Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936)
Roman Triptych
Fountains of Rome (1916)
Pines of Rome (1924)
Roman Festivals (1928)
NBC Symphony Orchestra/Arturo Toscanini
rec. 12 December 1949 (Roman Festivals), 17 December 1951 (Fountains of Rome) & 17 March 1953 (Pines of Rome), Carnegie Hall, New York City
Ambient Stereo
Pristine Audio PASC 725 [60]

This has previously been very favourably reviewed by Morgan Burroughs, who remarked upon both its artistic and sonic excellence – the latter being greatly enhanced here by the usual Pristine treatment rendering it into Ambient Stereo. It has long been the benchmark historic recording and he mentions favourite versions by Reiner, Muti and Pappano in modern sound. There also are plenty of estimable recordings of individual or paired suites from the likes of Dorati, Karajan, Oue and Mata. But for a full set of the Roman Trilogy, my own reference has long been – perhaps surprisingly – the Naxos recording with the RPO conducted by Enrique Bátiz. I also like Svetlanov live with the Swedish Radio SO – again, perhaps a surprising choice.

As Morgan observes, despite its excellence, it still cannot compete with digital recordings which really show off Respighi’s brash and brilliant orchestration, but Toscanini’s realisation of this music is now so much more impressive than before in this Pristine issue. In the first suite, Roman Festivals, there is now a real sense of space around the trumpet calls in Circuses, the timpani are thunderous, the gentler passages in Jubilee have a mysterious aura about them. The mercurial October Festival has much more presence – the mandolin is very atmospheric – and the distortion in the raucous climaxes of Epiphany is minimal. That last movement is a real anachronistic hodgepodge of street songs, waltzes, quasi-Neapolitans (yes; I know it was Rome), barrel organ tunes and battle cries – and it’s great fun when delivered with such vigour.

The contrast with the glittering, bubbling Fountains of Rome could hardly be greater and one immediately notices a greater refinement in the sound as we move into recording made in early fifties mono on tape. The music may be subtler, but Toscanini lends enormous grandeur to The Fountain of Trevi at Midday and the sunset music is serene.

The transitions through kaleidoscopic moods are all seamlessly managed. From the aural depiction of children playing with which The Pines of Rome opens, positively radiating joy and abandon, to the sombre terror of the catacombs and the moonlit idyll of the Janiculum. The concluding showstopper of the legions marching to the barbaric yet glorious blare of the trumpets (pardonably substituted for the Roman buccine Respighi prescribed) is magnificently realised.

By all means enjoy a modern, digital account of this extraordinary cycle of tone poems but pair it with Toscanini’s version to savour one of the most arresting and thrilling realisations of Respighi’s masterpieces ever recorded.

Ralph Moore

Previous review: Morgan Burroughs (November 2024)