I have the impression that more of the orchestral music of Ottorini Repighi (1879-1936) was played more often by American orchestras in the middle third of the 20th century than it is in recent years. Looking at objective data (the listings of what the 300 professional orchestras in the United States perform annually), I see that "The Pines of Room" is programmed with some frequency (by 20 of the orchestras in the most recent year listed). "Brazilian Impressions" and "Roman Festivals" were each only programmed once (in Buffalo and Richmond, VA, respectively), "Church Windows" thrice (Buffalo, Honolulu, and Metropolitan symphony orchestras).

"Roman Festivals" (more often recorded with "The Pines of Rome" and "The Fountains of Rome") is the only one of the three pieces on with which I was familiar before picking up the the Telarc disc of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jesû:s López-Cobos. I like a recording of "Roman Festivals" led by Ricardo Muti more than the one here, but don't have recordings to which to compare the other two pieces. They sound good under the baton of López-Cobos, but might sound better led by others (though Telarc is famous for vivid sound, so I wouldn't make any bets).

Respighi was second only to Ravel as an orchestrator, and I was not surprised to find a rich texture of orchestral colors in a piece called "Chuch Windows." Despite the justfly renowned Telarc sound engineering, I found "Brazilian Impression" a bit pale (especially in comparision with Darius Milhaud's "Saudades do Brazil" [1921]). And "Roman Festivals" is a crowd pleaser, even if symphony programers regard it as vulgar. One might think that with the post-modernist love of pastiche and revival of tonal music that Resighi's music would be enjoyed a renaissance (I don't think "Pines" ever dropped from the repertory).

Chruch Windows (1927) is a symphonic suite of four tone poems. The first is a starry night with the family of the young Jesus Christ fleeing into Egypt, followed by the triumph of the Archangel Michael over the dragon, the transformation of Saint Clare to be at Matins in the church of St. Francis at Assisi, and a celebration of Saint/Pope Gregory the Great.

The "Flight into Egypt" draws on Gregorian chants (with the clarinet doing the chanting, accompanied by strings). In the middle of St. Michael's battle, there is a lull, providing an off-stage trumpet to be heard (the Archangel Gabriel perhaps?). The angels transport Saint Clare to matins (though, as I remember, the walk from her chruch to the basilica built on St. Francis's church at Assissi) is only about five minutes. OK, she was too sick to walk.

The sixth-century prelate (who was only elevated to sainthood in 1958) is announced by tolling bells. The main theme (announced by brass) is from the Gloria of the Mass number 8 ("For the Angels"). It has a very dramatic organ augmentation. The punchy repeating, slowing brass ending sounds like the ending of a 1960s MGM musical--but that is probably because Miklos Rosza knew Respipghi's music, not because any used Respighi's music from before the "sound age" directly.

Respighi wrote his musical Brazilian Impressions following a 1927 trip to Rio de Haneior and Sao Paulo. I don't really hear particularly Brazilian rythms in "Tropical Night," though it is supposedly based on themes and rythms Repighi noted in Rio. (The main theme he gave to a oboe).

"Butantan" is a reptile institute outside Rio. According to his wife, Respighi was quite frightened by the mass of snakes being raised there. The movement starts eerie and goes slithery. This time, the bassoon in its lower registers has the slilthering melody. Other woodwinds pick it up (dangle it?) and a "Dies irae" (Day of Wrath) from a mass for the dead follows. Respighi often sounded more French than Italian to me, and "Butantan" brings Dukas, Debussy, and Ravel (the "Spanish" music of the latter two, and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice).

The following, upbeat song and dance are tropical revels, particularly after all those snakes! It is playful, fitting with the fun in Rio of tourist promotions.

The four Roman Festivals whip through history, starting with the ancient Christians being fed to the lions of the Circus Maximus (with what I'd say were "Hollywood trumpet fanfares," but Hollywood was not yet making sound films then...still, the panel is very bombastic), medieval pilgrimage (based on an old German hymn "Christ ist erstanded), a Renaissance wine festival that Repighi said included "echoes of the hunt, tinkling bells and songs of love." Not to mention trumpets and French horns--and a drunkard impersonated by a solo trombone.

The "Epiphany" provides a big finish, invoking present-day (1927) Roman revelry. Mussolini had been in power for five years by then, but there is something of "roaring twenties" that New York and Paris and Berlin were experiencing. (The first four minutes call to my mind Milhaud's [1920] "Le Boeuf sur le Toit.") It has been suggested that in fulfilling demand to celebrate fascist Italy Repighi was engaging in sarcams as Shostakovich has been argued as doing later in Stalin's police state.

Arturo Toscanini premiered "Feste Romane" (in Carnegie Hall) and recorded it twice and had been aided by Respighi, so his recordings (which I haven't heard in decades) have documentary value, but he didn't have Telarc sound engineers or digital (or oever sterophonic) technology to capture his performances. Although I am not particularly a proponent of Respighi, I can recommend the recordings of Cincinatti Symphony performances of "Church Windows" and "Roman Festivals." López-Cobos seems to have a special affinity with Respighi music. (As did the Philadelphia Orchestra, even before Muti's tenure there.)

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© 2007, Stephen O. Murray

Tracks and timings

Church Windows - The Flight Into Egypt 6:46
Church Windows - 2. St. Michael The Archangel 6:10
Church Windows - 3. The Matins Of St. Clare 5:27
Church Windows - 4. St. Gregory The Great 9:30
Brazilian Impressions - 1. Tropical Night 9:59
Brazilian Impressions - 2. Butantan 4:41
Brazilian Impressions - 3. Song & Dance 4:20
Roman Festivals - 1. Circus Maximus 4:21
Roman Festivals - 2. The Jubilee 6:33
Roman Festivals - 3. The October Festival 7:54
Roman Festivals - 4. The Epiphany 5:08





Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Getting ready to go out