Ottorino Respighi
Quiz Yourself About Respighi
5.
Which composers had the greatest influence on the early music of Respighi?
In addition to Strauss and Mahler, Respighi was also influenced (to a lesser
extent) by the music of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. Like Debussy and Ravel, Respighi was fascinated by creating vivid soundscapes. He carefully chose orchestral colors to evoke moods and images, much as the French composers used innovative timbral effects. Debussy was renowned for his use of modal scales and non-traditional harmonic progressions. Respighi absorbed these ideas, using subtle shifts in harmony and innovative scales to create unexpected twists in his music, giving his compositions an ethereal, sometimes otherworldly quality. While Respighi’s work is deeply rooted in his Italian heritage, the influence of Debussy and Ravel is evident in his approach to orchestration, harmony, and the creation of atmospheric musical scenes.
Claude Debussy
Maurice Ravel
La Mer: 2nd mvt. (1905)
Alborada del gracioso (1918)
6.
What musical genre did Respighi turn to late in life?