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#1 - Respighi's "The Pines of Rome" and "The Fountains of Rome"

Conducted by Antal Dorati, recorded 1953. Music premiered in 1924.

Category: Classical - Tone Poem

This was the first record I pulled to test the stereo, and it's a great one! The Pines of Rome starts pretty light, and slowly builds to an epic crescendo and deep, thunderous bass. I don't love the beginning, but I sure do love the final section, "Pines of the Appian Way"; that final build is epic.

I have a soft spot for this piece because we played it in high school band. Or rather, we attempted, and had a lot of fun doing so. It's always grabbed my imagination, conjuring images of Roman legions marching through the hills in all of their grandeur. The music swells as Rome rises and conquers vast territories to become an empire. 

As a history enthusiast, my view of Imperialism is much less romantic now than that of my teenage self, but the music still takes me there just the same.


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