Ottorino Respighi
Sinfonia drammatica
Short instrumentation: 3 3 4 3 - 6 3 3 1 - timp, perc(4), hp, org, str
Duration: 60'
Dedication: a Bernardino Molinari
Instrumentation details:
piccolo
1st flute
2nd flute
1st oboe
2nd oboe
cor anglais
1st clarinet in Bb
2nd clarinet in Bb
clarinet in Eb
bass clarinet in Bb
1st bassoon
2nd bassoon
contrabassoon
1st horn in F
2nd horn in F
3rd horn in F
4th horn in F
5th horn in F
6th horn in F
1st trumpet in Bb
2nd trumpet in Bb
3rd trumpet in Bb
1st trombone
2nd trombone
3rd trombone
bass tuba
timpani
1st percussion
2nd percussion
3rd percussion
4th percussion
harp
organ
violin I
violin II
viola
violoncello
contrabass
Respighi - Sinfonia drammatica for orchestra
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Work introduction
Ottorino Respighi’s hour-long Sinfonia drammatica, which he completed just before the First World War broke out, appears to anticipate the impending tragedy. The brilliantly orchestrated composition (with six horns, four percussion, harp and organ) is the Italian composer’s answer to Mahler and Richard Strauss: it could easily have been composed in the German-speaking world. The music lives up to its name – it is dramatic in all respects, with a hint of nostalgia for a world that was on the verge of disappearing forever.