Ottorino Respighi

Celebrated primarily for his Roman trilogy of orchestral blockbusters—Fountains of Rome (1916), Pines of Rome (1924) and Roman Festivals (1928)—Respighi broke the long-standing perception that Italian composers excelled only in opera. Determined to rekindle the instrumental glories of the Venetian Baroque, he also proved a master arranger of music from earlier eras in three suites of Ancient Airs and Dances (1917, 1923 and 1931) and The Birds (1927). Respighi was born into a musical family in Bologna in 1879. After starting out as a violinist in the Russian Imperial Theatre, he discovered his true metier following a series of lessons with Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov. The turning point came when Italian maestro Arturo Toscanini conducted a dazzling 1918 performance of Fountains of Rome in Milan, after which Respighi never looked back. Although rarely heard today, Respighi’s most popular work during his lifetime was the delightful ballet score La boutique fantasque (“The Magic Toyshop”, 1918), based on the piano music of his fellow countryman, Gioachino Rossini. He died in 1936, aged 56.