Ottorino Respighi falls into that unenviable category of a composer whose reputation rests unduly on a particular work, or group of compositions. In his case it is the so-called ‘Roman Trilogy’ with which he is perennially associated, three separately conceived orchestral pieces penned between 1916-1928, his prime creative period.
The popularity of the Trilogy has often been attributed to Respighi’s undeniable brilliance as an orchestrator, his ability to conjure a kaleidosocopic range of crowdpleasing colours and impressions from his instrumental palette. The composer’s numerous detractors contend that there is actually little more than superficial thrills and spills in the Trilogy’s music, that it is mainly sound and fury, signifying nothing deeper – an allegation given a certain credence by performances which crudely over-emphasise...
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