The Quintet in F minor by Respighi is reminiscent of Brahms's Quintet Op. 34, not only in key choice but also in thematic configuration and the piano's concertante role.
Compositional Technique
The 'Andantino' movement of Respighi's Quintet is peculiar, echoing both Schumann's piano polyphony and Dvorak's quartet writing.
Performer Biography
Stefano Pagliani, the violinist, was the first violin of the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala and its Philharmonic Orchestra from 1989 to 2000.
Composer Biography
Ottorino Respighi, the composer, studied with Rimsky-Korsakov in St. Petersburg, as well as with Martucci in Bologna and Bruch in Berlin.
Instruments
Luca Simoncini, the cellist, plays an instrument made by Gregorio Antoniazzi in 1737, which once belonged to the famous cellist Gaspar Cassadò.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Respighi's early works on this album demonstrate a 'bilingual' training, showing influences from both the German instrumental tradition and French/Russian styles.
Composition History
The theme for Respighi's Adagio con variazioni for cello and piano was composed by Antonio Certani, a cellist from Bologna and a friend of Respighi, to whom the work is dedicated.
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