
Casella's Symphony II is a new work to these ears, my only previous exposure to this composer being Scarlattiana, here ably played by one of England's finest pianists, Martin Roscoe. Gianandrea Noseda ably leads the BBC Philharmonic in these Italian romantic works. Casella, like Martucci, preferred to write symphonic music and not follow the operatic tendencies of his contemporary Respighi. The Second Symphony utilizes many chimes and other percussion, and is original enough to hold this listener's attention. I plan on getting more of Casella's recordings based on the success of this disc. Five enthusiastic stars!