Respighi & Andrei Korobeinikov plays Grieg

No work embodies Norwegian national romanticism more than Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto. He composed it at the age of 24, during a long holiday in the Norwegian countryside just after the birth of his only daughter. Grieg's Piano Concerto shares many similarities with Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto, notably the key of A minor. However, Grieg's piece exudes an eminently personal touch, as the composer drew inspiration from Norwegian folk music. In the concerto's third and final movement, Grieg summons the rhythm of the "halling," a Norwegian dance. The powerful rhythm and pagan atmosphere blend into a brilliant apotheosis.

When Respighi moved from his native Bologna to Rome in 1913, two things caught his eye: the beautiful fountains and the umbrella-shaped pine trees that could be seen everywhere on the horizon. Respighi dedicated a symphonic poem in four movements to each of these two emblems of the Italian capital. The Fontane di Roma, composed in 1916, depicts four Roman fountains, captured at different times of the day. These include a musical rendition of the famous Trevi Fountain at noon, with Neptune on his chariot pulled by sea horses and followed by a procession of sirens and tritons, triumphantly gliding over the water. . Eight years after the Fontane di Roma, Respighi composed the Pini di Roma, a second symphonic poem in four movements, with the last movement, I pini della Via Appia (The pines along the Via Appia) being the most famous. It recalls the past glory of the Roman Empire:legions march out of the city on the famous Via Appia with their shining armour under the rising sun. Respighi's masterful orchestration techniques – with blaring brass and heavy organ work – make the ground tremble beneath the feet of the advancing army.

Created with the support of the Belgian Tax Shelter through Casa Kafka Pictures.