jmc's classics
July 9 is the Birthday of Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936). He was An Italian composer. Unlike many of the other Italian composers, He did write some operas. He wrote several operas. he is remembered for his tome pome trilogy: Fountains of Rome, The Pines of Rome and the Festivals of Rome. None of his operas are popular today. Italians are credited for operas. It seems to me that most of the important Italian composers of the 19th and early 20th centuries wrote mostly opera. He wrote several string quartets, concertos for violin and for piano. Both Verdi and Puccini also wrote string quartets.
The trilogy is his most famous they were The Fountains of Rome 1916, The Pines of Rome 1924 and Roman Festivals 1928. all three works are in four movements, and they are around 12-22 minutes in length. The Fountains depicts a differnt fountain in Rome at a different time of day. The Pines depicts different areas of Rome with Pine trees. Festivals is the longest and most demanding. The first movement depicts ancient circuses and gladiators. The next three movements depict Christian festivals. the second depicts the 50-year Papal Jubilee and has themes from the German Easter hymn Christ ist erstanden". The third depicts the harvest and the fourth depicts Epiphany which falls on January 6. The version that I have is of Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra. It is an older recording, but I like it. There are many excellent newer digital versions of these works. He also wrote Ancient Aries and Dances which is a set of Italian music for lute from the 16th to the 18th Centuries. They were composed in 1917, 1923 and 1931. He wrote several other pieces for orchestra. He wrote five ballets. The Italians are not known for Ballets. the Russians are known for Ballets. His wife Elsa who was 15 years younger outlived him by 60 years dying at the age of 102. Arturo Toscanini (who was the father-in-law of Vladimir Horowitz) championed the music of Italian composers. Respighi was one of the leading Italian composers of the early 20th century. he broke the stereotypical mode of Italian Composers being mainly associated with opera. His music is still relevant today.
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