Unpublished Works

An unexpected homage to Verdi and to the 100th anniversary of his death in 2001: three unpublished works of the utmost interest and importance coupled with some outstanding music for
band composed between the late 1830's and the early 1840's. Discovered near Verdi's hometown of Busseto (close to Parma), these pieces help document the early musical development of the
composer. The "Credo" was the first Sacred Piece that Verdi composed and it more than measures up to his later, more mature works. Divided into three parts, including a central meditative one which offers a fine melody reminiscent of some of his later operas, it presents a distribution including a tenor, a bass and a male chorus as well as a full orchestra.
This is the Verdi of "I Lombardi", of "Nabucco" and of "Attila".
There was until now only one instrumental piece available composed by Verdi besides the overtures: the String Quartet. Although we knew that the Italian musician composed some concertos for solo instruments in his early years, we had no evidence of them. The musicologist Fausto Pedretti was finally able to find the Capriccio for bassoon and orchestra in the archive of a small church in Busseto and then to determine that an articulated piece for oboe and orchestra, ostensibly composed by one of Verdi's pupils, Giacomo Mori, was in fact mostly composed by the teacher himself. There are many letters between Verdi and Mori that bear witness to the "help" supplied by Verdi, who composed the evocative Introduction that recalls Nabucco and even Simon Boccanegra, who managed the theme from the Bellini's opera La Straniera and who corrected and improved
some of the variations.
The Capriccio for bassoon and orchestra is not merely a showpiece but a well-managed concerto composed by a musician who often betrayed his special feeling for the opera. It is an impressive work that is sure to be included from now on in the repertoire for bassoon.
Last but not least come the three pieces for band, specially composed for the band of Busseto that was conducted for about 10 years by Verdi. In the transcription of the overture of the opera Un Giorno di regno, we even have the original part for drums which was actually performed by Verdi himself. The two other pieces are transcriptions from a Cavatina and a Terzetto from the opera Attila.
Arts is very proud to offer these world premieres in time for Verdi's year and to present them as a wonderful production recorded in the same geographic area where they were composed, and performed by musicians who live mostly in the area near Parma. The conductor is Fausto Pedretti, the same musicologist who discovered and released the edition of the works, the soloists among the best in Italy; together with the 24-bit/96 KHz audiophile recording, they all contribute to the certain
success of a CD that is a sure candidate of best-selling of the year.

- some unpublished Verdi works as world premiere
- the unexpected gift for Verdi's year
- An impressive Credo and some rare instrumental music
- Recorded with the technology 24-bit/96KHz
- Surely a best-seller of the year
- Advertisements in the main European magazines