Margola: Music for Violin, Piano & Orchestra

Album review

Franco Margola (1908–1992) had an unwavering and authentic love for the violin, lasting throughout his career and artistic development. This recording showcases the versatility of the Brescian composer and the evolution of his musical thought over his lifetime. Often resisting the fashions of his time, the composer balanced tradition and modernism. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Margola became intolerant of harsh and violent sounds and so preferred writing more relaxing pieces.

Kinderkonzert No. 2 is a work for violin and orchestra (1954). In the first movement, the writing is fluid and melodious. Only during the cadenza does the atmosphere become more serious, and the lightness that characterised the entire movement is only rediscovered with the return of the full orchestra. The next movement, Sostenuto, has a dreamlike character that comes to life in the central section with dance-style music. In the final Allegro, the soloist’s part is characterised by brilliant virtuosic writing which fits well into the articulated orchestral texture.

Almost thirty years later, Margola wrote Concerto dell’alba for violin and string orchestra (1982). Intended to be the third of the "Kinderkonzert", Concerto dell’alba sounds free from any form of modernism and cerebralism. Nevertheless, the composer uses a modern idiom with wisdom and discretion which creates a spontaneous musical eloquence and cantabile sound. A vigorous Rondo with lively popular tunes concludes the Concerto.

The composer proposed a decidedly neoclassical writing style in Variazioni sopra un tema giocoso (1965), placing well calibrated sounds within a formal structure. Also neoclassical, Sonata in D (1931) is the first of a series of five violin sonatas and reveals the composer’s technical mastery. In the first movement, two themes are alternated: one serious, and the other dreamy, seemingly floating on the arpeggiated piano accompaniment.

In 1960, the Doppio concerto for violin, piano and string orchestra was published. Once again, Margola refused to follow contemporary musical fashions, instead following his own nature in the search for an expressive and spontaneous language. The three tempos that make up the Doppio concerto follow each other seamlessly and show us a cleverly devised composition where the romantic musical idiom is updated in the light of the experiences of the new century.

Franco Margola (1908-1992) has his musical roots in the 19th century, in particular in the cultural movement which was predominantly interested in instrumental music, as opposed to the opera. Franco’s musical language is classicist, with clear formal structures and a leading role for the melody.

Beautifully played by Davide Alogna, one of Italy’s best known violinists. Alogna was soloist with conductors like Riccardo Muti, Eliahu Inbal, and Zubin Mehta. The pianist is Costantino Catena, a strong advocate of Italian piano music, particularly by Ermanno Wolf Ferrari. They are accompanied by the excellent Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, conducted by Pietro Borgonovo. © Brilliant Classics