Overture Respighiana
Encyclopedia
Overture Respighiana
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...

 (Overtura Respighiana)
was composed by Salvatore Di Vittorio
Salvatore Di Vittorio
Salvatore Di Vittorio is an Italian composer and conductor. He is Music Director and Conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of New York "Ottorino Respighi".-Biography:...

 in 2008, as an homage to Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral "Roman trilogy": Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome ; and Roman Festivals...

. The work was written one year before Di Vittorio's completion of Respighi's rediscovered first Violin Concerto in A Major
Violin Concerto in A major (Respighi)
The Violin Concerto in A major, P. 49 is Ottorino Respighi's first violin concerto, which was left unfinished by the composer in 1903, and then completed by Salvatore Di Vittorio in 2009.-Instrumentation:...

.

Instrumentation & Duration

The overture
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...

 is scored for two flutes (II Piccolo), two oboes (II English horn), two clarinets in A, two bassoons, two horns in F, two trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...

, timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...

, 3 percussion (triangle, antique cymbals, glockenspiel, snare drum, tambourine, cymbals, bass drum, and tam tam), celesta
Celesta
The celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano or of a large wooden music box . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators...

, harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...

, and strings
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...

.

Duration is approximately 7 minutes.

History

The overture was composed as an homage not only to Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral "Roman trilogy": Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome ; and Roman Festivals...

, but Respighi's homage works on Gioacchino Rossini
Gioacchino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces...

 (La Boutique Fantasque
La Boutique fantasque
La Boutique fantasque or The Magic Toy Shop was a ballet conceived by Léonide Massine who wrote the choreography and the libretto. Ottorino Respighi wrote the music based on piano pieces by Gioachino Rossini. Its world premiere was at the Alhambra Theatre in London on 5 June 1919 and was performed...

 and Rossiniana
Rossiniana
Rossiniana, P. 148, is a 1925 orchestral suite by Ottorino Respighi, based on four piano pieces by Gioachino Rossini.Respighi had written the ballet La Boutique fantasque for Léonide Massine in 1919, basing it on short piano pieces by Rossini, from his collection Péchés de vieillesse...

).

The beginning of the overture captures the orchestral sounds of the introduction of Pines of Rome, though with new melodies, simultaneously citing elements of Respighi's Rossiniana
Rossiniana
Rossiniana, P. 148, is a 1925 orchestral suite by Ottorino Respighi, based on four piano pieces by Gioachino Rossini.Respighi had written the ballet La Boutique fantasque for Léonide Massine in 1919, basing it on short piano pieces by Rossini, from his collection Péchés de vieillesse...

. Through fanfares, the music leads to a variation of the March from La Boutique Fantasque
La Boutique fantasque
La Boutique fantasque or The Magic Toy Shop was a ballet conceived by Léonide Massine who wrote the choreography and the libretto. Ottorino Respighi wrote the music based on piano pieces by Gioachino Rossini. Its world premiere was at the Alhambra Theatre in London on 5 June 1919 and was performed...

. A brief sarabande styled interlude is given, inspired from the Valse Lente movement of La Boutique
La Boutique fantasque
La Boutique fantasque or The Magic Toy Shop was a ballet conceived by Léonide Massine who wrote the choreography and the libretto. Ottorino Respighi wrote the music based on piano pieces by Gioachino Rossini. Its world premiere was at the Alhambra Theatre in London on 5 June 1919 and was performed...

. The final section involves a tarantella
Tarantella
The term tarantella groups a number of different southern Italian couple folk dances characterized by a fast upbeat tempo, usually in 6/8 time , accompanied by tambourines. It is among the most recognized of traditional Italian music. The specific dance name varies with every region, for instance...

 dance in the style of Rossini
Gioacchino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces...

, which ends with a rocket crescendo.

The overture
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...

 demonstrates Respighi's influence on Di Vittorio, also through Rossini's influence on the music of Respighi
Ottorino Respighi
Ottorino Respighi was an Italian composer, musicologist and conductor. He is best known for his orchestral "Roman trilogy": Fountains of Rome ; Pines of Rome ; and Roman Festivals...

.

World Premiere and Recording

The overture received its world premiere under Salvatore Di Vittorio
Salvatore Di Vittorio
Salvatore Di Vittorio is an Italian composer and conductor. He is Music Director and Conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of New York "Ottorino Respighi".-Biography:...

 and the Chamber Orchestra of New York on February 13, 2010 at the Church of St. Jean Baptiste in New York. The overture was recorded for Naxos Records
Naxos Records
Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...

:8.572333.

External Links

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