Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester

Italy was a land of longing for both Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and the Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Goethe wrote that it was a place where "the lemon trees blossom". While staying in Rome to escape the worries of his homeland, he was captivated by the colourful Roman Carnival, which inspired him to compose a piece based on Italian folk songs.

Sergei Rachmaninoff undertook two extended journeys to Crimea and Italy at the beginning of the 20th century. Although he was initially bored, he later admitted that the change of scenery had done him good: 'In early summer, I began composing again and was overwhelmed by musical ideas.' These were ideas for his Second Piano Concerto. The premiere the following year, with Rachmaninoff as soloist, marked his definitive artistic breakthrough as a pianist and composer.

Ottorino Respighi, who was born in Bologna, Italy, made Rome his home when he was appointed composition teacher at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia there in 1913. He dedicated three colossal symphonic poems to his new home city, two of which — the narratives about the Roman fountains and the pine trees in Rome — conclude this concert. Thus, the programme traces a path back from the Roman Carnival to the heart of the 'Eternal City'.
(Frankfurter Museums-Gesellschaft e.V.)