Pini di Roma

"Pini di Roma" (English “Pines of Rome”) is a 1924 work by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi, and is considered one of the masterpieces of the "Roman Trilogy" of symphonic poems along with "Feste Romane" and "Fontane di Roma". Each movement portrays the location of pine trees in the city during different parts of the day.

The first movement, called "I pini di Villa Borghese", portrays children playing in the pine groves of the Borghese gardens. The music depicts children marching and playing. The second movement, "Pini presso una catacomba" has a more melancholic tune, representing pine trees close to a catacomb in Campagna. Lower orchestral instruments represent the subterranean feature of the catacombs. The two tenor trombones and the bass trombone chant like priests. The third part, a nocturne, "I pini del Gianicolo" is set at night, near a temple of the Roman god Janus on the Janiculum hill. Double-faced gods open large doors and gates, marking the beginning of a new year. A nightingale is heard, giving Respighi the opportunity to include real life bird sounds in his work, a feat unachieved before (the score mentions a specific recording that can be played on a phonograph: the Brunswick Panatrope). The final movement, "I pini della Via Appia", portrays pine trees along the great Appian Way. Misty dawn, A legion advances along the Via Appia in the brilliance of the newly-risen sun. Trumpets sound and the consular army rises in triumph to the capitol. There is an important part for the organ pedal.

The first performance was given under conductor Bernardino Molinari in the Augusteo, Rome, on December 14, 1924.

Movements

#"I pini di Villa Borghese" (Pines of the Villa Borghese)
#"Pini presso una catacomba" (Pines near a catacomb)
#"I pini del Gianicolo" (Pines of the Janiculum)
#"I pini della Via Appia" (Pines of the Appian Way)

Instrumentation

Pini di Roma calls for a large symphony orchestra consisting of 3 flutes (the third doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, glockenspiel, bass drum, snare drum, ratchet, triangle, tambourine, cymbals, gong, harp, celeste, piano, organ, record player and strings. Respighi also calls for 6 buccine (ancient Roman war trumpets); these parts are normally played on modern brasses. This generally encompasses 4 trumpets and 2 trombones placed offstage, either in the house or back stage.

Use in film

An edited version was used to accompany "flying", frolicking humpback whales in the animated movie "Fantasia 2000". The second movement of the piece is omitted, along with the english horn solo in the fourth movement.

The piece was also used in its entirety in "A Movie" (1958) by Bruce Conner.

The piece was used in "Fireworks", an Avant Garde film directed by Kenneth Anger

External links

* [https://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=composition&composition_id=3025 Program notes]