Respighi: Belfagor Overture, Pines of Rome, etc / Gardelli

Newcomers to Ottorino Respighi's resplendent orchestral works will find this generous and affordable package a good place to start. However, more experienced listeners will find it a mixed bag, perhaps only worth pursuing for half of its selections. Lamberto Gardelli's 1976 performances with the London Symphony Orchestra of Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome are vivid and exciting, but the recordings fall a little short in sonic range and orchestral depth; later digital recordings are more effective in capturing the full dimensions of Pines and Fountains, and these analog recordings pale in comparison. The rare Belfagor Overture is a lively bonus track, though far from a masterpiece, and probably essential only to Respighi collectors. Neville Marriner's 1976 performances with the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields of The Birds and the Three Botticelli Pictures are bright and joyous, and the classic 1975 rendition of Ancient Airs and Dances with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra remains one of Marriner's most popular recordings. EMI's ADD remastering is better than average, but some haziness remains, particularly in the softest passages of Gardelli's recordings. Marriner's, though, are quite distinct and clearly detailed.