Delos: James DePreist's 'memorable versions of the three Respighi favorites together at last.'

[Respighi's Rome; Oregon Symphony; James DePreist, conductor; Delos DE 3287 (2001)]

On June 18, 2010 Delos Music's blog published “Virtual Reality Recordings Part One.” Here is an excerpt: “VRR orchestral recordings encompass a sense of dimension, space and timbre that take us a step closer to the wrap-around sound we hear in the concert hall.” Part Two involves a recording made in 2001 by the Oregon Symphony under the direction of the African American conductor James DePreist (b. 1936):

Delos Music

Friday, July 16, 2010

“37-for-37: Respighi's Rome/Virtual Reality Recordings Part Two

RESPIGHI: Roman Trilogy

Fountains of Rome • Pines of Rome • Roman Festivals

James DePreist, conductor • Oregon Symphony

DE 3287

Fountains of Rome (Fontana di Roma)

Pines of Rome (Pini di Roma)

Roman Festivals (Feste romane)

“Respighi’s popular showpieces provoke virtuoso playing in a spectacular recording…Delos offers a triumph. The sound has a sensuously velvety, wrap-around quality that is both warmly atmospheric and finely detailed, helped by a sharp terracing of textures to make the sound both immediate and vividly realistic. …the Fountains of Rome, with its gentle opening…the clean separation of the recorded sound immediately conveys a fine sense of presence…DePreist, over the years since he became music director of the Oregon orchestra in 1980, has built it into a virtuoso band more than able to hold its own in any international company, presenting these showpieces with just the sort of panache that they need.” —Gramophone

"'Respighi's Rome,' Respighi's colorful Roman Trilogy, is one of our favorite Virtual Reality Recordings (VRR)...with James DePreist and the Oregon Symphony. Others in the VRR series with the same artists include Korngold’s 'Sea Hawk' Suite and Symphony Op. 40 (DE 3234) and Stravinsky’s 'Rite of Spring' and 'Firebird' Suite (DE 3278). We're not alone in celebrating this Roman Trilogy recording, as the rave quote from Gramophone affirms.

"'Respighi's Rome,' also has a bit of Delos history. In 1987 we made our first recording with Jimmy and the OSO: an album we called 'Bravura,' (DE 3070) that won superlatives from every corner of the globe. It was an Ovation Recording of Distinction; and Bert Whyte of Audio proclaimed: 'James DePreist’s incandescent performance and John Eargle’s spectacular engineering blaze new trails in the musical sonic firmament.' The lead piece on the album, Respighi’s 'Roman Festivals, became an audiophile benchmark.

“15 years later we completed the Respighi Roman Trilogy with new DePreist/OSO recordings of 'Pines of Rome' and 'Fountains of Rome,' which were recorded with John Eargle's VRR process, thus making 'Pines' and 'Fountains' audiophile benchmarks as well. It was a great satisfaction to Amelia, John and everyone at Delos to have Jimmy’s memorable versions of the three Respighi favorites together at last. [On March 1, 2010 AfriClassical.com announced a complete revision of its page on James DePreist (b. 1936), the world-famous African American conductor who is Director of Conducting & Orchestral Studies at The Juilliard School in New York City.]

Respighi's Rome
Virtual Reality Recording
Delos 3287
Roman Trilogy
Fountains of Rome
Oregon Symphony