Respighi: Sinfonia drammatica, P. 102 & Belfagor Overture, P. 140 Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège & John Neschling

• 1 I. Allegro energico 22:38
• 2 II. Andante sostenuto 16:48
• 3 III. Allegro impetuoso 18:41
• 4 Belfagor 10:54
• Total Runtime 01:09:01

Info for Respighi: Sinfonia drammatica, P. 102 & Belfagor Overture, P. 140

Respighi wird vor allem mit seiner ›römischen Trilogie‹ verbunden, die zwischen 1916 und 1928 entstand und die „ewige Stadt“ mit ihren Brunnen, Kiefern und Festivals feiert. Dabei war Respighi ein in vielen Genres profilierter Komponist, und alle seine Orchesterwerke, auch die vor und nach der „römischen Trilogie“, bieten hohe Qualität.

Und so setzen John Neschling und das Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège ihre Erforschung Respighischer Orchesterkompositionen fort mit dieser dritten Folge und der „Sinfonia drammatica“, einem großformatigen Werk von epischen Dimensionen (Spieldauer über 58 Minuten). Das mag der Hauptgrund sein, warum es nur selten gespielt wird. Das Stück hat einen dunklen, intensiven, dramatischen Charakter, der alle überraschen wird, die Respighi nur von seiner extrovertierten Seite her kennen.

Besser bekannt ist die „Belfagor“ Ouvertüre, ein 1924 entstandenes Werk, in dem Respighi Material einer Oper gleichen Titels aufgreift, die 1923 mit großem Erfolg Premiere hatte. Diese „lyrische Komödie“ erzählt die Geschichte eines Teufels – Belfagor -, der auf die Erde kommt, um mehr über die Liebe zwischen Menschen zu lernen. Die Orchesterouvertüre beschreibt die beiden Hauptfiguren, Belfagor und Candida, „das Mädchen, rein, liebend und treu.“

Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liege
John Neschling, Dirigent

Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège
Founded in 1960, the Liège Royal Philharmonic/Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (OPRL) (which numbers one hundred musicians) is recognised today as ‘the best orchestra of Belgium’. It has a powerful, recognisable identity in the Eu- ropean musical world, linked to its distinctive artistic and geographical position at the crossroads of the Germanic and French spheres, reflecting the age-old history of Liège: it combines the density of Germanic orchestras with the transparency of their French counterparts. It is known for its commitment, its curiosity about all kinds of repertoire, and its bold choices in relation to a wide range of audiences. Over more than half a century, the OPRL has shown its openness to different repertoires and has developed a reputation, in particular, for its performances of French music and of contemporary works (the orchestra has premiered more than ninety com- positions by Berio, Xenakis, Piazzolla, Takemitsu, Boesmans, Dusapin, and Manto- vani, among others). The OPRL has recorded more than seventy discs in fifty years; most have been widely acclaimed by the international press. It tours regularly: since 1999 it has undertaken seven tours, which have taken it to, for example, South America, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. The OPRL currently gives more than eighty concerts a year, of which half take place in Liège. Since 2000 it has also run the Salle Philharmonique in Liège and expanded the range of concerts there to include Baroque music, world music, chamber music, and major recitals on piano and organ.

John Neschling
The Brazilian-born conductor John Neschling is a grand-nephew both of the composer Arnold Schoenberg and of the conductor Arthur Bodanzky. He studied in Vienna under Hans Swarowsky and attended classes with Leonard Bernstein and Bruno Maderna in Europe and in the USA. Orchestras he has conducted include the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of Santa Cecilia in Rome and the Residentie Orchestra in The Hague. As an opera con- ductor he has appeared all over the world with, for example, the Vienna State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, Arena di Verona, Opernhaus Zürich and Washington Opera.

He has been music director at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, the St Gallen Opera in Switzerland, the Teatro Massimo in Palermo and the Orchestre National Bordeaux-Aquitaine in France; in Brazil he has conducted the opera com- panies in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. In 1997 he became principal conductor of the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, a position he retained until 2009. During these years he transformed the orchestra into the leading symphony orchestra of Latin America, touring the USA and Europe three times, and recording more than 30 acclaimed discs. Since 2011 he has conducted concerts and opera productions in Italy, France, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium and Poland, and in January 2013 he took over the artistic and musical direction of the Theatro Municipal in São Paulo.

Booklet for Respighi: Sinfonia drammatica, P. 102 & Belfagor Overture, P. 140