Ottorino Respighi – Pines of Rome
In 1923, Ottorino Respighi (1879 -1936) moved from Bologna to Rome. The Capital immediately struck him with its marvelous fountains and its characteristic pine trees with their distinctive umbrella shape. These visions inspired him to create a triptych (the Roman Trilogy) of symphonic poems dedicated to Rome: Fountains of Rome (1916), Pines of Rome (1924), and Roman Festivals (1928).
Pines of Rome
The second symphonic poem in the trilogy is Pines of Rome (1924). The work, lasting about 21 minutes, aims to evoke different scenes and atmospheres connected to the monumental pines that characterize the Roman landscape.
Respighi provided program notes on the score for each of the four movements:
I pini di Villa Borghese (The Pines of the Villa Borghese) (Allegretto vivace): Describes children playing in the pine grove, with their shouts, games, and mock soldier marches. The themes of the children’s nursery rhymes “Giro giro tondo” (Ring a Ring o’ Roses) and “Oh quante belle figlie, Madama Doré” are recognizable.Pini presso una catacomba (Pines Near a Catacomb) (Lento): Evokes the sense of solitude and mystery of the pines watching over the entrance to a catacomb, a liturgical chant in a solemn and sacred atmosphere.I pini del Gianicolo (The Pines of the Janiculum) (Lento): A nocturnal and poetic piece, portraying the pines silhouetted in the serene full moon on the Janiculum Hill, with a nightingale singing a dreamy melody.I pini della via Appia (The Pines of the Appian Way) (Tempo di marcia): The final and most grandiose movement, which begins with a misty dawn and an indistinct march rhythm, evoking the vision of an ancient Roman consular army marching triumphantly toward the Capitol. It develops into a resounding orchestral crescendo that requires a vast ensemble and extensive use of brass.Orchestration and Innovative Instruments
Respighi demands a very large orchestra for the performance, including several additional instruments. The composer employs modern and evocative orchestration techniques, leveraging the skills he acquired as a student of Rimsky-Korsakov.
Respighi pays great attention to timbral color, which is why he includes some unconventional instruments for the time in the ensemble.
The first example is the buccine, ancient Roman trumpets. Often performed by flugelhorns, they are specific to the finale (The Pines of the Appian Way). They are used off-stage and then in the orchestra (in addition to the already substantial brass section) to recreate the sound of the Roman army’s trumpets. Their appearance marks the army’s breakthrough into the “splendor of the new sun” toward the Capitol, culminating in a thunderous fortissimo.
A second example is the use of the phonograph, employed in the third movement (The Pines of the Janiculum) to play the recorded song of an authentic nightingale. It is one of the most famous and innovative orchestral effects in the repertoire, through which Respighi interrupts the orchestral texture, breaking the barrier between music and nature and bringing the nocturnal scene to the peak of poetic verisimilitude.
Connections to Other Composers
It is interesting to note that Pines of Rome (1924) precedes the composition of Boléro (1928) by four years. Respighi was the first to use a prolonged, obstinate orchestral crescendo based on a repeated martial rhythm. The use of the buccine, which enter “from afar” and then join the orchestral roar, creates an exceptional effect of triumphant, spatial approach. The crescendo is so gradual and powerful that it is often cited as an “Italian Boléro” (even though Ravel’s Boléro came later).
The finale of the work (The Pines of the Appian Way) was used in the Walt Disney animated film Fantasia 2000. Contrary to the march of the Roman legions, the Disney segment accompanies the spectacular scene in which a family of humpback whales “flies” among the clouds and ice. The epic and majestic atmosphere of Respighi’s music thus adapted to a completely different vision, demonstrating the universality of its evocative power.
John Williams inherited the art of making sound epic from Respighi. In the finale of The Pines of the Appian Way, the slowly growing march of the legionaries with brass, timpani, and organ is almost the model for the Imperial March from Star Wars.
An anecdote circulates among music enthusiasts (unverified, but nice to imagine it is true): During a rehearsal of Star Wars with the London Symphony Orchestra, someone (reportedly the principal trombonist) joked, “It sounds like Respighi, but in space!” Williams smiled and did not deny it.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/QVNM4JK75HA
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