“Pines of Rome” (Pini di Roma) is a symphonic poem for large orchestra, written in 1924 by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi and, together with Fontane di Roma and Feste Romane, forms what is sometimes loosely referred to as his “Roman trilogy”. Each movement depicts the pine trees in different locations in Rome at different times of day.
Movements:
1. “I pini di Villa Borghese” (The Pines of the Villa Borghese)
2. “Pini presso una catacomba” (Pines near a catacomb)
3. “I pini del Gianicolo” (The Pines of the Janiculum)
4. “I pini della Via Appia” (The Pines of the Appian Way)
The first movement, “I pini di Villa Borghese”, portrays noisy children playing soldiers and marching in the pine groves of the Borghese gardens. The second movement, “Pini presso una catacomba” is a majestic dirge, representing pine trees near a catacomb in Campagna. Lower orchestral instruments, plus the organ pedal at 16′ and 32′ pitch, suggest the subterranean nature of the catacombs, while the trombones represent priests chanting. The third part, “I pini del Gianicolo”, is a nocturne set near a temple, on the Janiculum hill, of the Roman god Janus. Double-faced gods open large doors and gates, marking the beginning of a new year. Respighi takes the opportunity to include the actual sound of a nightingale, something that had never been done before. (The score mentions a specific recording that can be played on a phonograph: the Brunswick Panatrope). The final movement, “I pini della Via Appia”, portrays pine trees along the great Appian Way. Misty dawn: a legion advances along the Via Appia in the brilliance of the newly-risen sun.
Conductor: Fritz Reiner & Chicago Symphony Orchestra