Roma

These are the extraordinary tone poems for which Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) is known. Whatever else he has written, it all pales against these guys. Respighi's music embraced a kind of neo- romanticism that has hints of French Impressionism. He creates pictures as well as moods. Hard to do. This particular recording by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra is a rerelease of two practically ancient vinyl discs of the early sixties. No one beats the Philadelpia Orchestra for sound, especially in the Pines of Rome or the glittering cascades of the Roman Festivals. At mid-price, this disc is virtually a steal. –Paul Cook (Amazon.com)

La grande storia di Roma è universalmente nota. Ma tra le pieghe delle sue vicende si annidano curiosità spesso poco conosciute, che invece meritano di essere scoperte. In questo libro verranno proposte 501 domande che hanno per argomento la storia, gli aneddoti, l'architettura, l'arte, i costumi, le leggende di Roma, dalle origini fino ai giorni nostri. A ogni quesito segue una risposta, che prova a far luce sul complesso mosaico della storia della Città Eterna. I capitoli sono divisi in un ordine cronologico che abbraccia quasi tre interi millenni, dalle origini e dalla fondazione della città, passando per la Roma repubblicana, quella imperiale, il Medioevo, il Rinascimento, la Roma papalina, il Risorgimento e il Novecento e arrivare fino ai giorni nostri. Una carrellata di notizie, approfondimenti, spigolature, sulla grande storia della città più famosa del mondo..

Roma are the largest minority group in Europe and are the major poverty risk group in Central and Eastern Europe. Poverty rates from recent World Bank poverty studies are striking. In Bulgaria, Roma were found to be ten times more likely to be poor than ethnic Bulgarians. Roma also comprise an increasing share of the population in ECA countries, because of higher birth rates. These dynamics have gained international attention, and the European Union accession process, in particular, has focused attention on the issue. Governments and international institutions have been eager to support initiatives to address the needs of Roma. However, the lack of credible information on the actual living conditions of Roma and the absence of program evaluations have provided substantial obstacles.
This book brings together original sociological research, evaluations of programs, and the first comparative cross-country household survey on ethnicity and poverty. It finds that Roma poverty is multi-faceted and can only be addressed by a comprehensive policy approach that attends to all dimensions of Roma social exclusion. It proposes an inclusive policy approach which would expand and promote Roma involvement and participation in mainstream society, while maintaining cultural and social identity and autonomy. Policy mechanisms include those which make existing policies more accessible to Roma and identifying areas where targeted initiatives are needed.

Giovanni Sgambati, a composer admired by Wagner, was the man Busoni predicted would take Italian music "towards a bright new future". Sgambati’s Symphony No. 2 is a compendium of Austro-Germanic devices whose mix of chromaticism and melodic invention is invigorating.

Puccini once said, "there is more music in Perosi’s head than in mine and Mascagni’s put together". Priest-composer Lorenzo Perosi achieved international celebrity by the late 1890s for his sacred music, and he also composed a fine selection of chamber works that are little known today.