With the symphonic poem Fontane di Roma, Respighi began the so-called 'Roman Trilogy', taking up a wide-spread subject in the fields of literature and music. Since the French harpsichordists, waterworks have always been the subject of programmatic music, and even the poetry of the 'seicento' already dealt with the Roman fountains. Respighi's setting, however, is not just an onomatopoeic representation of waterworks. As is explained by Respighi in his specially attached programme, the music captures moods and pictures that are generated within the viewer while looking at the fountains.

Instrumentation:
large orchestra