– Composer: Ottorino Respighi (9 July 1879 — 18 April 1936)
– Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra
– Conductor: Fritz Reiner
– Year of recording: 1957
“Pini di Roma” [The Pines of Rome], symphonic poem for large orchestra, P. 141, written in 1924.
00:00 – I. “I pini di Villa Borghese” (The Pines of the Villa Borghese)
02:55 – II. “Pini presso una catacomba” (Pines near a catacomb)
09:48 – III. “I pini del Gianicolo” (The Pines of the Janiculum)
16:23 – IV. “I pini della Via Appia” (The Pines of the Appian Way)
Pini di Roma is the second orchestral work from his “Roman trilogy”, which also consists of “Fontane di Roma” (Fountains of Rome) (1917) and “Feste Romane” (Roman Festivals) (1926).
Each of the four movements depict pine trees in different locations in Rome at different times of the day:
– The first movement (allegretto vivace) portrays noisy children playing soldiers and marching in the pine groves of the Villa Borghese gardens.
– The second (lento) 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 (Lento) is a nocturne set on the Janiculum hill. Respighi took the opportunity to have the sound of a nightingale recorded onto a phonograph, and have it played at the movement’s ending [indicated in the score here, the Brunswick Panatrope record player, at about 15:27]. This was something that had never been done before, and created discussion.
– The final movement (tempo di marcia) portrays pine trees along the Appian Way. Misty dawn: a legion advances along the Via Appia in the brilliance of the newly-risen sun. Respighi wanted the ground to tremble under the footsteps of his army and he instructs the organ to play bottom B flat on 8′, 16′ and 32′ organ pedal. The score calls for buccine – ancient circular trumpets that are usually represented by flugelhorns. Trumpets peal and the consular army rises in triumph to the Capitoline Hill.
The premiere took place at the Augusteo, Rome under the direction of Bernardino Molinari on 14 December 1924.