Respighi's Roman Odyssey at Schuster Performing Arts Center

Ottorino Respighi, the Italian tone painter, is on full display in the Classical Connections season kickoff concert. His Three Botticelli Pictures interprets a trio of Botticelli paintings, including the iconic Birth of Venus. His sweeping composition Pines of Rome establishes the tall trees as timeless avatars witnessing scenes of four distinct aspects of Roman life. In this program, Neal demonstrates Respighi's narrative and descriptive powers - first in a small intimate setting and then on a grand, majestic scale.