IDAGIO | Respighi: Pines of Rome - Fountains of Rome

Featuring

Lowell Graham
United States Air Force Band
Ottorino Respighi

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Performer Biography

Lowell E. Graham, the conductor, was the Commander and Conductor of the United States Air Force's premier musical organization in Washington, DC, becoming the senior ranking musician in the Department of Defense.

Performer Biography

Lowell E. Graham, the conductor, is the Chairman of the Music Department at the University of Texas at El Paso and holds the Abraham Chavez Professorship in Music.

Composition History

The Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini played a crucial role in the success of Respighi's Roman Trilogy, conducting the premieres of Pines of Rome and Roman Festivals, and revealing the potential of Fountains of Rome.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Respighi's wife, Elsa, noted that the composer believed music was always born for a specific instrument or group of instruments, influencing his approach to orchestration.

Performer Biography

Lowell E. Graham's Grammy-winning recordings have been recognized on Stereophile's 'Records To Die For' list and The Absolute Sound's 'The Super Disc List'.

Interpretation

The transcriptions of Respighi's Roman Trilogy heard on this album were made by CMSGT (Ret) Lawrence Odom, who aimed to reproduce the orchestral sound as nearly as possible with a wind band.

Composer Biography

Ottorino Respighi, the composer, had a profound influence on his orchestration style from lessons with Rimsky-Korsakov while working as a principal violist in St. Petersburg.