Ottorino Respighi was born in Bologna, Italy, on July 9, 1879, and died in Rome, Italy, on April 18, 1936. Approximate performance time is nineteen minutes.

The Italian composer Ottorino Respighi is best known for his “Roman Trilogy.” The three orchestral tone poems—Fountains of Rome (1916), Pines of Rome (1924), and Roman Festivals (1928)—all boast vast symphonic forces, masterfully employed to depict the sights and life of the historic Italian city. After Respighi completed his “Roman Trilogy,” he told his wife: “Now I am much more interested in small orchestras and chamber ensembles.” The year prior to Roman Festivals, Respighi demonstrated his magic with reduced orchestral forces in the Trittico botticelliano (Three Botticelli Pictures). The work is based upon three paintings by the great Italian Renaissance composer Sandro Botticelli (ca. 1445-1510) that reside in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery.

Gli uccelli (The Birds) is another 1927 Respighi chamber orchestra composition that draws upon artistic expression from the past. In The Birds, Respighi arranges music by 17^th and 18^th-century composers. As part of the arrangements, Respighi incorporates his charming depictions of various birds. Gli Uccelli is one of Respighi’s most lovely, elegant, and beguiling creations.

The opening Prelude (Allegro moderato) is based upon music by the Italian composer and keyboard virtuoso Bernardo Pasquini (1637-1710). The Prelude foreshadows music of the ensuing movements. The Dove (Andante espressivo) draws upon music by the French composer and lutenist Jacques Gallot (c.1625-c.1695). A work for harpsichord by Jean-Philippe Rameau provides the basis for The Hen (Allegro vivace). The Nightingale (Andante mosso) presents music by an anonymous 17^th-century English composer. The finale, The Cuckoo, offers a reprise of the Pasquini-inspired Prelude.