Pazzini Uccelli: Art Songs [CD]

Carolina Pazzini Uccelli (Florence, 1801 - 1858) was a composer, symphonist, and a skilful self-promoter, defined as ""symphoniste"" by French critic Henri Blanchard in 1842. She made her debut with a Symphony published by Ricordi in 1826, but her first major success came with the opera Saul (1830), performed at Florence's Teatro della Pergola thanks to the encouragement of Gioachino Rossini. Widowed in 1832, she continued to have her works performed in Italy and Paris, where she organised concerts with her daughter Emma, a singer, earning critical acclaim and mingling with personalities such as Hugo, Berlioz and Viardot. Her output includes operas, cantatas, symphonies and numerous salon romances. Among her most significant collections are the Quattro Ariette e due Cavatine on texts by Metastasio (1827), dedicated to the British ambassador's wife in Florence, and the cycle Mes reves d'Italie (c. 1843), dedicated to the Duchess of Nemours, which includes pieces performed by celebrated artists such as Rubini, Tamburini and Giulia Grisi. Her works reveal a refined choice of texts, ranging from Metastasian melodrama to Romantic ballads and French chansonnettes. Carolina Pazzini Uccelli represents a pioneering figure in the 19th-century musical landscape,combining compositional talent with organisational ability at a time when women were often excluded from stages and academic institutions. The voice of Marina Comparato - accompanied by Elisabetta Sepe on piano - is the protagonist of this compelling world premiere recording.