Toscanini rejected Alfano's completion of Turandot, leading to a 'mutilated, inauthentic Alfano version' circulating for most of the 20th century.
Alfano was a polyglot, born to a French mother, and was equally at home in Germany and France.
Franco Alfano, born in 1875, was considered one of the great Italian and European composers of the last century.
Alfano was a leading figure in 20th-century opera, with works like Risurrezione (1904) and Sakùntala (1921) establishing new styles.
Alfano is largely remembered for completing the third act of Puccini's opera Turandot, a commission he received from Toscanini in 1925.
Pianist Orazio Maione is considered one of the leading experts on Franco Alfano, and his father, Rino Maione, was a friend of the elderly composer.
Most of the works on this album are world premiere recordings, helping to paint a more complete picture of Alfano's work.
