Home
Artists
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register
Partychan Telegram ThePornDude
Home Artists Posts Import Register

Pines of Rome (Respighi) - Behind the Score (Episode 19) (Patreon)

Published:
2022-05-16 03:15:00
Imported:
2023-05

Downloads

Content

In this episode, we're diving into one of my favorite orchestral works. Ottorino Respighi's 1924 masterpiece remains as fresh and vibrant as ever. Join me as we dissect some of the themes and orchestration techniques in this landmark piece. 

Unlisted Vimeo Link: https://vimeo.com/710190100/f4c848831b

Files

Behind the Score Episode 19

This is "Behind the Score Episode 19" by Doug Helvering on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

Comments

Chris Ramsbottom

Not a work I'm familiar with. First impressions is that it sounds very filmic (if that's even a word!)

Chris Ramsbottom

Yes. When I think of composers that were around in 1924, it certainly owes more to Ravel than Gershwin, but that is to be expected because the "New World" atmosphere was still in the US, while Respighi was in Italy and this is a very European piece. Having said that, it certainly has nothing to do with Berg, Schoenberg et al who were the other major European school around at the time. Would you say this is a bit of a throwback to Impressionism?

Chris Ramsbottom
>>83974403

Of course, this is the time of the ascent of Mussolini and fascism, and that final piece echoes Imperial Rome into the present time the piece was written.

Peter Tutak

That was thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyable. I love what you did to expose how Respighi created the orchestral color in each of the sections, to take the listener from brilliant sunlight, to darkness, to sunset and evening, and again to morning. It demystifies some of the magic of this glorious piece of music and brings it to a level where we better understand just 'how it was done' (kind of like the curtain being pulled back to reveal the wizard in the Wizard of Oz). Yet you gently let the curtain close again, so the beauty remains intact. One thing - if you do get to hear 'Pines' done live, make sure you get seats on the floor in the orchestra section, as some orchestras will place the offstage horns in the Appian Way section not offstage, but up in the balcony, playing back toward the stage. The call and response effect of this while the orchestra is cranking at ff and that gong is crashing is just mind-blowing. It is truly 'heavy metal orchestra'. Thanks for taking the *time* to go through this piece at a measured pace, and doing such an admirable job teaching it though, Doug. Wonderful work, wonderfully done.

Jim Reeves

One of my favorites too, along with his Church Windows. Great review!

Jim Reeves

Same Deutsche Grammophon recording I have, best conclusion of all recordings I've heard. Enjoyed this live with my dear departed mother many years ago, although with the lowly Florida Orchestra.

Jim Reeves

What do you imagine Beethoven or Mozart would make of this??

Gary Thobaben

I played bass on this in college in 2005, and the bird song (now on cassette, how advanced!) had to be provided by the Respighi estate.

Joseph Pasteris

Thank you for your time to present this fine work. Performed this work with a local orchestra. I know you're overwhelmed with suggestions, but I like thrown in one work at you to dive into is The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky.

doughelvering
>>84008449

I think they’d drool at all the percussion options…and new (expanded) color instrumentation options.

Joseph Pasteris

There's a crazy tympani part in the Sacrifice dance that calls for two tympani parts. That means two players for two sets of tympani.

Peter Tutak

Just putting this out there for anyone interested in hearing a live performance of 'Pines of Rome': The NY Philharmonic has it on their 2022-2023 season schedule. The performance dates are Oct 12, 13, 15, 18.

ax o'lotl

fun fact... I'm one degree of Kevin Bacon from Respighi. one of my composition teachers, David Sheinfeld, himself studied with Respighi. interesting to revisit... many film composers have been influenced by this.