Roman Festivals (Respighi)
| Feste Romane Roman Festivals | |
|---|---|
| Tone poem by Ottorino Respighi | |
| Catalogue | P 157 |
| Composed | 1928 |
| Duration | Approx. 25 minutes |
| Movements | 4 |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 21 February 1929 |
| Location | New York City, United States |
| Conductor | Arturo Toscanini |
| Performers | New York Philharmonic |
Roman Festivals (Italian: Feste Romane), P 157 is a tone poem in four movements for orchestra completed in 1928 by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi. It is the last of his three tone poems about Rome, following Fountains of Rome (1916) and Pines of Rome (1924), which he referred to as a triptych. Each movement depicts a scene of celebration in ancient and contemporary Rome, specifically gladiators battling to the death, the Christian Jubilee, a harvest and hunt festival, and a festival in the Piazza Navona. Musically, the piece is the longest and most demanding of Respighi's Roman trilogy.
The premiere was held on 21 February 1929 at Carnegie Hall in New York City, with Arturo Toscanini conducting the New York Philharmonic. The piece was published by Casa Ricordi in the same year.