The ending is MAGNIFICENT "I pini della via Appia" Pines on the Appian Way Respighi recalls the past glories of the Roman Empire in a representation of dawn on the great military road leading into Rome. The final movement portrays pine trees along the Appian Way (Latin and Italian: Via Appia) in the misty dawn, as a triumphant legion advances along the road in the brilliance of the newly-rising sun. Respighi wanted the ground to tremble under the footsteps of his army and he instructs the organ to play bottom B♭ on the 8′, 16′ and 32′ organ pedals. The score calls for six buccine – ancient circular trumpets that are usually represented by modern flugelhorns, and which are sometimes played offstage. Trumpets peal and the consular army rises in triumph to the Capitoline Hill. One day prior to the final rehearsal, Respighi revealed to Elsa that the crescendo of "I Pini della Via Appia" made him feel "'an I-don’t-know-what' in the pit of his stomach", and the first time that a work he had imagined turned out how he wanted it.
La "Via Appia". Memories. How many times we had Easter Monday Picnics under the shade of the tall pine trees, alternated, yearly, with trips south to Terracina on the coast or on hometown beaches. I always respected Respighi as a composer not as much as Mascagni or Verdi, but close.
Dom, this has an Italian conductor with a French orchestra who is passionate and seems to get a little more out of the orchestra: This excellent video plays on YouTube:
