This is an interesting recovery project, directed towards one of the numerous authors who were active in a period, between the two world wars, that today is still unnoticed. Moreover, because of Messina�s premature passing, which occurred in 1930, his name was soon forgotten, despite of the fame he had acquired during his life.

We cannot discern, in the suite, what must be attributed to Messina, and what, instead, comes exclusively from Pessina�s hand. In any case, from what we can intuitively grasp, the music of Messina seems to be still very linked to melodrama, with some peaks of modernity, though always very moderate, which recall the great works of Casella, (another name that was banned for political reasons).

The second piece on the CD, the Concerto for Strings by Nino Rota (1911- 1979), certainly a more well known musical figure, though less performed recently. The great Milanese composer has been the victim of prejudices, because many claim that those who write film music cannot be considered true composers, and accuse even his non-cinematic works of a certain superficiality�.

Before casting any further judgment, we invite every listener to become more informed about various composers, both Italian and from other countries, such as Rustichelli, Nicolai, Trovajoli, Korngold, and Steiner (just to name a few), who have lent their musical genius to cinema.

Without further discussion, let us move on to the Concertango, Op. 55, by Paolo Pessina, the last of the three works on the Naxos CD. Here the young composer presents a piece where both the classic and modern are present, with the baroque concerto grosso juxtaposed with Argentine tango (and a rhythm that swings from ragtime to gypsy sounds in the last-but-one movement). In the end, the modern prevails over the antique, but without destroying it, even if in the final movement (Finaltango) one can discern the sinister echoes of the Dies Irae.

The overall result is surprising and grants a sensation of a balanced modernity, also because the author never drifts into atonality, always following a melodic discourse.

Also worth mentioning are the soloists of the Orchestra Sinfonica Adriatica, a group founded and directed by Paolo Pessina, who demonstrate great unity, cohesiveness, and a rich sound, characteristics that only great ensembles possess.

In addition, the abilities of the concertmaster must be applauded, who, in the Concertango, displays his virtuosic talents.

This is a CD of the highest level, which honors Italian classical music, which we hope will not remain an isolated instance, and will push Naxos on to further projects.

� by Marco del Vaglio (Agire, December 17, 2006) more....