Tuscan composers of the 18th and 19th centuries (unpublished works)   This CD originates from a threefold intention: the first is to enhance a historical instrument, the one in the Propositura of Radda in Chianti, which has become, for about 15 years, a focal point for the musical culture of the area. Since its restoration in 2011, the instrument has been the protagonist of the "Harmonia Sæculi" International Organ Festival, which, under my artistic direction, has featured musicians from all over the world in more than 80 concerts. The second desire is to bring back to light a forgotten repertoire, which seemed lost forever, hidden in the cabinets of abandoned parishes or rediscovered in the goods of antique markets. Therefore, the organ pieces proposed are all unpublished works from the Tuscan area – specifically from Florence and Lucca – that reached me in manuscript form, thanks to the help of colleagues and friends Michele Manganelli and Enrico Barsanti. Lastly, I believe it is important to highlight the musical peculiarities of a territory like Chianti: indeed, in Radda, at the Franciscan convent of Santa Maria in Prato, Father Benigno from San Giovanni Valdarno composed a Kyriale in 1736, the F.C. 131 manuscript, entirely consisting of Masses in "canto fratto". Some of these are in the "alternatim" style, which involves alternating sung verses and organ verses for the ordinary texts (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei), replacing parts of the text. By studying the manuscript, I have extracted a complete ordinary, performed by the "Kantores 25" choir, directed by Michele Manganelli, alternating it with organ verses. The collection opens with the Mass for Organ by the unknown, at least until now, Sig. Maestro Niccolai, probably a 19th-century composer from the Tuscan region. Following the virtuosic and brilliant "Toccata," there is a lively "Offertorio," a sweet and singable "Elevazione," and the swirling "Post Communio." The next two pieces are by the famous composer Domenico Puccini, grandfather of Giacomo, and a prolific composer. These two pieces, unpublished like all others on the CD, have contrasting characteristics: the Pastorale, consisting of two sections (one with a gentle 6/8 rhythm featuring the 8’ and 4’ Flutes, and the other a lively section with the Cornetto stop), is contrasted by the dynamic Offertorio, in the galant style. From the florentine Ignazio Maria Colson, we present a Pastorale that, like Puccini's, alternates between two distinct sections: a delightful andante with the sound of the 8’ Flute, and an energetic allegro where the splendid 4’ Flute of the Radda organ stands out. We return to Lucca with the two compositions, Sinfonia and Elevazione, by Angelo Di Giulio, a musician of whom little has been discovered so far. Both pieces reflect the operatic style that characterized much of the 19th-century Italian organ music. In the Sinfonia, various "concert" stops are highlighted: the Flute in XII, Cornetto, and Trumpet; in the Elevazione, a piece that was played during the Consecration before the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the slow chant of the Voce Umana stop is contrasted with a frenzied allegro featuring Trumpets and Cornetto. Another Luccan piece, by an anonymous composer, follows: a short but interesting Elevazione in which the Principal and 8’ Flute stops interact. Our journey closes with the Organ Mass by Angelo Spinelli, choirmaster of the Lucca Cathedral, where the organ verses for the Ordinarium Missae have been alternated, as mentioned earlier, with the "canto fratto" verses from the Radda manuscript. The style of these verses – and of the "Offertorio," "Elevazione," and "Post Communio" that complete the Mass – is simple and catchy, almost like folk music, and blends perfectly with the austere simplicity of the Chianti "canto fratto" melodies. With this Mass, the listener can immerse themselves in the liturgical and musical practice used in Italian churches until the early 20th century, which involved the alternation between organ and sung verses. In conclusion, the recording of unpublished organ pieces, even by famous composers, along with the "canto fratto" used in Radda, makes this publication a true and unique work in the discographic landscape of the genre.

Additional info about this CD
Recording on 28-29-30 January 2025, in San Niccolò a Radda (Italy)
Booklet 18 pages full colour booklet 
Musicology comment
Artist biography