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Donald Macleod examines how Respighi’s life and career took a new direction, following his marriage to Elsa.

This week, we’re invited to explore the richly evocative musical landscape of Ottorino Respighi. The colourful inventiveness of his most popular music was often inspired by images, places or stories, like his trio of ‘Tone Poems’: Pines of Rome, Fountains of Rome, and Roman Festivals. These works and others were frequently championed by celebrated conductor, Arturo Toscanini, and Respighi rose to become one of the leading Italian composers of the 20th century. He remains hugely popular with orchestras and audiences today. Respighi’s trademark orchestral brilliance betrays the influence of his Russian mentor, Rimsky-Korsakov. He was also fascinated by early music and sometimes incorporated antique styles into his works. In this series, Donald Macleod explores Respighi’s life and music from different perspectives, including his associations with Bologna, Rome and the USA, the important presence of his wife, Elsa, and also his complicated relationship with Toscanini.

In 1915, Ottorino Respighi found he had a new student in his composition class, Elsa Olivieri-Sangiacomo. They fell in love and, a few years later, were married. Elsa’s support and encouragement proved crucial for Respighi, with Elsa sacrificing her own artistic ambitions in favour of her husband’s career. Soon after their wedding, Elsa sparked Respighi’s interest in Gregorian Chant, which led to the composition of his Concerto Gregoriano for violin and orchestra,. It was also in the early years of their marriage that Respighi produced another of his most famous works, the Pines of Rome.

Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No 2, P. 138 (Danza Rustica)
Sinfonia 21
Richard Hickox, conductor

Tre preludi sopra melodie gregoriane, P. 131 (excerpt)
Konstantin Scherbakov, piano

Pines of Rome, P. 141
Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala
Riccardo Chailly, conductor

Concerto Gregoriano, P. 135 (Finale)
Lydia Mordkovitch, violin
´óÏó´«Ã½ Philharmonic
Sir Edward Downes, conductor

Produced by Luke Whitlock, for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales