Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936)

Ottorino Respighi (b. July 9, 1879, d. Apr. 18, 1936) was Italy's most important post-Romantic composer. Trained first in Bologna, he then studied with Rimsky-Korsakov in Saint Petersburg and with Max Bruch in Berlin. He was a professional violinist (1903- 08) and taught composition (1913-25) at Rome's Santa Cecilia Academy. An unusually versatile composer, he wrote in diverse forms and styles. His love of Medieval and Renaissance music inspired original scores and arrangements of delicacy and subtlety that contrast with the large-scale orchestral works at which he excelled. Respighi composed eight operas but rejected Italian operatic stereotypes; he also wrote much piano and chamber music. His most famous works are the tone poems, The Fountains of Rome (1917), The Pines of Rome (1924), and Roman Festivals (1929). Also popular are his three sets of Ancient Airs and Dances (1917, 1924, 1932) and the suite The Birds (1927). - Malaspina Biography

Sheet music: Ottorino Respighi