Italiana!
Release date: 7 March 2025
The Philharmonic Brass and Riccardo Muti
bring Italian masterpieces to life
First release by the new Viennese record label Supreme Classics
The latest album of The Philharmonic Brass, an exquisite brass ensemble of musicians from the Wiener and the Berliner Philharmoniker as well as other renowned orchestras, invites you on a musical journey to the South. Under the baton of Maestro Riccardo Muti, who is recording an album with an all-brass ensemble for the first time, the outstanding instrumentalists lend a new splendor to popular pieces from Italian opera as well as the concert repertoire. This exceptional premiere provides an impressive example of Maestro Muti’s dedication to variety of repertoire and musical excellence.
Italiana!, the title of the first album to be released by the high-quality Viennese record label Supreme Classics, transports listeners on a journey through the Italian musical tradition. The musical spectrum ranges from the Baroque to Romanticism and the 20th century, and includes works by Albinoni/Giazotto (Adagio in G minor), Rossini (Overture to William Tell), Verdi (Overture to Nabucco), Puccini (Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut), Martucci (Notturno, one of Maestro Muti’s favorite pieces), and Respighi (“Via Appia” from Pini di Roma).
The ensemble, consisting of 16 leading brass players and four percussionists, provides inspired performances of masterful arrangements by Matthias Höfs and Peter J. Lawrence that are specifically tailored to the individual abilities of each musician and create a harmonious balance between timbre and expressive power. Even well-known works such as Albinoni’s Adagio shine in a new light, with unconventional touches, Brucknerian sonorities, and profound emotion. In an interview, Maestro Muti remarked that “every note is a dialogue between the instruments, every phrase a tribute to the art of interpretation.”
Making the recording in the Chiesa San Romualdo in Ravenna contributed significantly to its authentic atmosphere. From delicate pianissimo to triumphant fortissimo, The Philharmonic Brass displays an impressive range of dynamics. Maestro Muti, a master of precision, points out how fascinating it is to experience brass instruments in their purest form: “These instruments sing and resonate with an intensity that gets under your skin. Every nuance is important, and that is what makes this recording so special.”
With Italiana!, The Philharmonic Brass is pursuing both artistic as well as educational goals. The ensemble and Maestro Muti have decided to waive their rights to the album and instead have the proceeds go to promote young musicians. According to Maestro Muti, “it is our responsibility to inspire the next generation and communicate the importance of music and its interpretation.”
The collaboration between The Philharmonic Brass and Riccardo Muti will continue with a concert tour that will introduce the album and its unique arrangements to an international audience. Georg Solti once said that “a recording is a document that preserves a musician’s artistry” – and Italiana! is undoubtedly such a document, capturing the Italian musical tradition for posterity.
