Francesco La Vecchia & Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma - Respighi: The Complete Orchestral Music (2015)

The most famous orchestral works of Ottorino Respighi have been gathered together for this 8-CD box set from Brilliant Classics, in sparkling performances by Francesco La Vecchia and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, originally released between 2009 and 2013. Included are Respighi's popular tone poems, Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome, and Roman Festivals, along with the three suites of Ancient Airs and Dances, The Birds, Brazilian Impressions, Three Botticelli Pictures, Church Windows, and other pieces that display his genius in orchestration and ingenuity in arranging music from the past. While this 2015 collection purports to be Respighi's complete orchestral output, several works have been overlooked, so the serious collector will have to search elsewhere to find the Belfagor Overture, Belkis, Queen of Sheba, the Dance of the Gnomes, and other rarities. -- Blair Sanderson