Pilati & Longo: Piano Quintets

This release champions two relatively unknown Neapolitan composers. Mario Pilati�s style was described by musicologist Gianandrea Gavazzeni as �southern Baroque, full of songlike whims and lively impulses�, and the rhythmically vital and deeply expressive Piano Quintet of 1927�28 is one of his most important early pieces. Pianist Aldo Ciccolini was one of Achille Longo�s favorite pupils as a child, and his close association with the healthily eclectic Quintet brings a special warmth to its rich timbres and joyously refined nuances. The Circolo Artistico Ensemble specializes in the revival of the unpublished work of Italian composers.