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I had no idea this existed and found it only because I was wanting to find if Amazon had a copy of the EMI LP of the La Strada ballet - I own it already, of course, and had been playing the CDR I made of it. There's a Muti suite of twenty-six minutes, but the EMI LP has fifty-six minutes and it's much better performed. Never on CD. I can't find the actual LP because it's in a box somewhere, so I went to Amazon to see if I could get more info on it, like label number, etc. And suddenly this Nino Rota album on Decca came up - they had it listed under La Strada, which I later found out is not the actual title and which is why no one would ever find this by searching what is, in fact, a five-volume series (so far) of Nino Rota's orchestral output. The Decca CD had no reviews and showed as unavailable. But it also showed two other volumes in the series on that page, so I clicked on those and found out the deal.
Apparently it has never occurred to Decca to actually let people know this series existed. Only one volume had a review on Amazon - one lonely review of about four words. I found two professional review via Google for a couple of the volumes. So, in order to actually be able to order them quickly and not from third-party sellers, I went to Amazon Italy, where they're each about nine bucks, and ordered the entire set (maybe I got one volume from Amazon UK - can't remember). They arrived, and let me tell you that anyone who remotely loves Rota's film music needs this set immediately. Sound is great, the performances are excellent, and the price is right. Amazon US's listings are beyond screwy - they have volume four listed as volume six, even though there is no volume six as of yet. Completely confusing and irritating. Anyway, some thoughts:
Each volume is a two-CD set (that's right, eleven bucks for a two-CD set). Volume one has a nice suite of music from the film The Legend of the Glass Mountain, a fun arrangement of The Godfather for harp, and a nice suite from Satyricon/Roma. The rest is Rota's classical music, which is just fantastic. You get three cello concertos (great), a concerto for harp, and a few short pieces.
Volume two has great suites from War and Peace, Amarcord, and Nights of Cabiria. You also get a wonderful trombone concerto, a bassoon concerto, and several other terrific pieces.
Volume three - the first CD is entirely devoted to a ballet called Le Moliere Imaginaire - just great. CD 2 has a suite from Prova d'Orchestra, and best of all a brilliant piano concerto.
Volume four is my overall favorite of the five volumes. Here you get a great suite from Boccaccio 70, three symphonies, which are amazing, and a couple of smaller attractive pieces.
Volume five's CD 1 has the complete La Strada ballet. All these years I thought the fifty-six minute LP on EMI was complete, but nooooo - this is almost eighty minutes long and it's brilliant. I do love the EMI performance, but this sounds fantastic and the extra twenty-five minutes are pure Rota. Disc two has the Sinfonia Sopra, a short piece, and finally a symphonic suite from Il Casanova.
I'm hoping there will be more, but Decca kept these really quiet, publicity-wise, and I can't imagine why. Volume five carries a 2017 copyright, as does volume four. So, there's hope, I suppose for more.
You all know I am not easy to please  So take this as you will: Highest recommendation! Here are two of the covers, so you can see what they look like.
Volume One:
Volume 5:
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Just the other day, I stumbled upon Vol. 6 on Ebay. Thanks for this thread, Bruce, because you've reminded me to buy the other 5 volumes, which I've just now done. They all seem to be available at the UK Amazon store.
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I think there are indeed (technically) six volumes in this series, with one of them released under the title "Sacred Works". Again, Amazon makes it impossible to discover this.
Aha. Well, could this be any more confusing? Apparently Sacred Works IS volume four and there IS a volume six. So what I listed as the contents of four is actually six.
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Can't find Sacred Works ANYWHERE. Anyone have a clew? I've checked all the Amazons.
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Posted: |
May 25, 2019 - 2:30 AM
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By: |
hyperdanny
(Member)
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Since I am (intermittently) a Giuseppe Verdi Orchesta subscriber, or "la Verdi" as we call it in Milan, I was present at several among the live concerts for this series.
I'm not the greatest Rota fan but they were all very good, indeed a fine and very extensive tribute to the composer.
Giuseppe Grazioli is a good, if lightweight, conductor, and has worked several times with the orchestra, also during their regular concert seasons.
Chandos too has recorded some orchestral Rota, but not on this scale of completeness, and in any case these are vastly superior.
Yes, Decca has not made a lot of fuss about it , to put it mildly, which is a real pity.
They are not widely available even here, but at the store at the orchestra auditorium they have all 6 of them...not really practical for you guys I know..
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Thanks for this post! Question: Does any of the cds have a great suite from his music for "QUEEN OF SHEBA"? Let me know...
No. The most obscure film here is Glass Mountain. Otherwise, it's all well known film stuff.
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As a result,Bruce I ordered 4 (couldn't find 2+4)
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Thanks for the tip. Managed to snag 3 of these from 2 different sources. Still can't find 2, 3, 4.
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While I'm patiently awaiting the arrival of Volumes 1-5, permit me please to give my highest recommendation for a new WB Classics release:
https://www.ebay.com/i/113728908768?chn=ps
For some reason it's not yet listed on Amazon or Amazon/UK. A superb concert of 3 classical compositions and five film suites. (My favorite moment is the harp version of the haunting piano solo from LA DOLCE VITA.)
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