Musa Italiana

From Bach to Elgar and Handel to Stravinsky, composers from around the world have been in thrall to Italian culture for centuries. In *Musa Italiana*, Riccardo Chailly and the Orchestra of La Scala bring out the Italian spirit in three major Germanic composers, beginning with the thrumming accompaniment and irrepressible, exuberant opening theme of Mendelssohn’s *“Italian” Symphony* instantly evoking the sun-drenched, bustling streets of Naples. Schubert’s two lesser-known *Overtures in the Italian Style* are unexpectedly effervescent homages to the great Italian operatic composer Rossini. For Mozart, Italian was the language of many of his greatest operas, and his overtures to *Mitridate*, *Ascanio in Alba*, and *Lucio Silla* were all written while the composer was staying in Milan.