1977, 1978 Conversations with Elsa Respighi
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ADRIANO'S CONVERSATIONS WITH ELSA RESPIGHI Adriano with Elsa Respighi (Rome, May 23, 1979) Photo by Reto Gaugenrieder ADRIANO: I had made Elsa Respighi's acquaintance in 1977. This, my greatest friendship, with one of the most interesting women of musical Italy, lasted until Elsa's death in 1996. It embraced considerable correspondence and several personal visits to Elsa's house in Rome, and included an unforgettable Venetian holiday in 1978, preceding the Respighi Centenary for which I had conceived a comprehensive Respighi exhibition. This was held with great success, in conjunction with the International Lucerne Music Festival. Amongst various tape conversations with Elsa, I have transcribed and translated, from the Italian, two of the most important. They offer an interesting insight into a composer of which too little has been written over the fifty years after his death. Only his widow could talk with such authority about him. FIRST CONVERSATION (Rome, September 12th, 1977) ADRIANO: You are extremely busy preparing for the Respighi Centenary to be celebrated in 1979. What will be the most important celebratory events in Italy? ELSA: In Italy, many diverse programs are being prepared, both in the concert and the operatic domains. Casa Ricordi has issued a new catalogue of all available scores that also includes those works edited by other publishers, like Universal, Bote & Bock etc. A: Some of Respighi's operas will also be performed? E: I hope so. There is much interest in La campana sommersa, which has recently been broadcast by RAI. This opera will also find its way to some theatres. There is also much interest in Maria Egiziaca and Lucrezia (both one-act pieces), in some ballets and finally in most of the symphonic and chamber works. As in past years, the USA is, apparently, the country showing the greatest interest in Respighi. Many Universities, Colleges and Institutions have asked me to send materials and information to enable them to prepare their Centenary programs. A: What about gramophone recordings? E: There is great interest and excellent sales all over the world now. Even Japanese labels have produced some new recordings. A: Of the recordings of the Roman trilogy, which do you consider to be the best? Or who is the ideal interpreter of these symphonic poems? What, if any, disappointments may one experience listening to some modern interpretations? E: All great conductors have the Roman Trilogy in their repertoires, besides other Respighi works, and there are many good performances. A: Which interpretation, for example, of Pini di Roma would Ottorino have preferred? E: Well, in this case, I feel a bit undecided. One might discuss Toscanini's versions. In my opinion, he did Fontane and Pini marvelously, but he was not so keen on Feste Romane, which apparently did not suit his temperament. But one can also talk, with enthusiasm, about other conductors, like Kleiber and Reiner. In the past, of course, gramophone recordings did not sound as good as they do today. A: Would Respighi have appreciated the latest technical achievements: stereo and quadraphony? E: He would have been very impressed --- he was always interested in all kinds of technologies, contrary to me... A: Would it not be the right moment now to acquaint audiences, at last, with some less-known works by Respighi, like, for example, his Sinfonia Drammatica? E: Oh yes, but the Drammatica, although an excellent work is not the authentic Respighi. In my opinion, Respighi's break-through came with his Fontane di Roma -- even if, earlier, he had shown a highly personal style in many of his vocal works. Only after Fontane, did he feel he was achieving increasing perfection. A: And what about his chamber works? E: I like very much his Sonata for violin, the Tre preludi sopra melodie gregoriane, and his songs with piano (from which one can assemble some nice programs). In the past, I, myself, have given over 300 recitals of songs by Respighi all over the world. Every year, we were touring for example for 3-4 months in the USA, where Respighi was invited to conduct his works with the best orchestras. In-between these concerts, we were usually giving recitals, as we also did in Europe. A: Once might say that Respighi's songs show his most characteristic, original and intimate side? E: Definitely! Nebbie, for example, is one of his most celebrated works. Would you like to know how it was composed? Respighi had told me once that in his youth (around 24-25 years old) he was going through a period of depression. One morning he had started to write down some music and had put it aside. In the afternoon, a lady, who was a friend, came to visit, bringing a collection of Ada Negri's poetry. After she had left, Ottorino opened the book, read Nebbie, and realised that this poem fitted exactly the mood of the music he had written. He went to his piano and without changing one note of the already written music; he set the words to it and finished the song. This is very strange, but true. A: Years ago, you mentioned that there was a great need for a book on Respighi. Has anybody shown interest in writing such a book? E: Not really. I have written Respighi's biography, myself. It was very hard work. You know, to reconstruct a life is a very difficult thing. But what I tell is all true... There once was a monograph by Raffaello de Rensis, but it is of no real value. A real study on Respighi's work is waiting to be written. Respighi's artistic personality has not been considered seriously yet -- not even by the critics. They seem to be disoriented by such a phenomenon as Respighi who continued to express himself in the personal way he felt necessary. At present, I am writing a book with Leonardo Bragalia, a musicologist, which will be entitled "Opere, balli e balletti". I have just finished the chapter on the ballets and Bragaglia is working on the operas. The book should be published around November 1978, to be available for the Centenary. A: Whilst composing, did Respighi follow a certain pattern, or system, or did he just wait for moments of inspiration rather than follow a strict daily routine? E: Respighi used to compose only during solar months; he created everything between November and March. He used to get up at sunrise, very early in the morning and went to bed at sunset. He lived that kind of cycle. My own is just the opposite: I go to bed very late at night and wake up later in the morning. When I was his pupil at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Respighi asked me if I would become his wife (usually he panicked at the thought of marriage and no one believed he would ever marry). I warned him that I was so different and that, among other things, I could not get up as early in the morning as he did. He answered: "No problem, our lifestyles will continue without change". Generally, after having written something, he would call me to his studio to hear my criticism. If it was a vocal composition, I would obviously go through all the parts. I have studied so much music in my life. I had started studying the piano as a six-year old girl, then harmony and counterpoint, and finally fugue and composition, in Respighi's class. But I also had a singer's training and had obtained a degree in Gregorian chant. Thus, I have lived amongst music all my life. That is why Respighi always respected my judgment. I was always objective and sometimes I needed to tell him, "You know, I think there are eight bars too much here", and a few days later he would come back and say, "You were right, Elsa". We worked together this way all the time. Our marriage was a perfect union; we mutually respected our totally different personalities. We never tried to interfere with each other's tastes or wishes. This was the way we were made and we were destined to live together in total happiness. SECOND CONVERSATION (Venice, September 17th, 1978) ELSA: Shortly after we settled in our flat at Palazzo Borghese, one of Rome's most beautiful residences, an invitation came from Columbia Concerts, one of the most powerful concert agencies, to go on tour to the USA. Respighi, not yet convinced about the necessity of succeeding overseas, felt undecided at first, but I explained to him that success in the USA was necessary for international renown, so he accepted. Even on our first American tour, Respighi was invited by the best orchestras to conduct programs devoted entirely to his own works. And the Composer's Guild, a society specializing in chamber music concerts, offered us recitals, in which I appeared as a singer, either with Respighi at the piano or with a string quartet (as, for example, the Léner Quartet) or with a violinist, also accompanied by Respighi. We had an immediate and enormous success. ADRIANO: Which was the first of these American concerts? E: Respighi was first invited (in 1926) as a guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra at a time when Stokowski was touring elsewhere. Respighi conducted five concerts with this orchestra: two in Philadelphia and one each in Baltimore, Cleveland and Washington. These concerts were enormously successful and the audiences were very enthusiastic. This was the beginning of our great relationship with American audiences. Later on, we had two more American tours lasting three to three-and-a-half months each.