Franco Alfano
(1875-1954)
Symphony #1 "Classica" (1908-10, rev 1953)
Symphony #2 (1931-2)
Brandenburg State Orchestra, Frankfurt/Israel Yinon
CPO 777080-2 73:30
Alfano is best known as the man who completed Puccini's Turandot. He spent some years working outside of Italy before returning to hold a number of posts for the rest of his life.
The first symphony originally had four movements but Alfano decided to cut the scherzo. To some tastes, it might sound somewhat overegged or even, as Grove puts it, long-winded. The second, though longer than the first, is more neo-classical with lighter textures. In general, the music shows some similarities to such composers as Respighi and Pizzetti.
