Respighi: Roman Festivals

To celebrate the ESMUC’s 25th anniversary, the Barcelona Symphonic Band presents a journey through the grandeur of the Roman era and the theatre of circus. John Corigliano’s Symphony No. 3, “Circus Maximus”, composed in 2004, is one of the mainstays of the contemporary repertoire for symphonic band. Designed for a large ensemble of wind, percussion and lesser-known instruments, the piece explores mass spectacle and collective violence through a composition that maximises the dynamic and tonal potential of the whole.

In contrast, Ottorino Respighi’s Roman Festivals, premièred in 1928, is one of the pinnacles of European symphonic poetry. Originally conceived for large orchestra, the piece has now been reworked for band and reimagined through an emphasis on colour and layered sonorities. The programme sets up a dialogue between two visions of the symphonic spectacle, nearly a century apart: distinct in style, yet united by a shared drive for impact and expressive intensity.

Price from €13 to €18