Respighi 'Roman Festivals' - Vasily Petrenko / National Youth Orchestra - Complete Performance

The four individual sections in this performance of Respighi's 'Roman Festivals' ('Feste Romane') have already been uploaded here separately. However, as they are all linked together, and as it's been specially requested, here is the complete performance as given at the 2009 Proms in London by the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain under Vasily Petrenko.
It has already been noted that the conductor took this piece at 100-miles an hour in some places, so it is a tribute to the talented youngsters that they were able to keep up with his speedy tempos. Incidentally, this was the work's Proms Premiere.
(1) Circenses - A threatening sky hangs over the Circus Maximus. The howling of wild beasts mingles with the strains of a religious chant sung by the martyrs as they are led into the arena.
(2) The Jubilee - Pilgrims trail along the highway praying. Finally they see the Holy City. "Rome! Rome!" they cry and a hymn of praise bursts forth.
(3) The October Festival - In the Roman 'Castelli' we hear echoes of the hunt, tinkling bells, songs of love and a romantic serenade from a mandolin.
(4) The Epiphany - The Night before Epiphany in the Piazza Navona. A frantic clamour of saltarellos, barrel-organs, popular songs and drunken revellers with their hoarse cries of "We are Romans! Let us pass!"

[@marcparella]

You want to get young people into classical music -- program this.

[@polenc7167]

My father, Llewellyn, gentle giant and full of passion, loved this piece. I have many fond memories of he and I listening to this piece together. A very large orchestra but handled deftly. So many memorable section. Very modern but never to the detriment of its musical purpose.

[@MrBobrhodes]

What a "bonding".Daniel Tarr

[@polenc7167]

Thank you. Every child shuld be so fortunate to bond with his father as did I. Best wishes.

[@mackindle12345]

The violinist's expression at 22:07 just says it all!! Its just brilliant, unadulterated, hilarious good fun - what an astonishing piece :) such a shame its only been performed twice at the Proms (this and 2014 season). All of Respighi's music should be heard and played more - wonderful stuff

[@PTCello]

There is something special about an orchestra where the last chair works as hard as the first, every eye is where it should be, and every single person is striving for exactly the same goal. Well done I hope everybody in this video comes back often, and never stops being proud of this accomplishment.

[@JSB1983]

THAT ENDING!!!!!!! I loved that at 22:08 one of the violin ladies was just smiling away going to town on her instrument. How ironic that at the EXACT same time I was watching it I had the exact expression of joy. This performance sounds as awesome from the string sections as it does in the audience and into cyberspace!

[@marcparella]

+Jaime Bustillo: Yea, one of the greatest in the repertoire. A thrill ride for sure.

[@elliotmayer8146]

+Jaime Bustillo That's coincidence, not irony.

[@ssga_tgbuddy3082]

Let's all watch a Movie that your Eyes will never see and yet your brain shows it to you in your head. This really was Respighi's gift with so many of his works. But this one is always a blockbuster.

[@soffronitsky]

At 20:40 the young solo trombone player is Michael Buchanan, who won this year the ARD-competition, arguably the European most prestigious competition for wind instruments. Well done!

[@12apaul]

...close your eyes, listen, and you will swear it's a top world renowned orchestra......fabulous

[@jarhead9887]

I love Respighi's impressionistic style. You can see everything he is writing into the music. The gladiators fighting the lions @ 2:40. The chariot races @ 3:47 including the brutal crash ending. The jubilee of freed slaves, and forgiven debts @ 8:55. The thinning crowd and chiming clock @ 9:57. The growing and harvesting of crops. All of it is amazing to me.

[@monopod1]

The future of music is in very safe hands.

[@lukasmiller486]

I don’t know about opera; most newcomers have the microphones practically stuck to their faces nowadays. But orchestra-wise, I’d say you’re about right.

[@Rx-mn5fv]

Marvelous! Awed by these young musicians' skill. Have always loved the music, and this performance added to it.

[@AndrewRudin]

When I attended my first concert at the Philadelphia Orchestra, then still under Eugene Ormandy, back around 1960.... This was on the program. These kids, however, knock it out of the park. What a perfect, fun piece for such gifted young players to dig into. They bring joy to it. Look at their faces at the end.

[@wardropper]

In the sixties, Ormandy recorded this, and it's still my favourite recording, even though he leaves out the organ. The mandoline section is particularly beautifully done, more slowly than here, but ten times more magical, in my opinion, especially when the strings die away to nothing. It's a stereo recording, but not the best quality by modern standards.

[@abilitychannelvideo]

...l'ho ascoltato più volte...è una edizione fresca , giovanile...stupenda!

[@markherron1407]

Happy Belated Birthday to Respighi Blessings and Hugs 💖💕💕

[@remoserafin3552]

I've listened this piece of music hundreds of times and I'm still not tired of listening to it.

[@morganradice]

00:20 The Circenses and the Circus Maximus 04:18 The Jubilee 11:16 The October Festival 18:16 The Epiphany

[@enriquesanchez2001]

This has always been a favorite of mine for more years than I might admit to reveal. To hear it live with such UTTER enthusiasm underlines the JOY of BEING YOUNG, hopeful and ALIVE! Life has a way of curtailing these emotions as we age, but their memory will live in our hearts as we recall a time when everything seemed possible and unbridled. Thank you to all involved for this singular moment that somehow helps me to peek into the eternal. ♥

[@wardropper]

Amazing score, very well played by these youngsters. Respighi is technically so polished that he can paint anything he wants in music. The drama, the special effects and the beautifully sensitive orchestration completely blow me away. Underestimated by academics who are afraid of a good tune, powerful harmonic direction and irresistible rhythm. The same academics who are suspicious of Rachmaninoff's supremacy in the same areas.

[@marchaxer4296]

Absolutely marvelous performance given the ages of the musicians in this group as well as the charisma of Maestro Petrenko. Kudos to all!!

[@AndrewRudin]

I love this performance! This piece is a "guilty pleasure" of mine. But, seeing these kids play it with SUCH expertise always me smile when I return. Respighi certainly new his orchestration. And.... who IS that stunning young man who plays the horn solos in the 3rd section? Beautiful playing. And beautiful young man. Ah...to be 50 years younger.

[@melanierothman8774]

That fantastic horn player's name is Andy Turner! He stills plays but not professionally anymore, unfortunately.

[@albertogatti6262]

Being an Italian, I cannot cheer more for the enthusiasm of this audience. Just gone wild.... So proud of my compatriot.

[@dalescott831]

This piece's Italianness, if I may use such a clumsy word, shines through in every note. Sig. Respighi has captured the heart and soul of your people. A piece that will make you wish you were Italian, if you aren't already!

[@miticoulisse]

Great performance , congratulations to these young talents. Great music.

[@TheVaughan5]

I love Respighi's orchestration in the Roman Trilogy it has a particular sound that seems unique to him. Amazing talent in this youth orchestra! I agree that the 4th movement is maybe a bit too fast (however the composer wanted it sounding like riotous fun) but never mind, the players are enjoying the whole experience and that's great. As usual the BBC engineers have managed to capture the sound brilliantly!

[@motogee3796]

Yes he trained under Rimsky-Korsakov. Rimsky's work Scheherazade is also unique sounding with an underlying Russian grandness to it.

[@johnsmiff9649]

such memories. We played this back in high school band

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

Respighi will always remain a miracle to me. For over a century no italian composer of any distinction tried to write purely orchestral music. They prefered to write operas, claiming that purely instrumental music was more the german composers forté. And then this guy comes along and proves that italian composers have shamefully neglected this field of music.

[@pitagora79]

Giuseppe Martucci, Alfredo Casella, Pier Francesco Malipiero, Giacinto Scelsi and moreover are some of the Italian composers that didn't want - by their choice - to write operas. Nevertheless, there are composers (i.e. like Francesco Cilea) that - besides operas - wrote fantastic chamber music. By the way, Martucci was Respighi's teacher. The symphonies, the piano concertos and the chamber music wrote by Martucci are not second to those wrote by a GIANT like Johannes Brahms.

[@peterfeltham5612]

Quite,quite remarkable.A youth orchestra ?, i simply cannot believe it.

[@shaynehuang0628]

Circenses 0:18 Il giubileo 4:18 L'Ottobrata 11:15 Hn solo 14:19 Mandolino 15:25 La Befana 18:15

[@jgesselberty]

Great to see these youthful players, not only tackling the difficulties of the piece, but enjoying the fun.

[@MrTableturns]

I love that at the end of the trombone solo starting at 20:37 the principal trombone decided to give the very low note at the end to the bass trombone. When I first heard this recording I wondered how the principal got the low note off so perfectly- now I know!

[@jasontiller]

This is GREAT! "Festivals" needs a huge mass of enthusiastic, passionate, and unjaded players to pull it off. Thank you for making this available. I love youth orchestras!!

[@TheFNGee]

The fact that these kids can mostly keep up with an markedly unusual, and extreme interpretation of scored tempi says loads for their talents. When Bernstein came to fame in the 50's for his quick tempi, it was new and exciting. Petrenko just needs to learn a little more "ma non troppo". :)

[@stephenkenny1647]

Finale at a proper tempo, great to see. Makes most other recordings seem sluggish by comparison

[@canvan8818]

Spectacular - power power power - moving sound walls - layers within layers - bits of bliss - clarion call - swirling - a passionate dance - silken smooth clarinet - tributes - revelry - celebration - arrival

[@daveluttinen2547]

This has been favorited on my computer for a long time, but coming back to it my enthusiasm for it has not diminished. This was a fresh and enthusiastic performance that is at the top of the interpretations I've heard from many professional orchestras. Bravo! (I just wish they had shown the pipe organ when it had its feature!)

[@kunzklingsor9156]

The acoustical brilliance in Respighi’s must be heard in a concert hall (or anywhere, really).

[@PTCello]

Marvelous! Just marvelous! Very very fast, however. Very much enjoyed this! God bless you all!

[@agodbee3847]

though it makes one feel their getting old watching 'kids' pay what we used to; it's nice to experience up-coming talent like these kids are.

[@jasontiller]

At 22:00 if you're not head banging like a thrasher, you're just not alive! I love the apotheosis and ecstasy in this section!!

[@dalescott831]

It's a bacchanalia, and the entire city of Rome is invited! Pure drunken, orgiastic sexual churning in the ecstatic Lydian mode! Wild, inebriated group sex with just a few thousand of your closest friends! If purely instrumental music can be XXX-rated, this is it.

[@1lavrentiberia]

Respighi is a genius....such wonderful music!

[@frankmacdulligan1153]

La trilogía musical dedicada a Roma por Respighi, son una obra maestra del poema sinfónico y la riqueza orquestal. Aquí escuchamos Fiestas romanas.

[@rubenclarinete]

great performance!!! Good young talent......incredible!!

[@AndrewRudin]

My god, how these kids can play!

[@MrPianogeek]

The violin italian love serenade in L'Ottobrata , 3rd movement, makes me cry....

[@raffaelecarluccio2218]

Siete stati eccezionali bravissimi, il direttore e stato grandioso , preciso negli attacchi delle varie entrate e padrone della partitura, bravissimi a tutti

[@aaronjorgefridman5662]

Merecidísimos aplausos. Obra monumental, poderosa orquestación, brillante dirección. Un disfrute peno

[@laurencecox4356]

If we could only make musical instruments affordable for all young people and lessons affordable for their families we would have a more humane world, in my opinion. Dr Laurence Cox

[@YvonneSLa]

Most of the children in this orchestra are playing instruments on loan to them. NYO plays in major venues and the members are destined to be soloists. My friend was in the NYO and Junior RCM. Her violin was worth 20,000 pounds. It was lent to her by RCM. £200 violin will not do for talented musicians. There is no need to worry about buying instruments as when you are good, there is no way your parents can afford a £20,000 violin, and they have to quarter, half, three quarter, full as you grow. Best to ask a music charity for a loaned instrument and change the size as you grow,

[@YvonneSLa]

Parents must buy insurance. People are out to steal these valuable violins from kids. Someone tried to snatch my friend's violin when she was on her way home. She managed to fight the guy off , only slightly hurt.

[@melanierothman8774]

Almost 10 years ago.. my last NYO Prom! Oh, the memories.. !!

[@shoneek]

do you remember it being 'hard?" How long did you guys rehearse for this?

[@melanierothman8774]

@@shoneek Not especially since across the three years I spent in the NYO we had a plethora of challenging repertoire... Alpine Symphony, The Rite of Spring, Shostakovich Leningrad symphony, Berio Sinfonia to name a few among quite a lot of contemporary works. We were stretched not only by the repertoire but by demanding conductors and tutors who treated us like young professionals, not teenagers. We met 3 times a year for 2 weeks at a time. The 2 weeks were spent rehearsing one concert programme which then got performed an average of 3 times in different halls across the country (so probably around 10 days rehearsal in reality). The Prom happened once a year. So I suppose by my third year I was used to the pressure. Respighi presented less musical challenges than many other composers we played, especially in a piece like this that has a lot of tutti sections. Having said that, in 2020 I had the chance to perform this piece for the first time again since NYO, same part, and it didn't feel complicated at all/felt a lot easier but I've also been through higher music education and had a lot of professional experience since then. Listening back on the performances we did at the NYO I'm quite impressed by what we achieved but as I said, we were pushed to reach our utmost potential. Best training I ever had. Hope that answers your questions ;)

[@shoneek]

@@melanierothman8774 it does and I salute you guys. This performance nearly brings me to tears every time I watch. I miss playing in youth symphony (we played pines and fountains in but I’m so jealous we never approached festivals)… ah well… cheers!!

[@bgarri57]

I first heard this many decades ago on the radio. It was the first time I had heard it and I had no idea of the context or 'program.' I didn't know it was about the Romans. I liked it better free of those programmatic tie-ins, too. When I first heard it I thought it was about someone on the verge of insanity--losing control of all reason and logic and submitting to the winds of passion. Later in the work, sanity was regained and it moved on to some beautiful stuff. Petrenko is one of my favorite conductors and he sure did whip this orchestra into fine shape--great performance!

[@wormswithteeth]

Also good. :)

[@journeymancellist9247]

I wonder where they are now? Wherever they are, I guarantee they remember this night.

[@kl1171]

Three E♭ tuba players! Wonderful! I love this style!

[@ljiljanastanic9076]

Magnificent,absolutely!!!

[@jamesfreebury52]

Absolutely Brilliant

[@wallykaspars9700]

Invigorating!

[@lukasmiller486]

4:10 That camera swept in on the musician like a spaceship!

[@jeanettetaylforth1941]

Amazing piece ❤️

[@ryancrist9565]

I didn't know that 2 people could play 1 piano at the same time, mind blown! In all seriousness, this is one of my favorite Respighi pieces, second only to the Pines.

[@dang5874]

You can listen to Rachmaninoff's two piano pieces for six hands

[@petrusasemicorma9290]

Grande italiano ,vanto dell italia..ottorino respighi .....braviiii

[@jekyllmd1]

Brillante!!

[@paulpizzo9255]

....if you think you will find another performance like this.....think again, you won't......

[@kunzklingsor9156]

Enchanted with, and delighted by the high number of young orchestras emanating from Europe and USA, for years I feared that classical music was dying given the few number of classical music radio stations. Now it's mostly hip-junk. Yikes !!!!

[@andrew_mb]

Brilliant!

[@2131Elias]

Bravo!

[@AndrewRudin]

It's so reassuring to see all these young musicians playing this difficult music with such expertise. The world of music is NOT just all about Taylor Swift and Lizzo.

[@garydavidderby]

thanks to billboard magazine's past classic charts 1964 I've become to enjoy

[@ceciliasosa620]

Bravo

[@gambedegalo]

Eccellente!!!

[@marcparella]

Fountains of Romes Pines of Romes Roman Festivals Rome is a lucky city.

[@IloveChrome846]

Yes!!!! When one asks of me, 'What does Respighi sound like?", I refer them to this trio of works! Good to know someone out there in this world is of likeminded-ness. As a Symphony musician I truly appreciate your response! Kudos, man.

[@keywest5184]

Fantastic!!

[@adam28xx]

Glad you think so!

[@gordeux1201]

double octive lower tuba notes would have made this sound whole thing sound grandioso. my taste. it's all about the bass!

[@andrewnguyen1220]

the 4th movement of the music is sound like Stravinsky and Respighi both mixed the music

[@RossiniSoprano]

TRE-MEN-DOUS!

[@Rom14DH]

Sublime!

[@IloveChrome846]

As is said of Respighi's teacher..(none other than the great Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, himself).."The man did to Music what Technicolor did to cinema; more of everything to delight the senses". Guess the apple doesn't fall from the tree, afterall...

[@oboist3]

As Rimsky-Korsakov died in 1908 and the very first technicolour was about 8 years after that, I doubt very much whether he would have said that.

[@JR_Productions816]

8:52 Sounds better at 1.5x speed

[@josephcarlbreil5380]

Fine performance. Yes, the tempi are a bit too fast at times, but this work certainly lends itself to this interpretation.

[@scottlens]

The National Youth Orchestra gives the performance, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra gets the ad revenue...

[@adam28xx]

Thank you for pointing this out. It's all to do with KZbin's deeply-flawed algorithmic Content ID System which cannot distinguish between one recording of a piece of classical music and another. I'll dispute it but even then, KZbin always accepts the word of the claimant even when it is clearly incorrect. Sometimes I get several claims for a recording, all of which are wrong, but if the number of "views" is low I don't bother to dispute them. The claimant gets $4.59 for 1,000 views and if only a few hundred people have watched the video, it's not worth bothering about! ... I'll dispute this one however, as 166,000 views is bringing the CSO quite a nice sum of ad revenue! ... Thanks again!

[@adam28xx]

Update: the Cincinnati copyright claim has been removed!

[@lukasmiller486]

9:00-9:30 I wish they would have shown the glockenspiel.

[@Vladi-z7s]

16:33. ese violín solo debió durar mas tiempo....

[@danielwalker2381]

8:05

[@Someone2464-]

Trombone funny 20:37

[@JR_Productions816]

Yes

[@MiguelMilicio]

2009… Hoy, 2016, fines de julio… Algo tenía que haber muy malo entonces para que hoy todo esté tan peor. No desde luego estos instrumentistas ni el director. Ni Putin. 18:57 = Stravinsky no recuerdo dónde… ¿Petrushka? Coincidencias de afinidad temporal.

[@abrahamf1851]

Ambos eran discípulos de Rimsky-Korsakov. Incluso se escuchan en ciertos pasajes "toquecitos" de Scheherazade.

[@thepercussionz]

18:17 主顕祭

[@organboi]

What is the row of 7 trombonists about?

[@lukasmiller486]

16:13 Is that a lute?

[@flugteo]

Mandolin

[@pierreboland8910]

De la trilogie romaine de Respighi, cette suite-ci est probablement la moins accrocheuse à première écoute. Elle est en revanche la plus audacieuse et la plus proche des nouveautés de l'époque. Contrairement à Debussy qui est moins impressionniste que nabi, il s'agit ici d'une musique directement évocatrice, autrement dit qui invite l'esprit à se créer des images sur la stimulation auditive. Qu'on aime ou non le genre, il faut reconnaître que c'est extrêmement bien composé.

[@paullewis2413]

This work demonstrates that as an orchestrator Respighi has no superiors - absolutely brilliant.

[@iohc]

20:14

[@miguelsuarez8010]

Heavy metal before Metallica.

[@lindsayspark]

21:50

[@hans-detlevv.kirchbach2787]

Toscanini's grandchildren

[@MrBohuslav]

2009

[@どんちゃん-h8k]

Micheal Buchanan

[@adam28xx]

Who are you talking about?

[@どんちゃん-h8k]

trombone player

[@tomoverhoff1054]

Jesus Ch___t!

[@marcparella]

La Befana is too fast. The last movement is full of character and absurdities. You lose that when you trade subtly for virtuosity. Ok, you can play fast. But can you capture what the composer wanted. I don't think you did. Listen to the Ormandy 1973 Philadelphia Orchestra recording. Best recording of this piece.

[@peterfeltham5612]

+Marc Parella I have always tried to be fair and objective when passing a comment on the opinion of others,however i am forced to come to the conclusion that you are a prize idiot.For gods sake this is a YOUTH orchestra and this performance is nothing short of astonishing and brilliant.

[@marcparella]

peter feltham Peter, I am sorry the last part of the Festive Romana is too fast. Yes, the orchestra plays brilliantly. My comments are not directed at their skill or virtuosity, but the interpretive quality of the music they are making. The last movement is a festive scene but includes a drunkard. The tempo changes to offer a contrast. They simply missed this. Overall the tempi were too fast. That's my opinion based on the several recordings I own or have heard. Music appreciation is more than listening for wrong notes.

[@peterfeltham5612]

+Marc Parella Marc,you have made your point,I respect you for that.Your last sentence is something i am in total agreement with.

[@classicaloracle]

+Marc Parella I prefer Maazel with Cleveland which is also superbly recorded. better than his later version in Pittsburgh.

[@sgfnorth]

Perhaps your ears are slow? I hear the details and enjoy the speed...

[@KREN12623]

🕊️💜🕊️jeg TROR ANTON BRUCKNER ville have været STOLTE AF JER🌹♀️🌹👑🌹🪷🌹👑🌹♂️🌹👍🕊️💜🕊️☮️✝️♾️🌀♾️☯️☮️🕊️💜🕊️ AMEN

[@ronwalker4849]

THIS PIECE LACKS GRACE AND ART, IT IS MOSTLY A MUSICAL NOISE AND NOT A GOOD ONE. I LIKE THE PINES AND THE FOUNTAINS. BUT THIS? I ONLY LISTEND TO THE FIRST 5 MINUTES, MAYBE IT GETS BETTER? MAYBE NOT. ?

[@ericbenjamin2908]

Ron Walker It's a spectacularly imaginative work, brilliantly conceived and orchestrated. Check out what the four festivals are - the first being the Circus Maximus which was not known for its grace and art either...

[@billsullivan3920]

You should not have an opinion of music that you have not heard.

[@AndrewRudin]

Yeah... it can be argued that it's junk... but what junk! Come on.... ya gotta love it.... warts and all.

[@robandwood57]

First rate musicians playing with enthusiasm and zeal, a wonderful sight which inspires confidence for the future of orchestral music. Not a wonderful sound though unfortunately, this is third rate music to say the least. These young musicians are worthy of better than this.

[@paullewis2413]

Your opinion of course.

[@adam28xx]

If this music was good enough for Toscanini, it's good enough for anyone else!

[@austinmccoy9743]

@@paullewis2413 And certainly not an opinion shared by the vast majority of people.

[@lovetrumpet6800]

Bravo!!

[@cloudzh2o]

22:02