Credits:

Margherita Bassani, Damian Iorio, RAI National Symphony Orchestra

Description:

The year 1940 was Japan's 2600th year of existence. To celebrate this year, a project was planned to commission works to be performed by "countries with which Japan has a close friendship. The "Symphony Orchestra for the Celebration of 2600 A.D." was organized for a national concert, and works by Britten (England), Richard Strauss (Germany), Ibert (France), Veresh (Hungary), and Pizzetti (Italy) were commissioned. In December 1940, the four works, excluding the controversial Britten piece, were performed in Tokyo and Osaka to great acclaim. Although Pizzetti's works were premiered by the Italian conductor Gaetano Comelli, they were rarely performed and have since lain dormant in the annals of history. The music is not festive in tone, but expresses a strong sense of sorrow and anger similar to Britten's "Sinfonia da Requiem". In contrast, the Harp Concerto is an extremely lively work. Naxos Japan