Classical Music | Music for Quartet

Recorded on 10/24/2012, uploaded on 04/17/2013

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

It comes as a surprise to many people that Ottorino Respighi, who is known for such colorful orchestral works as the The Pines of Rome and Fountains of Rome, also wrote chamber music. In fact, he wrote eight string quartets, a string quintet, and a piano quintet. His String Quartet in D Major, which dates from 1907 and is sometimes called No.1, was actually his sixth string quartet.

Born in Bologna, Italy, Respighi studied violin, piano and composition at the local conservatory. Becoming a first rate viola player, he was engaged to play a season for the Imperial Orchestra in St. Petersburg, where he met and subsequently studied composition with Rimsky-Korsakov. Upon his return to Italy, he took up residence in Rome where he lived for the rest of his life.

The Quartet in D Major was first published in 1920. It is constructed along a clear classical structure, with appealing sentiment. The opening Allegro begins with an uplifting and highly romantic main theme, which is followed by a playfully swinging second theme. Respighi’s rich harmonic language is enhanced by a colorful tonal palette, and the combination of different string techniques in the coda produces a truly magical atmosphere. The second movement, Tema con variazioni, begins with a melancholy theme, which is followed by a series of variations that move wistfully through different keys. As music scholar Wilhelm Altmann writes, the next movement, Intermezzo, is really a nervous scherzo. The finale, Allegro, begins in a dramatic fashion with a highly effective rollicking Neapolitan melody.

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.