Composed in 1902, the year after Respighi graduated from the composition department of the Bologna Conservatory. While he left many works for piano and orchestra, such as the Toccata for Piano and Orchestra and Slavonic Fantasy, his only piano concertos are the Concerto in the Mixolydian Mode for Piano and this Piano Concerto in A minor. As research into Respighi has advanced in recent years, this work, like the Slavonic Fantasy, has come to be regarded as a masterpiece of his youth. The background to the creation of these masterpieces was a fateful encounter with a composer who would later determine his entire compositional career: none other than the great Russian composer, Rimsky-Korsakov.

In December 1900, Respighi was in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Respighi had majored in violin alongside composition at the Bologna Conservatory and was visiting Russia as the principal violist of the Bologna Municipal Theater Orchestra for a performance tour. Respighi's initial steps as a musician were as a violinist and violist rather than as a composer, but his unexpected visit to Saint Petersburg as a member of the orchestra allowed him to receive lessons from Rimsky-Korsakov. Although Respighi's stay in Saint Petersburg was not long, lasting only five months, he frequently visited Rimsky-Korsakov between performances and learned a great deal from the master of orchestration.

The Piano Concerto in A minor is a magnificent work, justifiably hailed as the culmination of his youth, incorporating the brilliant orchestration directly taught by Rimsky-Korsakov during his stay in Saint Petersburg, an Italianate cheerful temperament, and the church modes that are synonymous with Respighi's style.

First Movement

While the opulent grandeur characteristic of Respighi's representative "Roman Trilogy" is not yet present at this time, a sweet, Russian scent permeates the movement, perhaps due to the influence of Rimsky-Korsakov. The main theme, which subtly appears and disappears from the introduction, is indescribably sweet and poignant, a romantic melody reminiscent of Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninoff.

Second Movement

While the first movement offers a glimpse into the romantic side of Russian music, the subsequent second movement features a solemn melody akin to Gregorian chant, creating powerful yet somewhat nostalgic music, reminiscent of the vast plains of Siberia. This sense of nature's melody likely stems from the stable harmonic sonorities and the use of the pentatonic scale. Furthermore, powerful piano glissandos are effectively interspersed throughout, enhancing the sense of strength. The timbral effect produced by these glissandos is unique to the piano and cannot be replicated by other instruments, showcasing Respighi's masterful orchestration skills, honed under Rimsky-Korsakov.

Third Movement

A dance-like movement beginning with string pizzicato. Similar to the second movement, it features an ethnic style reminiscent of the vast Russian plains, evoking a rustic, Cossack-like character. Powerful low-register piano ostinatos resound, and as if in response, brave brass melodies echo. In the subsequent middle section, sweet and beautiful lyrical melodies from the strings gently envelop the listener. In the concluding section, the powerful Cossack-like rhythm once again elevates the music, building to a grand finale and concluding brilliantly.