Marriner: Rossini – String Sonatas 1-6, Donizetti, Bellini, Cherubini (2 CD, APE)

Composer: Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, Luigi Cherubini, Vincenzo Bellini
Orchestra: Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields, Barry Tuckwell
Conductor: Neville Marriner
Audio CD
Number of Discs: 2
Format: (APE(image+cue)
Label: Decca
Size: 543 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

CD 01
01. Rossini: String Sonata No.1 in G major – 1. Moderato
02. Rossini: String Sonata No.1 in G major – 2. Andantino
03. Rossini: String Sonata No.1 in G major – 3. Allegro
04. Rossini: String Sonata No.2 in C major – 1. Allegro
05. Rossini: String Sonata No.2 in C major – 2. Andantino
06. Rossini: String Sonata No.2 in C major – 3. Allegro
07. Rossini: String Sonata No.3 – 1. Allegro
08. Rossini: String Sonata No.3 – 2. Andante
09. Rossini: String Sonata No.3 – 3. Moderato
10. Rossini: String Sonata No.4 – 1. Allegro vivace
11. Rossini: String Sonata No.4 – 2. Andantino
12. Rossini: String Sonata No.4 – 3. Allegretto

CD 02
01. Rossini: String Sonata No.5 – 1. Allegro Vivace
02. Rossini: String Sonata No.5 – 2. Andantino
03. Rossini: String Sonata No.5 – 3. Allegretto
04. Rossini: String Sonata No.6 – 1. Allegro spirituoso
05. Rossini: String Sonata No.6 – 2. Andante assai
06. Rossini: String Sonata No.6 – 3. Tempesta (Allegro)
07. Donizetti: String Quartet in D – Arr. for string orchestra – 1. Allegro
08. Donizetti: String Quartet in D – Arr. for string orchestra – 2. Larghetto
09. Donizetti: String Quartet in D – Arr. for string orchestra – 3. Presto
10. Donizetti: String Quartet in D – Arr. for string orchestra – 4. Allegro
11. Cherubini: Etude No.2 for French horn and strings – Largo-Allegro-Moderato
12. Bellini: Oboe Concerto in E flat – Maestoso e deciso-Larghetto cantabile-Allegro polonaise

best around

I can only add my voice to the other reviewers who gave 5 stars. The String Sonatas are fully enjoyable on their own, their rossinian wit being fully captured by Marriner but here, thanks to the Academy, the sound is muscled up instead of the usual pale “string quartets” sound, and in this instance it works out wonderfully.
As I had the chance to say in another review, Marriner perhaps has not left a legacy on a particular piece or repertoire as the absolute n.1 but surely whatever he did, is consistently close to the top. No little achievement in my view.These Strings Sonatas are on the very top of his enormously wide repertoire.

The Best

Great music. Hard to believe he composed all 6 of these sonatas at the age of only 12. And the quality of the CD itself is just as impressive. It was pressed in Germany, and you can really, really tell. Fidelity of the sound is amazing. This is a DECCA CD and my experience is that they always produce top quality sound.