Marco Vitale, organ
Recorded in July 2005
Chiesa di S. Francesco, Ser­rapetrona (Italy)

13 MP3 Songs in this album (57:48) !
Related styles: Classical: Organ, Classical: Keyboard Music, Instrumental

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Details:
The oldest account of the career of Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643), written by Agostino Superbi in his âInformation about illustrious men of the city of Ferrara (Ferrara: Suzzi, 1620), points out his precociousness: âAlready in his early youth he played the most remarkable organs in his native city and accomplished great thingsâ, followed by an even more circumstantial work by Libanori (Ferrara dâoro imbrunito, Ferrara: A and G. Maresi 1665-1674) who says, âStill a young man, taken to many of the most important cities in Italy, with his soft-toned vocals and suave sound of all the musical instruments, both wind and keyboard, and especially the harpsichord and organ, he drew ears to hear him and tongues of everyone to praise him.â
That was how the young prodigy from Ferrara attracted the attention of Luzzasco Luzzaschi, organist at the Ducal Court, and that was how Frescobaldi became his pupil. After his musical studies in Ferrara with Luzzasco Luzzaschi, he moved to Rome, where, in 1607, he became the organist at S. Maria in Trastevere. In that same year, he followed his patron, Cardinal Bentivoglio to Flanders. In 1608, he published his first work, a collection of madrigals for five voices, printed by Phalèse, the well known printing house in Antwerp; the dedicatee of the work was Cardinal Guido Bentivoglio in person.
Beginning with his First Book of Toccatas and book of ricercari, in 1615, the publications of Frescobaldiâs music refer to him as âOrganist of S. Peterâs in Romeâ. After he won the competition for the post of organist at the Giulia Chapel, Frescobaldi settled in Rome, working also for the Aldobrandini at the same time. He remained in Rome for the rest of his life, except for two short periods, in Mantua with the Gonzaga (in 1614, for only two months), and in Florence with the Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinand II (1628-34).
Frescobaldi described his Second Book of Toccatas as models for a ânew mannerâ and declared that their execution required âsuavity, naturalness, variations of the time and gracefulness.â Proof of the year in which the Second Book of the Toccatas was published for the first time is given by the dedication to Monsignor Luigi Gallo, Bishop of Ancona and Nuncio of Savoy, dated 15 January 1627. Lacking a preface or notes for the reader, this book does however contain the composerâs portrait painted in 1619 by the French Augustinian monk, Jean Saillant, miniaturist and artist, and engraved by Christian Sas.
The Second Book was reprinted in 1637: the title page is the same one of 1627, but with two additions respectively above and below the coat of arms of the dedicatee, Monsignor Luigi Gallo: âCon privilegioâ and âIn Roma con licenza de Superiori 1637 Da Nicolò Borboneâ. The main body of the work consists of ââcymbal and organ tablatureâ: toccatas, variation sets, canzoni, dances, and a madrigal tablature The book also presents the first printed works of Frescobaldi that were specifically intended for the organ; two toccatas with pedal, two toccatas for the elevation of the Host, and versicles for Vespers, including four hymns and three versions of the Magnificat.
Regarding interpretation, Girolamo Frescobaldi provided important notes to the reader on the second page of his Second Book of Toccatas. It is easy to conclude from the notes that the âmanner of playing with vocal ornaments (affetti cantabili) and changes of paceâ was important more than ever for Frescobaldo. The main characteristic of early Baroque is to stimulate the listener with the diversity of ornaments (affetti): the ideal parallel between âfeelingsâ and musical expression.
In his notes, Frescobaldi compares his music to madrigals contemporary to his own (this way of playing must not be subject to measure, as we see used in modern madrigals); this ânot being subject to measureâ does not mean playing without a measure of time, but to modify the time of the sections without a fixed relationship, as we see in the Madrigals of Claudio Monteverdi, Luca Marenzio, or Sigismondo dâIndia. An attentive reading of the preface to the Second Book of Toccatas and the study of Frescobaldiâs keyboard work enabled me to find new interpretations and to ask new questions for a âtrue and similarâ interpretation of music composed almost 400 years ago. Bringing these musical masterpieces back to life respecting the style and taste of the period, so different from our times, is the scope of my studies and my work as a musician.
We can see the great innovator and modern musician in the figure of Girolamo Frescobaldi, because he introduces typical elements of ânew musicâ into his work, further marking the parting from 16th century polyphony to draw nearer to more modern vocal ornaments.
The instrument used for the recording comes from the 14th century Church of San Francesco in Serrapetrona. It is an 18th century instrument modernised in 1838 by Francesco Santilli di Caldarola and restored in 2000 by the Ruffatti Brothers of Padua. As early as 1712, the historian, Brother Antonio Bacchini, provided information about the organ in the Church of San Francesco.