Good italian music for slide show

Congratulations!

Check out the soundtrack to the movie, "Big Night".

Alot of timeless excellent music that is uniquely Italian (and often gets categorized as progressive rock or jazz) came out during the 70's. You may want to check out:
Banco/Garofano Rosso (a soundtrack)
Arti + Mestieri/Giro di Valzer per Domani
Perigeo/Genealogia

Nino Rota and Ennio Morricone might also be good, but the three above recordings are real stand outs from a very rich period. Sounds like a fun project, hope i get a chance to do the same thing.

Like the Respighi recommendation. If you want something a bit hip, lively-jazzy, to smokey sexy and definitely upbeat try Paolo Conte ("Best Of..." is a fine sampling). Opera....Cecilia Bartoli, "If You Love Me" - Wonderful collection, astounding voice!

Marco

Slipknot's excellent recommendation (one of my favorites for listening) is on a very good CD, and will be on SACD soon, if I recall the press release. Some more would be Vivaldi (Four Seasons, too many versions to mention, or the Reference Recordings Vivaldi for diverse intruments with McGegan and the Philharmonia Baroque) and my favorite, Correlli's Concerti Grossi on Harmonia Mundi (same ensemble as the above RR Vivaldi). If you like classical choral music from early Italian composers, BBC Music magazine had a compilation a while back I could burn a copy of, if you can't find one near you.

Can't help if you want pop or opera recordings, perhaps some of the others here will have suggestions.

Here is a suggestion: "Ancient Airs and Dances" by Respighi
On the Mercury lable the two vinyl versions I have are the Living Presence and Golden Import. (sorry I don't have the catalogue number as I am writing from work)