Ottorino Respighi Popular Songs Ranking [2026]

Piano Concerto in the Mixolydian Mode, P.145Ottorino Respighi15rank/position

Ottorino Respighi – Concerto in modo misolidio (1925)

Ottorino Respighi, one of the leading Italian composers of the early 20th century, was fascinated by music from the 16th to 18th centuries and left works across a variety of genres.

The Piano Concerto in the Mixolydian Mode, P.145, composed in 1924, is a three-movement work.

Influenced by Gregorian chant and church music, it features an alternating interplay between piano and orchestra.

Enjoy Respighi’s uniquely refined approach, a modern reinterpretation of medieval music.

Ancient Dances and Airs for Lute, Suite No. 1: I. BallettOttorino Respighi16rank/position

O. Respighi “Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute” — Balletto / from O. Respighi’s suite “Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute”: “Balletto (Little Dance)”

Ottorino Respighi, a leading Italian composer of the early 20th century, worked across a wide range of genres while devoting particular effort to the study and popularization of early music.

Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute, Suite No.

1 is a work that distills his unique appeal.

Based on pieces from the 16th and 17th centuries, its four movements revive the past through refined orchestration, preserving a strong Baroque atmosphere while shimmering with brilliant, beautiful sonorities.

It’s a highly recommended piece not only for lovers of classical music, but also for those interested in early music and music history.

Ancient Dances and Airs for Lute, Suite No. 3: SicilianaOttorino Respighi17rank/position

Respighi: Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute, Suite No. 3 – Siciliana

A piece whose quiet beauty, woven solely by strings, gently permeates the heart.

Crafted by Ottorino Respighi, this work transforms old Renaissance lute pieces into a beautifully reimagined string ensemble.

Completed in November 1931 and premiered in Milan in January 1932, its gently swaying dance rhythms and the subtle shadings created by the strings softly draw close to the listener.

It was also used in the film The Tree of Life, enriching scenes that evoke prayer and memory.

With a calm, refined melody that avoids excessive sentimentality, it warmly envelops moments such as the quiet conferral of diplomas or a recessional, marking a new beginning.

Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute, Suite No. 3, I. ItalianaOttorino Respighi18rank/position

Ottorino Respighi – Antiche danze et arie per liuto, Suite No.3 (complete)

Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute is an arrangement of pieces originally for lute, scored for string orchestra, and the third suite is especially famous.

Its first movement, Italiana, is brimming with the character of medieval Italian music.

The lute’s striking left-hand accompaniment pattern is taken up by pizzicato in the cellos.

Ancient Dances and Airs for Lute, Suite No. 3, No. 3: SicilianaOttorino Respighi19rank/position

O. Respighi “Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute” – Siciliana / From O. Respighi’s suite “Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute”: “Siciliana”

Ottorino Respighi was an Italian composer active from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

Among his works, the Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute are especially popular.

“Siciliana,” one of the pieces in the Third Suite, is an arrangement based on an anonymous work from the 16th century.

Its gentle, poetic melody is striking, and the graceful timbre of the strings evokes an atmosphere as if you were in Renaissance Italy.

It’s a recommended piece not only for students of classical music but also for those interested in Italian early music.

Fountain of RomeOttorino Respighi20rank/position

Ottorino Respighi – Fountains of Rome (piano 4-hands version) (score video)

Ottorino Respighi, an Italian composer active from the late 19th to the early 20th century, wrote across a wide range of genres, including chamber music and choral works.

Among his best-known pieces is the orchestral suite The Roman Trilogy, a collection that brilliantly portrays scenes of Rome through his distinctive musical language.

The first part is a symphonic poem themed around four Roman fountains.

With richly colored orchestration and dramatic expressiveness, it vividly depicts scenes from morning to night.

It’s a masterpiece I especially recommend to those not yet familiar with classical music.

The Fountains of RomeOttorino Respighi21rank/position

Respighi: Fountains of Rome — New York Philharmonic, Alan Gilbert

After moving to Rome in 1913, Respighi found inspiration there and composed his Roman Trilogy.

The first of these, The Fountains of Rome, was written in 1916.

Rome has an abundance of fountains, which strongly evoke its historical background.

The Fountains of Rome is beautiful, elegant, and delicate, while The Roman Festivals and The Pines of Rome are also wonderfully lively pieces.