Respighi: Piano Works

Ottorino Respighi: A Self-Taught Pianist
Ottorino Respighi is universally renowned for his symphonic poems The Fountains of Rome and The Pines of Rome, two masterpieces performed by the greatest conductors of the past and present centuries. Countless recordings of these two cornerstones of the Italian symphonic repertoire have been made, and they continue to be performed in the world’s most prestigious concert halls, always to enthusiastic public acclaim.
Born in Bologna in 1879, Respighi began studying violin at the age of eight and later pursued composition, graduating in 1901 under Giuseppe Martucci at the Bologna Conservatory.
Martucci, who served as the director of the Bologna Conservatory from 1886 to 1902, was a pivotal figure in the Italian musical renaissance. As a pianist, composer, and conductor, Martucci significantly influenced the musical life of both the conservatory and Bologna’s Teatro Comunale. This vibrant cultural and musical environment greatly shaped Respighi’s artistic direction, positioning him alongside other composers like Alfredo Casella, Ildebrando Pizzetti, and Francesco Malipiero in rejuvenating Italian music in the early 20th century.
Respighi’s formative years included a sojourn in Russia, where he met Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, from whom he learned the art of the symphonic poem while broadening his compositional horizons. Respighi’s work reflects a blend of classical culture, a love for literature and early music, and a rediscovery of Gregorian chant and modal harmonies. These influences make Respighi a unique composer with a distinctive and recognizable style. His oeuvre spans symphonic poems, operas, instrumental concertos, vocal music, organ works, and chamber music, demonstrating his relentless desire to explore diverse compositional forms.
During his lifetime, Respighi enjoyed great success across Europe and the Americas, particularly in the United States, where many of his works premiered. Esteemed conductors like Toscanini and Mengelberg regularly included Respighi’s compositions in their concert programs, as these pieces were guaranteed to draw sold-out audiences. However, much of Respighi’s work remains underperformed and relatively unknown today – akin to an iceberg, with only 10% of its vast
substance visible.
Among these overlooked works are Respighi’s piano compositions, which possess great musical value and offer insight into his artistic personality. Although a virtuoso violinist, Respighi developed a profound love for the piano from an early age, learning its basics from his father, Giuseppe, an accomplished pianist and later an excellent piano teacher. Young Ottorino, however, continued studying the piano on his own, often in secret, achieving impressive technical prowess. One day, when Giuseppe unexpectedly returned home, he was astonished to hear the Symphonic Etudes by Schumann being played. Discovering Ottorino at the piano, he was amazed by the advanced technique his son had acquired with only a few sporadic lessons.

Respighi often performed his own piano compositions, particularly at premieres, including the Concerto in A minor (P 49), Concerto in the Mixolydian Mode (P 145), Slavonic Fantasy (P 50), and Toccata for Piano and Orchestra (P 156). These technically demanding works showcase his exceptional pianistic skills. Walter Gieseking, who performed the Concerto in the Mixolydian Mode during a 1926 U.S. tour, remarked on the originality and challenge of Respighi’s piano writing. For Respighi, the piano surpassed the violin in personal significance, and throughout his life, he played it with joy and passion, frequently accompanying other instruments or singers, especially his wife, mezzo-soprano Elsa Olivieri Sangiacomo, with whom he gave numerous
concerts across Europe.

The program of this CD pays tribute to Respighi’s pianistic talent, offering a rare and fascinating glimpse into this less-explored facet of his artistry. More importantly, it provides a valuable document by including nearly forgotten compositions that Respighi himself considered noteworthy.
The Six Piano Pieces reveal the influence of Claude Debussy and Franz Liszt (especially in the Notturno), which Respighi tempers with his Italian melodic sensibility. One of Respighi’s defining traits as a composer was his ability to absorb and adapt the styles of great predecessors, reinterpreting them through his own distinct language. These refined and captivating pieces demonstrate his aspiration to communicate through sound, using a palette rich in color and nuance – qualities evident even in solo piano works.
The Three Preludes on Gregorian Melodies, composed in Capri in 1919 and dedicated to Alfredo Casella, mark the first systematic use of Gregorian elements in Respighi’s music. The modal framework of these preludes is innovative: the first, seemingly in G-sharp minor, is actually in D-sharp minor, corresponding to a transposed Phrygian mode. Formally, it follows a tripartite structure, beginning with a psalm-like melody supported by a left-hand rhythmic cell. The second section builds to a dramatic climax, while the reprise employs octave doublings reminiscent of organ registers.
The second prelude, longer than the first, highlights the Dorian mode in both its authentic and plagal forms, with a theme reminiscent of the Magnificat antiphon Virgo prudentissima. The third prelude, only 49 measures long, features a single theme, harmonically varied and fragmented in its conclusion. Its Gregorian melody, anchored in the mid-low register, is paired with repeated octaves in the right hand, creating a striking texture.
For Respighi, Giuseppe Martucci’s piano works were a vital reference, as seen in the youthful Three Andantes and Two Preludes included in this CD. In the Sonata in F minor, Martucci’s influence blends with broader European trends. The opening Allegro is fiery and incisive, reflecting Respighi’s youthful fervor. The second movement, a solemn Lento, unfolds like a Busonian chorale, while the scherzo-like Allegretto recalls Brahms’ sonatas through a Martuccian lens.

This CD offers a fresh perspective on Respighi as a composer of piano music, reaffirming his originality and distinct voice. The result? Magnificent music.

Maurizio Scardovi, Founder and Artistic Director of the Respighi Festival Bologna
Translation by Laura Scardovi