Mercadante: Three Concertos for Flute and Orchestra

“This CD is particularly valuable because, in addition to its musical qualities, it enriches a somewhat lean discography (even if the concertos recorded are the same three that can be found in almost all anthologies, as in the classic James Galway recording (RCA, with the Solisti Veneti and Claudio Scimone)). Trevisani is, amid the many putative disciples of Galway, and the innumerable attendants at his masterclasses, Galway’s only real pupil in a strict sense; the only pupil, that is, whose entire formation took place under Galway’s guidance. However, the interpretations of the Italian flautist depart noticeably from those of Galway. For one thing, Trevisani demonstrates a greater fidelity to the text, a fact that underscores broader discrepancies between their musical approaches. Whereas Galway, with the addition of ever more elaborate embellishments in his Mercadante recordings, showcases his virtuosity, Trevisani – keenly backed by the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, directed by Constantine Orbelian – prefers to emphasize the singing nature of Mercadante’s invention; the melodies’ pure profiles, delicately unfurled amid barely perceptible pauses; and the exquisite vocal nature of Mercadante’s musical lexicon. While the technical brilliance of Mercadante’s compositions is preserved in Trevisani’s recording, it is reconstituted within a belcanto framework, and thus Trevisani restores to the writings of the ‘Compositore di Altamura’ the very language of melodrama from which these concertos ultimately derive.” – Luca Rossetto Casel