By Barry Lenson
The Italian composer Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) is most admired for his extremely skillful, masterfully orchestrated tone poems The Birds, The Pines of Rome, and The Fountains of Rome. These charming works have turn into part of common orchestral repertoire.
However there’s rather more to Respighi than most individuals know. Do you know, for instance, that he studied orchestration in Russia with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov? Do you know that from 1923 till 1936, he was director of the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome – probably the most essential posts in European classical music?
Sure, we should always know extra. So allow us to discover.
Early Life and Schooling (1879-1900)
Ottorino Respighi was born on July 9, 1879, in Bologna, Italy, to a musical household. His father, a piano instructor, supplied him with early musical coaching. Respighi initially studied violin and viola on the Liceo Musicale in Bologna, the place he additionally developed a eager curiosity in composition. He studied composition underneath Giuseppe Martucci and later took classes from famend composer and conductor Luigi Torchi, an professional in early music.
Formative Years and Russian Affect (1900-1913)
In 1900, Respighi traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, the place he performed viola within the orchestra of the Russian Imperial Theatre. Throughout his time in Russia, he studied orchestration with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, whose affect would considerably form Respighi’s colourful and dynamic orchestral model.
Rise to Prominence (1913-1924)
Respighi’s profession took a major flip when he moved to Rome in 1913 to take up a place as professor of composition on the Liceo Musicale di Santa Cecilia. His most well-known orchestral work, The Fountains of Rome, was premiered in 1917 and marked the start of his celebrated Roman Trilogy. This trilogy, which additionally consists of The Pines of Rome (1924) and Roman Festivals (1928), solidified Respighi’s status as a grasp orchestrator.
Peak of Profession and Worldwide Acclaim (1924-1936)
Respighi’s fame continued to develop all through the Twenties and Nineteen Thirties. He composed prolifically, creating works that showcased his deep curiosity in each fashionable orchestral methods and early music. His ballet La Boutique Fantasque (1919), based mostly on music by Rossini, and the opera La Fiamma (1934) had been extraordinarily well-received. Respighi additionally explored musicological analysis, resulting in the composition of works impressed by historical and baroque music, corresponding to Historical Airs and Dances and The Birds.
Closing Years and Legacy (1923-1936)
Respighi’s later years had been marked by continued compositional exercise and educating. He turned the director of the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome in 1923, a place he held till his demise. Regardless of his success, he remained humble and devoted to his college students and music. Ottorino Respighi handed away on April 18, 1936, in Rome, abandoning a wealthy legacy of orchestral and vocal music.
Respighi’s music is well known for its vibrant orchestration and its capacity to evoke vivid imagery and ambiance. His works stay staples within the live performance repertoire, admired for his or her progressive fusion of recent and historic parts.
Music of Ottorino Respighi Out there for Listening on Classical Archives*
Historical Airs and Dances – (symphonic poem) Salvatore di Vittorio conducts the Chamber Orchestra of New York.
Feste Romane (symphonic poem) – James DePriest conducts the Oregon Symphony.
Primavera (oratorio) – Adriano conducts the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and soloists.
The Birds (symphonic poem) – Thomas Vasary conducts the Bournemouth Sinfonietta.
The Fountains of Rome (symphonic poem) – Enrique Bátiz conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Pines of Rome (symphonic poem) – Enrique Bátiz conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Three Botticelli Footage (symphonic poem) – Thomas Vasary conducts the Bournemouth Sinfonietta.
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