Alfano's opera Risurrezione, based on a Tolstoy novel, achieved significant international success, celebrating its 1,000th Italian performance in 1951.
Critical Reception
The Suite romantica met with mixed success at its premiere, with composer Giuseppe Martucci leaving after the first movement, and Alfano himself believing his music needed time 'to season, like wood, in order to be appreciated'.
Recording & Production
This album features world premiere recordings of all its tracks, filling a significant gap in the market for Alfano's orchestral music.
Composer Biography
Alfano initially signed himself 'Frank' and wrote dance music for figures like Cléo de Merode and the Folies Bergère, as seen in his early waltz Amour… Amour…
Composer Biography
Franco Alfano was a member of the Generazione dell'Ottanta, a group of Italian composers born around the 1880s who aimed to revive Italian instrumental tradition.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Alfano stated that his aim in the Suite romantica was to express 'the feelings of two lovers travelling through Italy,' depicting a sentimental journey rather than mere postcards.
Composition History
The Suite romantica was premiered at the Augusteo in Rome, the most prestigious Italian concert hall of its day, under the baton of Egisto Tango, a classmate of Alfano's.
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