recital.
The most worthwhile element of this collection is the vocalism of American Charles Castronovo, whose tonal qualities are as Italianate as his name and who is in easy command of his appealing lyric tenor. Other facets are disappointing. The songs were mostly written for voice and piano, and the disc could have simply involved a pianist; instead, chamber-like arrangements are used that rarely suggest the richer qualities of Puccini’s orchestral writing. Curiously, the orchestra is set back in the sound picture.
The booklet provides insufficient information – not even the dates of composition. Why did Puccini set the Spanish text ‘Dios y Patria’? What is the origin of his ‘Inno a Roma’, later taken up by the Fascists – not Puccini’s intention for a piece he described as ‘una porcheria’ (‘rubbish’)? We are not told.
Worse, texts and translations are not provided, disappointing given the songs’ rarity.
Though they vary in style and quality, the best are enjoyable. Never one to waste a good musical idea, Puccini recycled material: anyone knowing Manon Lescaut, La bohème or La rondine will encounter something familiar from these theatrical contexts. The same applies to the Capriccio sinfonico, one of three orchestral fillers, the others being the Preludio sinfonico and the attractive (and pleasingly arranged) memorial piece Crisantemi, though Carlo Rizzi’s recent recordings of the first two on Signum (reviewed, p73) outshine those available here.