Respighi Church Windows (Vetrate di Chiesa)

[Alan Howe]

I expect everyone (except me, of course!) will know Respighi's 4-movement Church Windows. Well, I didn't - until I bought the new BIS release from John Neschling and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège. So, the question is: why isn't this blockbuster of a piece as well known as Respighi's Roman trilogy?

[TerraEpon]

I think the Roman 'theme' kinda helped popularize the trilogy on an extra-musical level. Hardly the only time that sort of thing happened.

[raffite33]

All five issues of Neschling's Respighi cycle (on BIS SACDs) are excellent.  I'm just hoping the next installment will include his Concerto in Modo Misolidio.

[semloh]

Well, I do think Church Windows has just been unjustly overshadowed by the Roman trilogy.
.... Romans 3 - Christians 1. 

I see that notes for a performance by the NYPhil., dated 2016, say that the last previous performance by them was under Bruno Walter back in 1933!
https://nyphil.org/~/media/pdfs/program-notes/1516/Respighi-Church-Windows.pdf

It deserved better, and has always been one of my favourites, courtesy of the famous Ormandy/Philadelphia LP that appeared in the UK shops around 1970, and later the Geoffrey Simon CD. Seems to be fairly well represented on CD now.

[Maury]

Sadly I think the somewhat neglect of Church Windows (it is far from unknown) is due to its title. People are like that. Composers take heed!