Elsa and Ottorino Respighi in the 1920s

Ottorino Respighi (Bologna, July 9, 1879 - Rome, April 18, 1936) was an Italian composer, musicologist, pianist, violist and violinist. He is best known for his Roman trilogy and the three suites of Ancient Airs and Dances. Image File history File links Respighis. ... Image File history File links Respighis. ... Bologna (IPA , from Latin Bononia, BulÃ¥ggna in Emiliano-Romagnolo) is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, in the Pianura Padana, between the Po River and the Apennines, exactly between the Reno River and the Sàvena River. ... is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... A musicologist is someone who studies musicology. ... Pianist Claudio Arrau, Carnegie Hall, 1954. ... The viola (French, alto; German Bratsche) is a bowed string instrument. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ...

Biography

Respighi was born in Bologna, Italy. His father was a local piano teacher, who taught Ottorino piano and violin. He continued studying violin and viola with Federico Sarti at the Liceo Musicale in Bologna, composition with Giuseppe Martucci, and historical studies with the early music scholar Luigi Torchi. In 1900, Respighi went to Russia as first violist in the orchestra of the Russian Imperial Theatre in St Petersburg during its season of Italian opera; while there he studied composition for five months with Rimsky-Korsakov. He also had composition lessons with Max Bruch in 1902 in Berlin. Until 1908 his principal activity was as first violin in the Mugellini Quintet, before turning his attention entirely to composition. Bologna (IPA , from Latin Bononia, BulÃ¥ggna in Emiliano-Romagnolo) is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, in the Pianura Padana, between the Po River and the Apennines, exactly between the Reno River and the Sàvena River. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ... Composition can refer to: // Composition in art In the fine arts, compostion may refer to any of the following: Composition (visual arts) Musical composition MIDI composition In literature, oratory, and rhetoric, composition refers, as the etymology of the word quite literally indicates, to the putting (words) together to produce a... Giuseppe Martucci (January 6, 1856 Italy near Capua – June 1, 1909 Naples, Italy) was an Italian composer, conductor, pianist and teacher. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (Russian: , Nikolaj Andreevič Rimskij-Korsakov), also Nikolay, Nicolai, and Rimsky-Korsakoff, (March 6 (N.S. March 18), 1844 – June 8 (N.S. June 21) 1908) was a Russian composer, one of five Russian composers known as The Five, and was later a... Max Christian Friedrich Bruch (Cologne, January 6, 1838 – Friedenau, October 20, 1920) was a German Romantic composer and conductor who wrote over 200 works, including a violin concerto which is a staple of the violin repertoire. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ...

Respighi moved to Rome in 1913 and lived there for the rest of his life, after being appointed a teacher of composition at the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia. He married a former pupil, singer Elsa Olivieri-Sangiacomo, in 1919. From 1923 to 1926 he was director of the Conservatorio. In 1925 he collaborated with Luciani on an elementary textbook entitled Orpheus. Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in a musical academy and symphonic organization based in Rome, Italy. ... Elsa Respighi (née Olivieri-Sangiacomo) (24 March 1894 - 17 March 1996) was an Italian composer. ... Pope John Paul I (Latin: , Italian: Giovanni Paolo I), born Albino Luciani, (October 17, 1912—September 28, 1978) reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and as Sovereign of Vatican City from August 26, 1978 until his death. ...

Respighi maintained an uneasy relationship with Mussolini's Fascist Party during his later years. He vouched for more outspoken critics such as Arturo Toscanini, allowing them to continue to work under the regime.^[1] Feste Romane, the third part of his Roman trilogy, could be seen as a response to the regime's demands to glorify Italy under the Fascists; however, as with much of the work of Shostakovich, the 'celebration' is ambiguous, if not satirical. This spectacular, sometimes showy, work was premiered by Toscanini and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1929; Toscanini recorded the music twice for RCA Victor, first with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1942 and then with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in 1949, and RCA released both versions, first on LP and then CD. Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ... Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, refers to the right-wing authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Arturo Toscanini (March 25, 1867 – January 16, 1957) was an Italian musician. ... Feste Romane (English “Roman Festivals”) is a work written, in 1926, by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi. ... Dmitri Shostakovich   (Russian: , Dmitrij Dmitrievič Å ostakovič) (September 25 [O.S. September 12] 1906–August 9, 1975) was a Russian composer of the Soviet period. ... The New York Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in New York City. ... Sony BMG Music Entertainment is the result of a 50/50 joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment (part of Sony) and BMG Entertainment (part of Bertelsmann AG) completed in August 2004. ... The Philadelphia Orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is one of the Big Five symphony orchestras in the United States and usually considered among the finest in the world. ... Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall]] The NBC Symphony Orchestra was an orchestra established by David Sarnoff of the National Broadcasting Company as a vehicle for conductor Arturo Toscanini. ...

Respighi was also a musicologist, a devoted scholar of Italian music of the 16th-18th centuries. He published editions of the music of Claudio Monteverdi and Antonio Vivaldi, and of Benedetto Marcello's Didone. Because of his devotion to these older figures and their styles of composing, it is tempting to see him as a typical exponent of Neo-classicism. In fact, Neo-Renaissance or Neo-Baroque would probably more accurately describe his compositions that are based on earlier work. Respighi generally kept clear of the musical idiom of the classical period, unlike most neo-classical composers. He preferred combining pre-classical melodic styles and musical forms (like dance suites) with typical late 19th century romantic harmonies and textures. A musicologist is someone who studies musicology. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Portrait of Antonio Vivaldi Antonio The Ass-Toucher Lucio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678 – July 27 or 28, 1741), nicknamed Il Prete Rosso (The Big Time Loser), was a Venetian priest and baroque music composer, as well as a famous violinist. ... Benedetto Marcello (July 31 or August 1, 1686–July 24, 1739), was an Italian composer. ... For the subgenre of darkwave, see Neoclassical (Dark Wave). ... The foyer of the Paris Opera, built by Charles Garnier Neo-baroque is a term used to describe artistic creations which display important aspects of Baroque style, but are not from the Baroque period proper. ... An idiom is an expression (i. ... The Classical period in Western music occurred from about 1730 through 1820, despite considerable overlap at both ends with preceding and following periods, as is true for all musical eras. ... Look up melody in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The term musical form refers to two related concepts: the type of composition (for example, a musical work can have the form of a symphony, a concerto, or other generic type -- see Multi-movement forms below) the structure of a particular piece (for example, a piece can be written in... It has been suggested that Suite_de_Danses be merged into this article or section. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The era of Romantic music is defined as the period of European classical music that runs roughly from the early 1800s to the first decade of the 20th century, as well as music written according to the norms and styles of that period. ... Harmony is the use and study of pitch simultaneity, and therefore chords, actual or implied, in music. ... In music texture is the overall quality of sound of a piece, most often indicated by the number of voices in the music and to the relationship between these voices (see below). ...

He died in his Roman villa named "I Pini". A year after his burial, his remains were moved to his birthplace Bologna and reinterred at the city's expense.

Selected works

Respighi's compositions include:

• For piano:
  • Concerto in the Mixolydian Mode (1925)
  • "Toccata for Piano and Orchestra"
• His best known symphonic poems, which now belong to the standard orchestral repertoire:
  • The Roman trilogy (three symphonic poems with a Roman theme)
    • Fontane di Roma (Fountains of Rome) (1915-1916)
    • Pini di Roma (Pines of Rome) (1923-1924)
    • Feste Romane (Roman Festivals) (1928)
  • Brazilian Impressions (1928)
• Nine operas, which are only occasionally revived:
  • Re Enzo (1905)
  • Semirâma (1909)
  • Marie Victoire (completed in 1913, but not produced until 2004)
  • La bella dormente nel bosco (1922)
  • Belfagor (1923)
  • La campana sommersa (1927)
  • Maria Egiziaca (1932)
  • La fiamma (1934)
  • Lucrezia (1937) (completed posthumously by his wife, Elsa)
• One choral work is occasionally performed: Lauda per la Natività del Signore (Laud to the Nativity) (1930), a cantata for three soloists (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor), chorus (including substantial sections for 8-part mixed chorus and TTBB male chorus), and chamber ensemble (woodwinds and piano).
• His most popular works involving older sources:
  • The Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 1 of 1917 is an orchestral piece based on Renaissance lute pieces by Simone Molinaro, Vincenzo Galilei (father of Galileo Galilei), and additional anonymous composers.
  • In 1918 Sergei Diaghilev commissioned a ballet from Respighi, who then wrote La Boutique Fantasque, which borrows tunes from the 19th century composer Rossini. This had its premiere in London on 5 June 1919.
  • Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 2 of 1924 is based on pieces for lute, archlute, and viol by Fabrizio Caroso, Jean-Baptiste Besard, Bernardo Gianoncelli, and an anonymous composer, plus Antoine Boësset's famous song "Divine Amaryllis". It also interpolates an aria attributed to Marin Mersenne.
  • In 1925, Respighi orchestrated and expanded his "Tre Preludi e sopra gregoriane" for piano and created "Vetrate di chiesa" (Church Windows).
  • Following the success of this suite, Respighi wrote Gli Uccelli ("The birds") in 1927, based on Baroque pieces imitating birds.
  • In 1930, he wrote a Ballet Suite Belkis, regina di Saba which was his last works for ballet.
  • Then in 1932, he wrote Ancient Airs and Dances Suite No. 3, which differs from the previous two suites in being arranged for strings only and somewhat melancholy in overall mood. It is based on lute songs by Besard, a piece for baroque guitar by Lodovico Roncalli, and lute pieces by Santino Garsi da Parma and additional anonymous composers.

A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music, in one movement, in which some extra-musical programme provides a narrative or illustrative element. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Fontane di Roma (Italian Fountains of Rome) is a 1916 work by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi, now considered apart of the Roman Trilogy of symphonic poems along with Feste Romane and Pini di Roma. ... Pini di Roma (Italian “Pines of Rome”) is a 1924 work by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi, and is considered one of the masterpieces of the Roman Trilogy of symphonic poems along with Feste Romane and Fontane di Roma. ... Feste Romane (English “Roman Festivals”) is a work written, in 1926, by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi. ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. ... La campana sommersa is an opera in 4 acts by Italian composer Ottorino Respighi. ... Lucrecia may refer to: People Lucretia, a mythical figure in the history of the Roman Republic Lucrezia Borgia, the daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, who became Pope Alexander VI Lucrezia dAlagno Lucrecia Crescent, a minor character in the video game Final Fantasy VII. Lucrezia (singer), a female Italian singer. ... Elsa Respighi (née Olivieri-Sangiacomo) (24 March 1894 - 17 March 1996) was an Italian composer. ... This article is about choirs, musical ensembles containing singers. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A cantata (Italian, sung) is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment and generally containing more than one movement. ... Look up soprano in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A mezzo-soprano (meaning medium soprano in Italian) is a female singer with a range usually extending from the A below middle C to the F an eleventh above middle C. Mezzo-sopranos generally have a darker (or lower) vocal tone than sopranos, and their vocal range is between that... This article or section seems to contain too many examples (or examples of poor quality) for an encyclopedia entry. ... Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance, approximately 1400 to 1600. ... A medieval era lute. ... Vincenzo Galilei (1520 – July 2, 1591) was an Italian lutenist, composer, and music theorist, and the father of the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei. ... Galileo Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. ... Portrait of Sergei Diaghilev by Valentin Serov (1904) Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev (Russian: / Sergei Pavlovich Dyagilev), also referred to as Serge, (March 31, 1872 – August 19, 1929) was a Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes from which many famous dancers and choreographers would later arise. ... Ballet as musical form is a musical composition intended for ballet performance. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Portrait Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (February 29, 1792 – November 13, 1868)[1] was an Italian musical composer who wrote more than 30 operas as well as sacred music and chamber music. ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year (157th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... An Archlute by Matteo Sellas, Venice, 17th century The archlute (Italian arciliuto, German Erzlaute, Russian Архилютня) a European plucked string instrument was developed around 1600 as a compromise between the very large theorbo, the size and re-entrant tuning of which made for difficuties in the performance of solo music, and... Various sizes of viol, from Michael Praetorius Syntagma musicum (1618) Early Italian tenor viola da gamba, detail from the painting , by Raphael Sanzio, c. ... Fabrizio Caroso (1535-after 1600). ... Marin Mersenne, Marin Mersennus or le Père Mersenne (September 8, 1588 – September 1, 1648) was a French theologian, philosopher, mathematician and music theorist. ... A string instrument (or stringed instrument) is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. ... The lute song was a generic form of music in the late Renaissance and very early Baroque eras, generally consisting of a singer accompanying himself on a lute, though lute songs may often have been performed by a singer and a separate lutenist. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Selected Recordings

Note: The Roman Trilogy is one of the most ubiquitous works in the catalogue, and has been recorded by all the major world ensembles under many prominent conductors. The recording of the first two with Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is one of the most respected in the catalogue and features prominently in recommended listings in such publications as the Good CD Guide and the Penguin Guide to CDs. This article contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, based in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the leading orchestras in the world. ...

• I Pini di Roma/Fontane di Roma - Chicago Symphony Orchestra/ Fritz Reiner, RCA (on JVC in Japan)
• I Pini di Roma/Feste Romane/Fontane di Roma - Montreal Symphony Orchestra/ Charles Dutoit, Decca Records
• I Pini di Roma/Feste Romane/Fontane di Roma - NBC Symphony Orchestra/ Arturo Toscanini, RCA
• Brazilian Impressions/Metamorphoseon - Philharmonia Orchestra/ Geoffrey Simon, Chandos Records
• Ancient Airs and Dances I-III (Antiche Aire e Danze) - Philharmonia Hungarica/ Antal Dorati, Mercury Records
• I Pini di Roma/Fontane di Roma/The Birds (Gli Uccelli) - London Symphony Orchestra/ István Kertész, Decca Records
• Church Windows (Vetrate di Chiesa) - Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra/ Jesus Lopez-Cobos, Telarc
• Three Botticelli Pictures (Trittico Botticelliano)/The Birds - Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra/ Sir Neville Marriner, EMI
• Belkis, Queen of Sheba - Suite / Metamorphoseon - Theme & Variations - Philharmonia Orchestra/ Geoffrey Simon, Chandos Records
• Suite in G for Organ and Strings - Robert Boughen / Queensland Symphony Orchestra / Vanco Cavdarski, ABC Classics

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, based in Chicago, Illinois, is one of the leading orchestras in the world. ... RCA, formerly an acronym for the Radio Corporation of America, is now a trademark owned by Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson. ... Victor Company of Japan, Limited ) (TYO: 6792 ), usually referred to as JVC, is an international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927. ... The Montreal Symphony Orchestra (MSO) (in French: Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM)) is a major orchestra based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with its home venue at Montreals Place des Arts. ... Charles Édouard Dutoit (born October 7, 1936) is a Swiss conductor. ... It has been suggested that Decca Music Group be merged into this article or section. ... Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall]] The NBC Symphony Orchestra was an orchestra established by David Sarnoff of the National Broadcasting Company as a vehicle for conductor Arturo Toscanini. ... The Philharmonia is an orchestra based in London. ... Australian conductor Geoffrey Simon is resident in London and has appeared there with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Chamber Orchestra and English Chamber Orchestra. ... Chandos may refer to: People Baron Chandos, later Duke of Chandos, an English title. ... The Philharmonia Hungarica was a symphony orchestra based in Germany which existed between 1956 and 2001. ... Antal Dor ti (April 9, 1906 - November 13, 1988) was a conductor and composer. ... Mercury Records was a record label founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1945 by Irving Green, Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge. ... The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. ... István Kertész (August 28, 1929 – April 16, 1973) was a Hungarian conductor, equally adept at opera and concert. ... As the fifth-oldest orchestra in the United States, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) has a legacy of fine music making as reflected in its performances in historic Music Hall, recordings, and international tours. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Telarc International Corporation is a Cleveland, Ohio based independent record label, founded in 1977 by two classically trained musicians and former teachers, Jack Renner and Robert Woods. ... The Academy of St. ... The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) is a 40-member American chamber orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. ... Sir Neville Marriner (born April 15, 1924) is a conductor and violinist. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Kensington in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York. ... The Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is an orchestra, established in 1933 in Queensland, Australia. ... The Australian Broadcasting Corporation or ABC is Australias national non-profit public broadcaster. ...

Biographical Sources

• Respighi, Elsa (1955) Fifty Years of a Life in Music
• Respighi, Elsa (1962) Ottorino Respighi, London: Ricordi
• Nupen, Christopher (director) (1983) Ottorino Respighi: A Dream of Italy, Allegro Films

References

1. ^ Liner notes from RCA Toscanini Edition CD Vol 32 (1990)

External links

• The Respighi Foundation (in Italian)
• Website of the Respighi Society
• Free scores by Ottorino Respighi in the Werner Icking Music Archive
• Free scores by Respighi in the International Music Score Library Project (Public domain)