Mario Pilati was a leading member of the Italian generation of composers born around the turn of the 20th century. His love of the Baroque can be felt in the sunny and joyful immediacy of Preludio, aria e tarantella, originally conceived for violin and piano. His other abiding passion was for the folk traditions of his native country, exemplified by his beautiful settings of Quattro canzoni popolari italiane- light, elegant, and suffused with subtle humor- and the delightful Bagatelles. In the strikingly inventive ‘Divertimento’ for brass ensemble, he draws on cinema, jazz and the vibrancy of Neapolitan street life. Pilati’s Concerto for Orchestra and Suite for Strings and Piano can also be heard on Naxos.