Ottorino Respighi
Mostly known for his richly descriptive symphonic poems Fontane di Roma (The Fountains of Rome) and Pini di Roma (The Pines of Rome), Respighi was a versatile composer who translated into music powerful visual experiences and feelings of deep attachment to cherished places. Respighi's symphonic works are praised primarily for their exquisite orchestration, but these compositions also possess a charm which transcends the merely picturesque. This charm is particularly evident in works inspired by Medieval and Renaissance music, such as Ancient Airs and Dances for orchestra.
Born in 1879, Respighi studied from 1891 to 1900 at the Liceo Musicale in Bologna. In 1900 and 1902, he traveled to Russia, where he played the viola in the Imperial Orchestra in St. Petersburg. During his two extended visits to Russia, Respighi studied with Rimsky-Korsakov, absorbing the Russian master's ideas regarding orchestral color. In 1903, Respighi turned to a career of a concert violinist; he also played chamber music, joining Bologna's Mugellini Quartet as a violist. During the early 1900s, Respighi started writing music, but his compositions (chamber and orchestral works) attracted little attention. In 1908-1909, he was in Berlin, where he immersed himself in German musical culture. In 1913, Respighi settled in Rome, accepting a composition professorship at the Liceo (subsequently Conservatorio) di Santa Cecilia. Enchanted by Rome, Respighi found inspiration in the city's unique atmosphere and consequently formulated an original, personal musical language, exemplified by Fontane di Roma (Fountains of Rome), written in 1914-1916.
Respighi's next project was a children's opera, La bella dormente nel bosco (Sleeping Beauty), finished in 1921, and regarded as his best stage work. After the Fontane di Roma, Respighi sought inspiration in early music, introducing Renaissance and Medieval themes into his compositions. In 1917, he composed the first set of his Antiche arie e danze per liuto (&Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute), for piano duet and strings. The second and third sets, for strings, were composed in 1923 and 1931, respectively. Sometimes regarded as adaptations, these compositions nevertheless exude a unique freshness and sincerity.
Works composed in the 1920s reflected both Respighi's fascination with early music and his desire to translate visual sensations into music. Thus, the Concerto gregoriano for violin and orchestra, composed in 1921, and Quartetto dorico, written in 1924, evoke the spirit of ancient music, while The Pines of Rome describes the splendor of the Roman landscape.
In 1924, Respighi was named director of the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia, resigning, however, two years later, so he would have more time to compose. Nevertheless, this period included two American tours, in 1925-1926 and 1932, as a conductor and pianist. He also accompanied singers, including his wife, Elsa Olivieri-Sangiacomo, who was also a composer. Works composed during this period include Vetrate di chiesa (Church Windows), for orchestra, written in 1925, and the Trittico botticelliano (Three Botticelli Pictures), composed in 1927 -- a work inspired by three paintings by the great Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli. Composed in 1928-1930, Respighi's Lauda per la Nativita del Signore, for two pianos, wind ensembles, vocal soloists, and chorus, develops Renaissance motifs to create a charming, serene celebration of the spirit of Christmas. Elected to the Royal Academy of Italy in 1932, Respighi died in 1936.
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Respighi: Il Tramonto - String Quartets
Klassik - Erschienen bei Challenge Classics am 17.06.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Ballad of the Gnomes and Three Botticelli Pictures
Leslie Person, Alexander Baillie
Klassik - Erschienen bei Signum-Cala am 10.03.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Roman Trilogy
Klassik - Erschienen bei Past Classics am 20.04.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lullabies
Kammermusik - Erschienen bei Quartz Music Ltd am 09.11.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: The Fountains of Rome & The Pines of Rome
Klassik - Erschienen bei Everest Records am 02.08.2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Quartetto Di Cremona: String Quartets by Ottorino Respighi, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi and Luigi Boccherini (Italian Journey)
Quartetto di Cremona, Ottorino Respighi, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Luigi Boccherini
Klassik - Erschienen bei Rondeau Production am 15.10.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Music for Violin and Orchestra
Klassik - Erschienen bei Claves Records am 01.01.1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Church Windows
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Petr Altrichter
Klassik - Erschienen bei RLPO Live am 01.01.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Feste Romane, Fontane di Roma, Pini di Roma
Radio Symphony Orchestra Bratislava
Klassik - Erschienen bei Blaricum CD Company (B.C.D.) B.V. am 11.04.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Ancient Dances and Arias, Suite No. 2 (Digitally Remastered)
Moscow RTV Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Kopylov
Klassik - Erschienen bei EMG Classical am 09.12.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Chaconne in G Minor for Violin and Continuo
Gioconda De Vito, Herbert Dawson
Klassik - Erschienen bei The Digital Gramophone am 16.05.2014
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Respighi: Trittico Botticelliano (Digitally Remastered)
State Chamber Orchestra Zilina, Jan Valta
Klassik - Erschienen bei EMG Classical am 09.12.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Ancient Dances and Arias, Suite No. 1 (Digitally Remastered)
Moscow RTV Symphony Orchestra, Alexander Kopylov
Klassik - Erschienen bei EMG Classical am 09.12.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Respighi: Ancient Dances and Arias, Suite No. 3 (Digitally Remastered)
USSR State Chamber Orchestra, Liyana Isakadze
Klassik - Erschienen bei EMG Classical am 09.12.2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Busoni: Sonata No.2 in Mi minore, Op.36a per Violino e Pianoforte - Respighi: Sonata in Si minore per Violino e Pianoforte
Roberto Cani, Jeffrey Swann, Ferruccio Busoni, Ottorino Respighi
Klassik - Erschienen bei NAR International am 01.04.2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Raíces
Banda Simfònica de la Societat Musical d'Alzira
Klassik - Erschienen bei Àudiovisuals de Sarrià am 15.03.2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ottorino Respighi, Roman Festival
Klassik - Erschienen bei Classical.com Music am 16.02.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Caswell Collection, Vol. 7 (1925, 1927)
Ottorino Respighi, Richard Singer, Carlo Zecchi, Elsa Respighi, Alfredo Casella
Klassik - Erschienen bei Pierian Recording Society am 01.07.2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ottorino Respighi: Feste Romane ("Roman Festivals")
London Symphony Orchestra, Ottorino Respighi, Sir Eugene Goossens
Klassik - Erschienen bei Music Manager am 15.11.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo