Italian composer Ottorino Respighi was “an old soul.” A lifelong book collector who was said to have been fluent in eleven languages by adulthood, he pursued interests in science and history, as well as music. In particular, he held a lifelong fascination with the history and music of ancient Italy, and was drawn especially to the sounds of medieval church music. The hypnotic sounds of Gregorian chant were a special source of comfort to him, and his wife Elsa, herself a composer and soprano, would often sing the soothing, single line melodies to Respighi for hours. He composed numerous works that were based on the modal harmonies of ancient church music, and also transcribed works by 16th and 17th Italian composers Monteverdi, Bach, Tartini, Vitali, Vivaldi, and Rossini. His popular suites titled Ancient Airs and Dances, were based on baroque lute music.
Respighi’s fascination with history was not limited to ancient music however. His three most celebrated works are orchestral tone poems based on landmarks and festivals in Rome. Fountains of Rome, written in 1916 was followed by Pines of Rome in 1924 and Roman Festivals in 1928. These three compositions brought Respighi lasting fame, and of the three, Pines of Rome, with its brilliant orchestration and exhilarating ending, is without a doubt the most popular.
When composing Fountains of Rome, Respighi had noted that his prime motivation was to depict the “sentiments and visions” that were inspired in him by four exquisitely sculpted Roman fountains, viewed “at the hour in which their character is most in harmony with the surrounding landscape.” In Pines of Rome however, nature was the primary focus of the work, with Respighi remarking that his inspiration had been “the centuries-old trees which so characteristically dominate the Roman landscape” and which had “become witnesses to the principal events in Roman life.” This romantic idea of the massive Roman pines standing like sentries, bearing witness to centuries of human activity, proved the perfect inspiration for Respighi, combining his affection for nature with his fascination with the history of his beloved homeland. It also proved an inspiring image for audiences, with dozens of recordings, and thousands of performances having enchanted listeners worldwide for almost 100 years.
For the world premiere of the work on December 14, 1924 in Rome, Respighi provided the following descriptions of the four movements, which are played without pause:
The Pines of the Villa Borghese (Allegretto vivace)—Children are at play in the pine groves of the Villa Borghese, dancing the Italian equivalent of “Ring around a Rosy.” They mimic marching soldiers and battles. They twitter and shriek like swallows at evening, coming and going in swarms. Suddenly the scene changes.
The Pines Near a Catacomb (Lento)—We see the shadows of the pines, which overhang the entrance of a catacomb. From the depths rises a chant, which echoes solemnly, like a hymn, and is then mysteriously silenced. The Pines of the Janiculum (Lento)—There is a thrill in the air. The full moon reveals the profile of the pines of Gianicolo’s Hill. A nightingale sings.
The Pines of the Appian Way (Tempo di Marcia)—Misty dawn on the Appian Way. The tragic country is guarded by solitary pines. Indistinctly, incessantly, the rhythm of unending steps. The poet has a fantastic vision of past glories. Trumpets blare, and the army of the Consul bursts forth in the grandeur of a newly risen sun toward the Sacred Way, mounting in triumph the Capitoline Hill.
In addition to Respighi’s extraordinarily colorful orchestration, there are several unusual moments in the work, including an extended offstage trumpet solo in the Pines near a Catacomb movement, and a recording of a nightingale which Respighi indicated should be played at the conclusion of The Pines of the Janiculum. Recording technology was very new in 1924, and Respighi’s having incorporated it into the movement reminds us that he was not just a composer who lived in the past.
There are few moments that are more thrilling in live performance than the finale of this work. With six extra brass players heralding the arrival of the ancient Roman army on Capitoline Hill, along with celebratory percussion and an orchestra at “full throttle,” it is among the most exhilarating moments in orchestral music – all courtesy of a composer with an “old soul,” but also the very modern skills necessary to bring his vision to life.
Program notes by © Betsy Hudson Traba 2024