Pines of Rome (Respighi) - Behind the Score (Episode 19)
Added 2022-05-16 03:15:00 +0000 UTCIn this episode, we're diving into one of my favorite orchestral works. Ottorino Respighi's 1924 masterpiece remains as fresh and vibrant as ever. Join me as we dissect some of the themes and orchestration techniques in this landmark piece.
Unlisted Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/710190100/f4c848831b
Comments
fun fact... I'm one degree of Kevin Bacon from Respighi. one of my composition teachers, David Sheinfeld, himself studied with Respighi. interesting to revisit... many film composers have been influenced by this.
ax o'lotl
2022-05-22 10:52:21 +0000 UTCJust putting this out there for anyone interested in hearing a live performance of 'Pines of Rome': The NY Philharmonic has it on their 2022-2023 season schedule. The performance dates are Oct 12, 13, 15, 18.
Peter Tutak
2022-05-17 22:17:09 +0000 UTCThere's a crazy tympani part in the Sacrifice dance that calls for two tympani parts. That means two players for two sets of tympani.
Joseph Pasteris
2022-05-17 16:10:26 +0000 UTCThat’s a monumental piece as well. I’ll think on it!
R. Douglas Helvering
2022-05-17 16:01:50 +0000 UTCI think they’d drool at all the percussion options…and new (expanded) color instrumentation options.
R. Douglas Helvering
2022-05-17 16:01:07 +0000 UTCThank you for your time to present this fine work. Performed this work with a local orchestra. I know you're overwhelmed with suggestions, but I like thrown in one work at you to dive into is The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky.
Joseph Pasteris
2022-05-17 14:13:03 +0000 UTCI played bass on this in college in 2005, and the bird song (now on cassette, how advanced!) had to be provided by the Respighi estate.
Gary Thobaben
2022-05-17 00:28:01 +0000 UTCWhat do you imagine Beethoven or Mozart would make of this??
Jim Reeves
2022-05-17 00:03:39 +0000 UTCSame Deutsche Grammophon recording I have, best conclusion of all recordings I've heard. Enjoyed this live with my dear departed mother many years ago, although with the lowly Florida Orchestra.
Jim Reeves
2022-05-16 23:34:00 +0000 UTCOne of my favorites too, along with his Church Windows. Great review!
Jim Reeves
2022-05-16 23:24:34 +0000 UTCThat was thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyable. I love what you did to expose how Respighi created the orchestral color in each of the sections, to take the listener from brilliant sunlight, to darkness, to sunset and evening, and again to morning. It demystifies some of the magic of this glorious piece of music and brings it to a level where we better understand just 'how it was done' (kind of like the curtain being pulled back to reveal the wizard in the Wizard of Oz). Yet you gently let the curtain close again, so the beauty remains intact. One thing - if you do get to hear 'Pines' done live, make sure you get seats on the floor in the orchestra section, as some orchestras will place the offstage horns in the Appian Way section not offstage, but up in the balcony, playing back toward the stage. The call and response effect of this while the orchestra is cranking at ff and that gong is crashing is just mind-blowing. It is truly 'heavy metal orchestra'. Thanks for taking the *time* to go through this piece at a measured pace, and doing such an admirable job teaching it though, Doug. Wonderful work, wonderfully done.
Peter Tutak
2022-05-16 15:20:27 +0000 UTCOf course, this is the time of the ascent of Mussolini and fascism, and that final piece echoes Imperial Rome into the present time the piece was written.
Chris Ramsbottom
2022-05-16 14:59:23 +0000 UTCYes, I would...with a bit of nationalism thrown in.
R. Douglas Helvering
2022-05-16 14:53:18 +0000 UTCYes. When I think of composers that were around in 1924, it certainly owes more to Ravel than Gershwin, but that is to be expected because the "New World" atmosphere was still in the US, while Respighi was in Italy and this is a very European piece. Having said that, it certainly has nothing to do with Berg, Schoenberg et al who were the other major European school around at the time. Would you say this is a bit of a throwback to Impressionism?
Chris Ramsbottom
2022-05-16 14:50:08 +0000 UTCNot a work I'm familiar with. First impressions is that it sounds very filmic (if that's even a word!)
Chris Ramsbottom
2022-05-16 14:17:19 +0000 UTCLink to Wild Night by John Adams: https://youtu.be/bETU-8qa_g0
MrWondrous David Beckwith
2022-05-16 11:47:43 +0000 UTCIt was a cold and snowy night in a Boston hotel downtown, in the young '1980s, when beturtlenecked Seiji Ozawa mounted the stand, and conducted the BSO in this wondrous masterpiece. TV was very warm that cold wild night, featuring pines and fountains. And the tonitruous, tonitruating tympanic trundling was quite the accompaniment, and also quite reminiscent of John Adams' Dickensonian "Wild Nights", which was another rare wonder, only more of a runaway train, sonorously, from that otherwise bleak decade. And the bass drums at the end of Pines are in lockstep with my heartbeat. How did he know that? Did he manipulate us? Your discussion on Italian composers as well as your talk of big productions, reminded me of an amazing night of music by Luciano Berio, also in the '80s Boston, where, like Stockhausen, he took advantage of spatial possibilities in music, and had folks scattered all aboot. Mr. Berio was there too, which made it particularly special. You would have "doug" it. Thanks for adding new light to this old favorite. Check out Adams' "Wild Nights" as I know you will love. When I first heard it, I was visiting my parents, same decade, and was listening to it, reclining on the sofa, drifting off...only to have a dream of being in a runaway train racing down the tracks, and then waking to find that it was the music. It will get the heart a-racing. Thanks again Maestro. Wondrous as always.
MrWondrous David Beckwith
2022-05-16 11:45:48 +0000 UTCLove Pines of Rome. I'm playing the full piece in a chamber brass ensemble arranged by Michael Allen. I'm playing the 1st horn part.
Timothy Albritton
2022-05-16 03:19:07 +0000 UTC
