“Behold! Spring sweeps over the world again, Shedding soft dews from her ethereal wings; Flowers on the mountains, fruits over the plain, And music on the waves and woods, she flings, And love on all that lives, and calm on lifeless things.” – P. B. Shelley In this album of ‘Springtime Romance’ Alfredo Antonini And His Orchestra aptly mirror the various moods of Springtime, in a concert of rapturous melodies that literally breathes with the sweetness of spring. The fun and frolic of spring on the wing prances forth in a tuneful, unpretentious orchestral show piece with a lilting, infectious melody. This carefree opener, called Clarabelle is a perfect mixture of high spirits and precision. In another inviting musical blend, that of balmy nights under the captivating spell of the Islands, Alfredo Antonini and the orchestra capture the pleasurable paradise of the 50th State in the languid melody, Hawaiian Moon. To some, spring’s image may bring a thawing snowbank and the onrush of fresh, cool water plummeting over a towering mountain height. This striking vision is colorfully pictured in the bright musical excerpt from Rudolf Friml’s ‘California Suite,’ called Mountain Cascade. Then, it’s on to the seashore and an April afternoon amid the radiant skies, blue water and pastoral calm of the orchestral idyll called Tarde De Abril (An April Afternoon). Side One concludes with a descriptive impression of spring in the countryside, a fast-moving miniature masterpiece by Ernest Gillet, entitled Au Moulin (At The Mill). The charming Springtime Pictures, premiering on Side Two, is a medley especially orchestrated for the Antonini ensemble. The music has the same spontaneous melodic appeal and rhythmic animation so often associated with the works of its composer, Edouard Poldini, who often drew his inspiration from the world of fairy tales, from nature, the animal kingdom and other fascinating subjects. Equally attractive is the romantic setting of a gypsy caravan alight with twinkling campfires beneath a smoldering twilight sky. The solo violin of Jack Zayde emerges from these surroundings, backed by Alfredo Antonini And His Orchestra, in a lush, sentimental gypsy romance with all the trimmings, that makes On A Beautiful Evening, a haunting musical picture. It is followed by Le Retour, a breezy concert piece by Georges Bizet, originally written for the piano, and presented here in a lively orchestral setting. Then, the Antonini ensemble sweeps back to the lush mood with a sentimental springtime ballad that is Beyond Compare. For a closer to the season of nostalgia, what could be more appropriate than a springtime visit to the romantic Emerald Isle, in an ideal St. Patrick’s Day setting. There Maestro Antonini and the orchestra offer three popular, enchanting and cherished melodies that heartily comprise an Irish Fantasy.