~
cover photos photographer unknown
photo of album cover by Styrous®
Today is the birthday of Ottorino Respighi who was born on July 9, 1879, at 8 Via Guido Reni, an apartment building to the side of Palazzo Fantuzzi in Bologna, Italy.
My favorite work by Respighi is the Pines of Rome, a four-movement symphonic poem for orchestra completed in 1924. The piece, which depicts pine trees in four locations in Rome at different times of the day, is the second of Respighi's trilogy of tone poems based on the city, along with the Fountains of Rome (1917) and Roman Festivals (1928). The Pines
premiered on the 14th of December in 1924 and although Respighi wrote
wonderful operas and ballets it is this trio of music for which he is
primarily remembered. The Pines is an amazing orchestral work to hear and especially to see (the tympani player is a knockout!) in a live performance(link below).
I was fashion show production coordinator for the art to wear
boutique, Obiko, for over fifteen years. The shows always ended with a
bridal section that opened with a procession of ten or more bridesmaids
and Mother-of-the-Bride fashions with the Bride entering last. I always avoided using traditional
wedding music for it and Sandra Sakata, the owner of Obiko, loved that!
Sometime in the early eighties I used the fourth movement from Respighi's Pines work, The Pines of the Appian Way, performed by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,
for the bridal section; it was recorded at the pinnacle of Reiner's
career and is a stunning version of the work. The movement is Respighi's representation of the past glories of
the Roman Empire and begins VERY quietly with tympani, double bass and piano
establishing a moderate speed march beat, then woodwinds enter and an
oboe creates an exotic, almost Scheherazade-like touch (perhaps from his studies in Russia with Rimsky-Korsakov) followed by brass all of which build to a
grand finale that is utterly glorious (link below). It was the perfect ending for the show.
The Appian Way (Via Appia) was named after Appius Claudius Caecus, who was the Roman censor
that began and completed the first section of a military road in 312
B.C. His nickname Caecus was given to him in his old age when he lost
his eyesight.
The road was constructed for creating a fast communication between Rome and Capua, which is near Naples. The Appian Way began at the Circus Maximus and passed along the Baths of Caracalla, and eventually, the Aurelian Wall.
Its distance was 132 miles and it took 5 to 6 days to travel it. The Appian Way was revolutionary for that period of
time and was the first Roman road to feature the use of lime
cement.
Tracklist:
Side 1:
Side 1:
Pines Of Rome
A1 The Pines Of The Villa Borghese 4:00
A2 The Pines Near A Catacomb 5:51
A3 The Pines Of The Janiculum 5:13
A4 The Pines Of The Appian Way 5:57
A1 The Pines Of The Villa Borghese 4:00
A2 The Pines Near A Catacomb 5:51
A3 The Pines Of The Janiculum 5:13
A4 The Pines Of The Appian Way 5:57
Side 2:
Fountains Of Rome
B1 The Fountain Of Valle Giulia At Dawn 4:37
B2 The Triton Fountain At Morn 2:24
B3 The Fountain Of Trevi At Mid-day 6:22
B4 The Villa Medici Fountain At Sunset 2:08
Companies, etc.
Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis
Credits:
Composed By – Respighi*
Conductor – Fritz Reiner
Engineer – Lewis Layton
Liner Notes – Roger Dettmer
Orchestra – Chicago Symphony Orchestra*
Producer – Richard Mohr
Notes:
Original US stereo release from 1960 w/ red shaded dog label.
Indianapolis pressing, as indicated by I stamped in runouts.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Side A label): K2RY-4735
Matrix / Runout (Side B label): K2RY-4736
Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped, variant 1): K2 RY4735 15S I A1
Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped, variant 1): K2 RY4736 14S I D2
Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped, variant 2): K2 RY4735-1S I A1
Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped, variant 2): K2 RY4736-1S A1 I
Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped, variant 3): K2RY-4735-17S I A2
Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped, variant 3): K2RY-4736-175 I A1
Pressing Plant ID (Stamped in runouts; RCA Indianapolis Plant): I
Respighi* – Reiner* / Chicago Symphony* – Pines Of Rome / Fountains Of Rome
Label: RCA Victor Red Seal – LSC-2436
Series: Living Stereo
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Indianapolis Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1960
Genre: Classical
Style: Modern
Styrous® ~ Friday, July 9, 2021
Label: RCA Victor Red Seal – LSC-2436
Series: Living Stereo
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo, Indianapolis Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1960
Genre: Classical
Style: Modern
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
Imperium Romanum ~ Appius Claudius Caecus
Interlude ~ Trees of History Respighi: Pini di Roma
Houston Symphony ~ Respighi’s Pines of Rome
LA Philharmonic ~ Pines of Rome
YouTube links:
“. . . the century-old trees which dominate
so characteristically the Roman landscape
become testimony
for the principal events in Roman life.”
~ Ottorino Respighi
~ Ottorino Respighi
