Respighi: Ancient Airs and Dances (reference recording: Eduard Toldrà, Orchestre National de France)

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Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) Ancient Airs and Dances
00:00 Suite No. 1 for Orchestra, P. 109: I. Balletto detto "Il Conte Orlando"
03:07 Suite No. 1 for Orchestra, P. 109: II. Gagliarda
07:11 Suite No. 1 for Orchestra, P. 109: III. Villanella
12:46 Suite No. 1 for Orchestra, P. 109: IV. Passo mezzo e Mascherada
16:33 Suite No. 2 for Orchestra, P. 138: I. Laura soave. Balletto con gagliarda, saltarello e canario
20:18 Suite No. 2 for Orchestra, P. 138: II. Danza rustica
24:20 Suite No. 2 for Orchestra, P. 138: III. Campanae parisienses, Aria
30:45 Suite No. 2 for Orchestra, P. 138: IV. Bergamasca
35:04 Suite No. 3 for Strings, P. 172: I. Italiana
37:10 Suite No. 3 for Strings, P. 172: II. Arie di corte Andante cantabile
39:27 Suite No. 3 for Strings, P. 172: II. Arie di corte (b,c) Allegretto. Vivace
40:41 Suite No. 3 for Strings, P. 172: II. Arie di corte Lento con grande espressione
42:20 Suite No. 3 for Strings, P. 172: II. Arie di corte (f) Vivacissimo
42:38 Suite No. 3 for Strings, P. 172: II. Arie di corte (g) Andante cantabile
43:25 Suite No. 3 for Strings, P. 172: II. Arie di corte (h) Andante cantabile
45:48 Suite No. 3 for Strings, P. 172: III. Siciliana
48:30 Suite No. 3 for Strings, P. 172: IV. Passacaglia

Orchestre National de France
Conductor: Eduard Toldrà
Recorded in 1954, at Paris
Thanks to Mr Rouillon for the source
New mastering in 2025 by AB for https://classicalmusicreference.com/
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The three orchestral suites featured on this recording draw from works composed during markedly different periods. The first suite, the most famous, dates from 1917. It uses only 16th-century airs and evokes the atmosphere of a post-Renaissance era — the same era romanticized in poems and stories of courtly heroes — blending refinement (I), vitality (II, IV), and a dreamy yet grounded mood (III). The aristocratic tone of these pieces provides a sense of time-travel, preserved by Respighi’s orchestration and given a touch of delightful anachronism. The orchestra is full, except for percussion. This charming score radiates a wholesome joy that recalls the danseries of French courts.

That joy is somewhat muted in the second suite, which is based entirely on 18th-century airs. The piece by Fabrizio Caroso, with its symmetrical structure (a-b-a), already shows, beneath its elegant surface, the signs of classical restraint. Besard’s following dance, with its French-like rigor, recalls courtly entertainments. Suddenly, however, Marin Mersenne’s Aria introduces a romantic emotion whose contrast is striking. Respighi expands it into a grand choral-like movement, whose somewhat sophisticated lyricism is not quite offset by the final Bergamasca. The orchestration remains nearly identical to that of the first suite, but this collection, composed in 1924, shows signs of a search for greater roundness and economy — a tendency fully realized in the third suite of ancient airs, published in 1932.

Written for string orchestra, this final work is far less decorative. It contrasts music from the late 16th century (I and III) with two clearly classical pieces: a symmetrical work by J.-B. Besard and a concluding Passacaglia, orchestrated with evident monumentality. In choosing these early classical pieces, Respighi infused them with a Handelian austerity, calculating rhythmic contrasts with all the expertise he had acquired as a conductor.

Perhaps less immediately appealing than the first suite, this third one nonetheless leaves the most lasting impression, due both to the selection of themes and the true beauty Respighi brought to them through orchestration.

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Other Album available // Respighi: Pines of Rome, Fountains of Rome by Fritz Reiner
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