Mercadante: Flute Concertos Nos. 1, 2 & 4 Sinfonia Finlandia Jyvaskyla & Patrick Gallois

• 1 I. Allegro maestoso 10:50
• 2 II. Adagio 03:42
• 3 III. Rondo russo: Allegro giusto 06:18
• 4 I. [Allegro maestoso] 07:56
• 5 II. Largo espressivo 03:28
• 6 III. Polacca brillante 04:16
• 7 I. [Allegro maestoso] 10:09
• 8 II. Largo (cadenza by Patrick Gallois) 04:58
• 9 III. Polacca brillante 05:28
• Total Runtime 57:05

Info for Mercadante: Flute Concertos Nos. 1, 2 & 4

Saverio Mercadante was one of Italy’s ground-breaking composers in the development of opera, admired by contemporaries such as Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and Verdi. But during the years 1814 to 1820, inspired by fellow conservatoire students and their virtuoso teachers, he embarked on a series of works for the flute. They include seven concertos, happy exceptions to the rule in opera-obsessed Italy of the day. The solo writing is vividly characterised, full of technical demands perfectly adapted to the instrument’s then more limited capabilities and permeated with a rich bel canto lyricism.

„Throughout, the Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä’s full sound can be fully appreciated: never too boisterous yet never too timid. The sound is finely balanced and is supple enough to allow the flute solos to blend and dip into the orchestral backdrop. With a strong string and wind section and Gallois at the helm, this would be a most welcome addition to a flute enthusiast’s collection.“ (Lucy Jeffery, MusicWeb International)

As for Patrick Gallois, you could almost think it was his teacher, Rampal, playing. You hear the same effortless articulation and movement between registers, the same absence of mannerisms and the same purity of sound. The performance by Gallois’ collaborators, Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä, is precise and sensitive to every nuance of the soloist. These are engaging and beautifully produced performances of a significant byway of the flute repertoire. (Allan Pulker, The WholeNote)

Patrick Gallois, flute, conductor
Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä


Recorded at Suolahti Hall, Jyväskylä, Finland, 18th-22nd December 2011
Produced, engineered and edited by Sean Lewis

No biography found.

Booklet for Mercadante: Flute Concertos Nos. 1, 2 & 4