Have Mercy On The Poor Man From Bologna!

[dulcinea]

At this moment the mustelids are tormenting me with yet another retread of the same tired worn out pieces of Respighi that they play EVERY WEEK without fail: LA BOUTIQUE FANTASTIQUE, THE BIRDS, THE CHURCH WINDOWS, THE BOTTICELLI PICTURES, and THE POTHOLES, SEWERS and LATRINES OF ROME .
Obviously they have never checked his biography, which shows that the Man from Bologna was very productive: nine opera, several ballets, several concerti, and an abundance of chamber and orchestral pieces, all of which I would love to hear.

[Chalkperson]

At this moment the mustelids are tormenting me with yet another retread of the same tired worn out pieces of Respighi that they play EVERY WEEK without fail: LA BOUTIQUE FANTASTIQUE, THE BIRDS, THE CHURCH WINDOWS, THE BOTTICELLI PICTURES, and THE POTHOLES, SEWERS and LATRINES OF ROME .
Obviously they have never checked his biography, which shows that the Man from Bologna was very productive: nine opera, several ballets, several concerti, and an abundance of chamber and orchestral pieces, all of which I would love to hear.

Just because he wrote them does mean they are all worth hearing...

[John F]

The three suites of Ancient Airs and Dances are like "The Birds," but without the unifying theme. Very pleasing; for my money, Respighi was best at arranging other composers' music. As for his own music, I can do without it - all of it.

[bigshot]

I really like Boutique Fantastique. Great piece!

[dulcinea]

You are dismissing Respighi exactly as Boccherini was dismissed when he was known only for his Minuet.

[John F]

No, I'm "dismissing" Respighi because, to my taste, he wrote tacky music. Boccherini only wrote dull music.

[THEHORN]

Respighi's opera "La Fiamma " deserves to be better known and might even be worth a Met production .
The suite from "Belkis, queen of Sheba ", is great fun . His only symphony , "Sinfonia Drammatica ", is also
worth hearing . I wouldn't dismiss Respighi out of hand at all .

[John F]

You wouldn't, but I would.

[Wallingford]

Just because of your putdown, John, I'm reflexively considering exploring Respighi's obscure stuff.

[Chalkperson]

Just because of your putdown, John, I'm reflexively considering exploring Respighi's obscure stuff.

Dion't bother, you have much better things to do with your time, and Boccherini is only dull if you sit down and listen, it's perfect music to work to...

[John F]

Just because of your putdown, John, I'm reflexively considering exploring Respighi's obscure stuff.

If you hear anything good, let us know.

[piston]

Typical lack of cultural context to a whole many of these replies. Where is orchestral music in Italy during the first third of the 20th century? This was a country so "lyrical" that it failed to develop a cadre of orchestral music composers for decades! The task of Respighi, along with a few others, was to make such music acceptable to a public not receptive to orchestral works.

It's a lot of pictorial music, as John F would put it, for that reason.

[dulcinea]

Just because of your putdown, John, I'm reflexively considering exploring Respighi's obscure stuff.

Every man in the world is entitled to a fair trial to determine the true facts about him. That certainly applies to someone like Respighi, who is in the patently unfair situation of being famous almost exclusively for a very small portion of his very considerable output.

[piston]

The amazing cultural issue to me is that, notwithstanding so much talent and institutional development, there is no Italian de Falla, Debussy/Ravel/Roussel, Elgar/Vaughan Williams, Bruckner/Mahler/Strauss/Hindemith, Bartok/Kodaly, Dvorak/Martinu, Szymanovski, Sibelius/Atterberg, Glazunov/Myaskovsky/Prokofiev/Shostakovich....

Why did a country with so much classical music knowledge fail to produce a top-ranking orchestral composer?

[John F]

Surely it's because in Italy, fame and especially fortune lay in opera, not in concert music.

[piston]

And that's what Respighi, Casella, and Malipiero were trying to alter, to change.

[barney]

Just because of your putdown, John, I'm reflexively considering exploring Respighi's obscure stuff.

Dion't bother, you have much better things to do with your time, and Boccherini is only dull if you sit down and listen, it's perfect music to work to...

For someone who is so often so wrong (ie any time you disagree with me), sometimes you are wonderfully right. Like now.

[Chalkperson]

Just because of your putdown, John, I'm reflexively considering exploring Respighi's obscure stuff.

Every man in the world is entitled to a fair trial to determine the true facts about him. That certainly applies to someone like Respighi, who is in the patently unfair situation of being famous almost exclusively for a very small portion of his very considerable output.

And 90% of it is rubbish, plain and simple...

[Chalkperson]

The amazing cultural issue to me is that, notwithstanding so much talent and institutional development, there is no Italian de Falla, Debussy/Ravel/Roussel, Elgar/Vaughan Williams, Bruckner/Mahler/Strauss/Hindemith, Bartok/Kodaly, Dvorak/Martinu, Szymanovski, Sibelius/Atterberg, Glazunov/Myaskovsky/Prokofiev/Shostakovich....

Why did a country with so much classical music knowledge fail to produce a top-ranking orchestral composer?

Times change, you can't rest on your laurels...

[lennygoran]

Times change, you can't rest on your laurels...

How do you know who's resting on one's laurels and who isn't? Will it one day be considered that Beethoven is resting on his laurels? Fountains and Pines both make it for me! Regards, Len

[dulcinea]

Just because of your putdown, John, I'm reflexively considering exploring Respighi's obscure stuff.

Every man in the world is entitled to a fair trial to determine the true facts about him. That certainly applies to someone like Respighi, who is in the patently unfair situation of being famous almost exclusively for a very small portion of his very considerable output.

And 90% of it is rubbish, plain and simple...

My 59 years have taught me not to trust blindly the opinion of experts, who are far from infallible, so I prefer to judge Respighi for myself.