In approaching this varied CD, it helps to know that Gian Francesco Malipiero was extremely prolific, eclectic, and not always sure of his purposes; his disavowal of many works over the course of his long career gives evidence of his uncertainty and frequent dissatisfaction. Even so, while this program samples of some Malipiero's approved chamber pieces, its jumbled arrangement makes comprehension unnecessarily difficult for the uninitiated, and may be a little confusing even for sympathetic listeners who would prefer a sequential presentation. Starting off with the rambling, half-hour-long Sonate a tre (1926-1927) is a serious time investment, so newcomers might first try the shorter but similarly styled Sonatina for cello and piano (1942) to get an idea of Malipiero in neo-Classical mode. The three Dialogos (1955-1956) and Parafrasi for solo violin (1962) are more chromatic, gestural, and dissonant, though not as harsh as much serial music of the period. Il Canto della lontananza (1919) and Armenia (1918), both for violin and piano, may actually be too short to grasp Malipiero's early style, but they are beautifully played by violinist Andrea Vio and pianist
Aldo Orvieto. Indeed, all the performances by these musicians and cellist Teodora Campagnaro, pianist
Marco Rapetti, and soprano
Licia Sciannimanico are polished and expressive, and Stradivarius provides fine sound in every selection.