Between 1917 and 1932, Respighi, who was a keen scholar of Italian music of the 16th-18th centuries, wrote three orchestral suites of Antiche Danze ed Arie per Liuto (Ancient Airs and Dances for the Lute), free transcriptions of lute pieces from that era. More restrained than his famous exuberant orchestra music, these orchestral suites (the third one scored for strings only) have nonetheless gained considerable popularity.
Less known is the transcription for piano that Respighi created of some items from the first and third suites. While not being overtly pianistic, these transcriptions are very effective, and are maybe Respighi's best work for piano solo.
An interesting bit of trivia : Vincenzo Galilei, the composer of the Gagliarda, was the father of the famous astronomer Galieo Galilei.
Complete recording by Breemer, C. |
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| Antiche Danze ed Arie per Liuto (SEC. XVI. e XVII.) Trascrizione libera per Pianoforte di Ottorino Respighi |
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| 1 | Balletto detto "Il Conte Orlando" | SIMONE MOLINARO (1599) | 3:05 | |
| 2 | Villanella | IGNOTO (Fine del Sec. XVI.º) | 5:31 | |
| 3 | Gagliarda | VINCENZO GALILEI (155..) | 3:55 | |
| 4 | Italiana | IGNOTO (Fine del Sec. XVI.º) | 2:38 | |
| 5 | Siciliana | IGNOTO (Fine del Sec. XVI.º) | 3:29 | |
| 6 | Passacaglia | LODOVICO RONCALLI (1692) | 3:37 | |
