Ancient Airs and Dances

{{Short description|Three orchestral suites by Ottorino Respighi}}

Ancient Airs and Dances ({{langx|it|Antiche arie e danze}}) is a set of three orchestral suites by Italian composer Ottorino Respighi, freely transcribed from original pieces for lute. In addition to being a renowned composer and conductor, Respighi was also a notable musicologist. His interest in music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods led him to compose works inspired by the music of these periods.

Suite No. 1 (1917)

{{listen

|header = Ancient Airs, Suite No. 1

| filename = Balletto detto Il conte Orlando.ogg

| title = 1. Balletto, "Il Conte Orlando"

| description =

| format = Ogg

| filename2 = Gagliarda.ogg

| title2 = 2. Gagliarda

| description2 =

| format2 = Ogg

| filename3 = Villanella.ogg

| title3 = 3. Villanella

| description3 =

| format3 = Ogg

| filename4 = Passo mezzo e mascherada.ogg

| title4 = 4. Passo mezzo e mascherada

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| format4 = Ogg

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Suite No. 1 P 109 was composed in 1917. It was based on Renaissance lute pieces by Simone Molinaro, Vincenzo Galilei (father of Galileo Galilei) and additional anonymous composers.

{{Ordered list|type=upper-roman

| Balletto: "Il Conte Orlando" (Simone Molinaro, 1599)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

| Gagliarda (Vincenzo Galilei, 1550s)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

| Villanella (anonymous, end of 16th century)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

| Passo mezzo e mascherada (anonymous, end of 16th century)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

}}

The orchestration calls for 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 bassoons, 2 horns in F, trumpet in D, harp, harpsichord and strings.

Suite No. 2 (1923)

Suite No. 2, P 138 was composed in 1923. It was based on pieces for lute, archlute, and viol by Fabritio Caroso, Jean-Baptiste Besard, Bernardo Gianoncelli, and an anonymous composer. It also includes an aria attributed to Marin Mersenne.

{{Ordered list|type=upper-roman

| Laura soave: balletto con gagliarda, saltarello e canario (Fabritio Caroso)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

| Danza rustica (Jean-Baptiste Besard)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

| Campanae parisienses (anonymous) & Aria (attributed to Marin Mersenne)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

| Bergamasca (Bernardo Gianoncelli, 1650)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

}}

The orchestration calls for an average-sized orchestra of 3 flutes (3rd doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in A/B♭, 2 bassoons, 3 horns in D (doubling 2 horns in E/F), 2 trumpets in A/D (doubling trumpet in C), 3 trombones, 3 timpani, celesta, harpsichord 4-hands, harp and strings.

Suite No. 3 (1931)

Suite No. 3, P 172 was composed in 1931. It differs from the previous two suites in that it is arranged for strings only and somewhat melancholy in overall mood. (A note by the composer in the printed score states that the work may also be performed by a string quartet, completely omitting the double-bass part.) It is based on lute songs by Besard, a piece for Baroque guitar by Ludovico Roncalli, and lute pieces by Santino Garsi da Parma and additional anonymous composers.

{{Ordered list|type=upper-roman

| Italiana (Anonymous: Italiana (Fine sec. XVI) – Andantino)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

| Arie di corte (Jean-Baptiste Besard: Arie di corte (Sec. XVI) – Andante cantabile – Allegretto – Vivace – Slow with great expression – Allegro vivace – Vivacissimo – Andante cantabile)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

| Siciliana (Anonymous: Siciliana (Fine sec. XVI) – Andantino)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

| Passacaglia (Lodovico Roncalli: Passacaglia (1692) – Maestoso – Vivace)

:File:Orchesterwerke Romantik Themen.pdf

}}

Transcriptions

The Ancient Airs and Dances first two suites were freely transcribed by the composer for piano (2 and 4 hands).{{citation needed|date=February 2022}} In 2016, Dennis Janzer transcribed the set for the organ.{{Cite journal|last=Knapp|first=David|date=2017|title=Music received|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44735124|journal=Notes|volume=73|issue=4|pages=782–790|doi=10.1353/not.2017.0067 |jstor=44735124 |s2cid=201728845 |issn=0027-4380|url-access=subscription}}

Recordings

{{ external media | float = center |width=270px|audio1= You may hear Respighi's "Ancient Airs and Dances" with Neville Marriner conducting the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in 1976
[https://archive.org/details/ottorino-respighi-ancient-airs-and-dances/Respighi_+Ancient+Airs+And+Dances/01+Respighi_+I.+Il+Conte+Orlando_+Ba.mp3 Here on archive.org]}}

There have been many recordings of the suites in their entirety, and individually, with Suite No. 3 most frequently appearing alone. Recordings include: