Respighi's "Pines of Rome" was completed in June 1924, and the composer immediately began working on its four-hand piano transcription.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Respighi's passion for early music is evident in his "Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute," where he drew material directly from original lute tablatures and works by Renaissance composers like Simone Molinaro and Vincenzo Galilei.
Critical Reception
The premiere of "Pines of Rome" in 1924 was a success, despite audience protests about a "discordant trumpet" and consternation over the use of a real nightingale's song in the third movement.
Composition History
Respighi's "Fountains of Rome" was initially met with a cool reception at its 1917 premiere in Rome but gained extraordinary success after a triumphant concert in Milan the following year.
Composer Biography
Ottorino Respighi initially found Rome a chaotic and noisy capital after moving there in 1913, struggling to concentrate and compose, but gradually grew to appreciate the city's charms.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Respighi's Roman Trilogy, which includes "Fountains of Rome" and "Pines of Rome," is not traditional program music; its movements are linked by a spiritual and creative unity rather than recurrent thematic material.
Recording & Production
This album features Ottorino Respighi's own transcriptions for piano four hands of his orchestral works, including "Fountains of Rome," "Pines of Rome," and "Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute."
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