Classical music can transport us to different times, perspectives, and locales.
Travel with us to the Eternal City with this wide-ranging playlist of music dedicated to, inspired by, and hailing from Rome.
Ottorino Respighi: Pini di Roma
Respighi is, bar none, Rome’s most avid musical ambassador; just look at his trilogy of works — Pines of Rome, Fountains of Rome, and Roman Festivals. Picking just one entry is no easy feat (and we highly recommend listening through all three works), but we like this option. The Pines of the Appian Way closes out The Pines of Rome in epic, triumphant fashion.
Nino Rota: La Dolce Vita
What may be the definitive Rome movie, La Dolce Vita features a lithe score by Nino Rota. The film’s decadent central theme switches between good-natured and angsty, blending swelling orchestral and swinging jazz sounds.
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: O Bone Iesu
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, the leading composer of the late 16th-century Roman School, an influential musical movement that advanced polyphony in spellbinding sacred works. A historic album, the world’s oldest choir is featured thanks to the Vatican opening its doors for just the second time in its history to allow a recording in the Sistine Chapel.
Jacques Ibert: Rome-Palerme from Escales
French composer Jacques Ibert created this three-movement work (which translates to Ports of Call) in the mid 1920s. Inspired in part by the composer’s own journeys, the opening Rome-Palerme movement captures a sentimental anticipation that will be familiar to avid travelers.
Aram Khachaturian: Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia from Spartacus
Set in the Roman Republic, Soviet-Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian’s ballet captures a romantic and grand setting. The Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia begins with a lilting lyricism, but the composer — who also conducts the Vienna Philharmonic in this recording — injects drama and tension with sweeping and tender interventions.
Ennio Morricone: "Romanzo" from Novecento
One of film’s greatest composers, Ennio Morricone was born in Rome. Famous for his varied contributions — from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly to Cinema Paradiso — this sentimental yet resolute work is featured in Bernardo Bertolucci’s sweeping Italian historical epic Novecento (1900).
Giacomo Puccini: Tosca
Rome is more than just a backdrop in this treasured opera by Giacomo Puccini. The action takes place in the Eternal City in 1800, a time whose great political upheaval shapes the life of the opera's title character. Puccini’s string-heavy conclusion to Act II is a masterclass in melody and orchestration.
Alfredo Casella: Concerto Romano
Rome-born composer Alfredo Casella looked to his hometown to create this concerto. The organ-centric work embodies the bustle, mystery, splendor, and excitement of the capital city; the composer cited Rome's “grandiose baroque architecture” as the inspiration for the piece.
Renzo Rossellini: "L'Annuzione" from Il figlio dell'uomo (The Son of Man)
Another Rome-born film composer, Renzo Rossellini is famous for collaborating with his brother, the pivotal director Roberto Rossellini. This excerpt from 1956’s Son of Man, is both enigmatic and wistful, perfect music to get lost to.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito
Mozart’s 1791 opera La Clemenza di Tito recounts the story of Roman Emperor Tito. Mozart kicks off proceedings in regal, attention-grabbing style, while interweaving tense moments to hint at the political intrigue that will soon unfold. It’s as if you are walking the corridors of an imperial palace yourself!
Johann Sebastian Bach: Italian Concerto
Despite its name (concertos usually feature an entire orchestra), Bach’s Italian Concerto is for solo keyboard. Originally titled Concerto after the Italian Taste, the work references the highly contrasting concerto grosso style that was predominant in Italy at the time. This setting for guitar duo adds a languid, friendly atmosphere to the Baroque work.
Enjoy the full playlist below, and be sure to follow WFMT on Spotify and Apple Music.
