Respighi and Chihara

Synopsis

Today we note the birthday anniversaries of two composers, one Italian, and one American.

On today’s date in 1879, Ottorino Respighi was born in Bologna, Italy. Respighi is one of the few Italian composers more famous for orchestral works than operas. In 1902, Respighi studied with the Russian master of orchestration, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and the result was a series of brilliantly scored instrumental works for large orchestra.

In 1913, Respighi settled permanently in Rome, and he immortalized that city in a famous trilogy of Roman tone poems: “The Pines of Rome,” “The Fountains of Rome,” and “Roman Festivals.” Respighi died in Rome in 1936.

July 9th is also the birthday of American composer Paul Chihara, who was born in Seattle in 1938. Chihara is of Japanese-American descent, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the outbreak of WWII, his family, like that of many Japanese-Americans, was relocated to an internment camp. Chihara studied literature at the University of Washington, and composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger.

Chihara has written a number of film scores, and his television credits include “China Beach” and “100 Centre Street.” For ten years Chihara was composer in residence with the San Francisco Ballet, and this music is from his ballet score titled “The Tempest,” after the play by Shakespeare.

Music Played in Today's Program

Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) Feste Romane Montréal Symphony; Charles Dutoit, cond. London 410 145

Paul Chihara (b. 1938) The Tempest Performing Arts Orchestra; Jean-Louis LeRoux, cond. Reference RR-10

On This Day

Births

• 1879 - Italian composer Ottorino Respighi, in Bologna

• 1915 - American composer David Diamond, in Rochester, N.Y.

• 1938 - Japanese-American composer Paul Chihara, in Seattle

Deaths

• 1747 - Italian opera composer, Giovanni Bonocini, age 76, in Vienna; He was the famous (and unsuccessful) rival of Handel's for the favor of the opera-loving public in London

• 1960 - American composer Edward Burlington Hill, age 87, in Francesrtown, New Hampshire

• 1984 - American composer and teacher Randall Thompson, age 85, in Boston

Premieres

• 1957 - Hartmann: opera "Simplicius Simplicissimus" (revised version), in Mannheim at the Nationaltheater; This opera was premiered in a concert version in Munich by the Bavarian Radio on April 2, 1948

• 1969 - Lennox Berkeley: Symphony No. 3, in Cheltenham, England

• 2001 - Steven Stucky: "Three Little Pieces for David," for piano (written for the 65th birthday of conductor David Zinman), by Yefim Bronfman at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado.