Many people only know of Ottorino Respighi through his trilogy of tone poems celebrating Rome. This release helps fill out the composer’s profile with some very unusual works. With the exception of Gli Uccelli, these selections come from the early part of Respighi’s career. Those early works only exist in manuscript, and it’s not clear if […]
Ottorino Respighi
-
-
Charlottesville Symphony Season Ends Energetically
The final concert of the Charlottesville Symphony’s 2018-19 season started slowly and finished in triumph. It was quite a journey. The Saturday, April 24th concerto opened with Wagner’s Prelude from “Parsifal.” This is a quiet, introspective work that uses silence as an important element. The orchestra played beautifully, achieving a shimmering quality in some passages. […]
-
Respighi – Piano Music from the Master Orchestrator
Ottorino Respighi’s reputation is based on his masterful orchestrations. So I was very curious to hear this release of his solo piano music. Would Respighi’s music hold up without any brilliant orchestrations to distract the ear? Happily, it does. This 2-CD set comprises of two types of music. Works composed for the piano, and piano […]
-
Respighi – Lauda per la Nativitá del Signore
Tags: Carus, CD Review, choral music, Christmas music, contemporary classical music, Francis Poulenc, Günther Raphael, Heinrich Kaminksi, Kristrine Larissa Funkhauser, Krystian Adam, Maris Sirmais, Michael Preaetorius, Morten Lauridsen, Nicolas Fink, Ottorino Respighi, Polyphonia Ensemble Berlin, Rundfunkchor Berlin, Sven-David Sandstrôm, Yeree SuhNow this is my kind of Christmas album. While all the works were written for the season, they aren’t part of the classical Christmas top 40 (with one exception — sort of). And they’re all beautifully performed and recorded. The Rundfunkchor Berlin has a rich, creamy sound with an almost seamless blend of voices. The […]
-
Di Vittorio makes Respighi works shimmer
Ottorino Respighi is known for his brilliant orchestrations — but for most listeners, that knowledge is based on his Roman trilogy of tone poems. Salvatore Di Vittorio and the Chamber Orchestra of New York dig a little deeper into the composer’s catalog. Their discoveries reaffirm Respighi’s reputation, while providing an enjoyable listening experience. The Suite […]