An Introduction to the Organ World and Works of Giuseppe Gherardeschi (1759–1815) Sarah Mahler Kraaz
An Introduction to the Organ World and Works of Giuseppe Gherardeschi (1759–1815) Sarah Mahler Kraaz
n a perfect world, we organists would Ex. 1. Messa per organo, “Offertorio,” P.I,7 m.1–10 I always be able to play music on the instruments for which it was written. Putting music and organs from the same time and place together produces a beautiful synchronicity, the closest thing to time travel we can experience. Happily, this was recently my fate. What follows is a description of some music and instruments that have expanded my understanding of a particular musical tradition. They will continue to inform my performances. On March 6, I played a recital of Ital- ian music on the Vespers Series of the Giuseppe Gherardeschi Organ Academy in Pistoia (www.accademiagherardeschi. info). Pistoia is a small city in Tuscany ap- proximately 30 miles northwest of Flor- ence. The remains of a medieval wall circumscribe the old town whose Ca- thedral of San Zeno houses a silver altar dedicated to San Jacopo, thereby putting co (1733–1800), who was maestro di cap- Umberto Pineschi’s edition of each of the categories above will high- it on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de pella at the cathedral, and continued with Gherardeschi’s organ works light important stylistic features of the Compostela in Spain. The cathedral, the his uncle, Filippo Maria (1738–1808). That we know anything at all music and the organs for which they former Bishop’s Palace, the Baptistry, The latter, also a Pistoia native, had been about the life and music of Giuseppe were written, beginning with the sona- and the Town Hall, all dating from the a pupil of Giovanni Battista (a.k.a. ‘Pa- Gherardeschi—and consequently, about tas. These all conform to the binary form 13th–15th centuries, surround a central dre’) Martini3 in Bologna from 1756 to the contemporary Tuscan organ—is due and tonal design of the 18th-century piazza that even today dominates the about 1761, when Filippo was admit- to the almost single-handed efforts of keyboard sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti center of Pistoia. An open-air fruit and ted to the elite Accademia Filarmonica. Umberto Pineschi. Organist, teacher, and others. vegetable market, shops, restaurants, Giuseppe completed his formal studies scholar, founder of the Gherardeschi and cafes spread out from there in a web with Nicola Sala at the Conservatorio di Organ Academy, and now in “retire- Offertorio, Mass in C: of narrow cobblestone streets. Wednes- Santa Maria della Pietà dei Turchini, one ment” Director of the Scuola Comunale a representative work day and Saturday mornings are market of three music conservatories in Naples. di Musica e Danza “Teodulo Mabellini” The Offertory in an organ Mass is gen- days, when stalls appear in the centro Upon returning to Pistoia, he married, in Pistoia, Pineschi has worked tire- erally longer and more elaborate than selling everything from clothing to kitch- fathered seven children, and became lessly to locate, preserve, and restore other movements because it provides enware. Bells from the many churches in organist at the church of Santa Maria organs in and around Pistoia. He edited music during the preparation of the Eu- the city mark the passage of time. Pistoia dell’Umiltà. When Domenico Gherarde- the organ works of Gherardeschi for charist. Gherardeschi takes advantage is off the beaten track for tourists. It’s a schi died in 1800, Giuseppe inherited his publication beginning in 1978. The fi rst of these large dimensions by writing the great place to visit if you want to mingle position as maestro di cappella at the ca- collection was followed by a second, Offertorio from the Mass in C as a so- with Italians who live comfortably in the thedral, a post he held until his death. In third, and fourth, but as he confesses nata. The movement begins assertively present while surrounded by the past. the tradition of the Bachs and Couperins in the foreword to the newest edition with strong tonic chords in the left hand The city and neighboring towns are also and other families of musicians at the (in Musiche Pistoiesi per Organo, pub- against clearly articulated right-hand home to a number of historic organs, time, Giuseppe’s son, Luigi (1791–1871), lished by the Fondazione Accademia di rhythms in a 4-bar phrase. This anteced- most of them from the 18th and early and grandson, Gherardo (1835–1905), Musica Italiana per Organo in 2009), ent phrase is answered by a consequent 19th centuries.1 succeeded him. The Gherardeschi men there was “no organized plan, since ev- phrase in a reduced texture and registra- all composed sacred vocal and instru- ery time only the pieces considered in- tion, much like a dialogue between the Giuseppe Gherardeschi mental music, much of which survives in teresting at the moment were selected.” tutti and solo parts of a concerto (Ex- A brief biography in the New Grove the cathedral archives. Giuseppe did not Further, he adds, “Their context, often ample 1). Indeed, Gherardeschi’s reg- Dictionary of Music and Musicians2 confi ne himself to music for the church, crucial for their understanding, was not istration directions support this impres- states that Gherardeschi was an organ- however; fi ve symphonies, all in the taken in[to] account. Such a fragmented sion: initially, he calls for ‘[ri-]pieno con ist, composer, and eventually maestro three-movement fast-slow-fast pattern presentation of the Gherardeschi organ Trombe (trumpet)’ and ‘Timp[ano]’ in di cappella at the cathedral; except for a favored by Giovanni Battista Sammartini works did not allow one to fully appre- the pedal, which would be the equivalent brief period of study in Naples, he spent and other 18th-century Italian compos- ciate both their lesson on the Pistoiese of a full orchestra. The second phrase his entire life in Pistoia. He began his ers, survive, as do numerous arias, cham- organ and the artistic relevance of the is labeled ‘p[ieno] senza ripieno [i.e., musical studies with his father, Domeni- ber music, and oratorios.4 composer.”5 Pineschi here refers to the without the Trombe] e senza ped[ale]’. symbiotic relationship between organ Without the trumpet (soloist) and pedal music and the instruments for which it + timpani, the effect is of an echo. This was written, in this case Pistoiese organs alternation continues throughout both The 2012 Miami International of the 18th and early 19th centuries. sections of the Offertorio. The texture These defi ciencies are addressed in the is open, treble-dominated, and non- new edition, which is the basis for the contrapuntal; occasional octaves in the Organ Competition discussion that follows. manuals add a bit of dramatic emphasis The present volume brings together at times. Harmonically, the music is pre- $IVSDIPGUIF&QJQIBOZt.JBNJ 'MPSJEB all of Gherardeschi’s known composi- dictable, with the fi rst (A) section ending tions for organ, including some that have in the dominant key of G major. The B never been published. The pieces appear section opens in G minor, however, and in the same order as in the manuscripts. moves to d, a, and F before returning via 'JOBMTt.BSDI Pineschi identifi es several groupings by the dominant G to C. 1SFMJNJOBSZSPVOEBQQMJDBUJPO genre: 1. Sonatas; 2. Masses in C and D The energy, rhythmic drive, clear (Offertorio, Elevazione, and Postcom- tonal design, and concerted style of NBUFSJBMTEFBEMJOF%FDFNCFS munio) and a Mass in E-fl at that has the Offertorio reveal how steeped versets for alternatim performance with Gherardeschi was in the music of Corel- 'JSTU1SJ[Ft the Ordinary; 3. Collections of versets; li, Vivaldi, and Sammartini. Written at 4. Miscellaneous short pieces, including the end of the 18th century, as Vienna QMVTBOJOWJUBUJPOUPQMBZBGVMMMFOHUI a colorful Sonata per organo a guisa di and Paris were eclipsing Italy in the de- SFDJUBMPOUIFDPODFSUTFSJFT banda militare che suona una Marcia, velopment of instrumental music, these two pastorales, and a fugue in G minor. pieces remind the listener of the connec- Each piece has been assigned an opus tions among the various schools. XXXSVČBUUJDPN.*0$IUNM number (a P followed by a number). The concerto and symphony are not Strict classifi cation according to this the only models for this music, how- scheme is impossible, however, since two ever. Pineschi observes that the infl u- of the sonatas (P.IV [1787]) are rondos ence of opera and the theatre is clear and a number of the Mass movements in the Masses: “Indeed, the Offertori (the Elevazione in D, P.I,5; the Offer- show the infl uence of the overture, the torio in C, P.I,7) are sonatas. Elements Elevazioni and the Benedizioni that of of secular genres, including the concer- the romanza, while the Postcommunio to, aria, and symphony, also defi ne and echoes the always attractive spirit of the shape these pieces in a manner surely cabaletta; all, however, display whimsy, intended to entertain as well as sanctify balanced proportions, and, above all, the listeners. good taste.”6 Builders of Fine Pipe Organs to the World Since the purpose of this article is to In fact, two of the three Masses in present an overview, rather than a com- the collection, those in D and C, con- 9LD)DFFLRODWL3DGRYD,WDO\ RUJDQV#UXIIDWWLFRP prehensive discussion, of Gherardeschi’s sist of exactly these movements, that is, works, representative examples from Offertorio-Elevazione-Postcomunio. In
26 THE DIAPASON
Nov 2011 pp. 26-29.indd 26 10/13/11 11:22:29 AM modern usage, these may stand alone or Table of Mass movements be played in concert as a group of fast- slow-fast movements. The remaining Messa in Elafá Mass in E-fl at Mass, in E-fl at, is more complex because of versetti that alternate with chant. The Movement Tempo Meter Registration Special Effects Table of Mass movements summarizes the shape and content of the Messa in Kirie [sic] Elafá. One observes immediately the 1 Allegro giusto C Organo aperto variety of tempos, meters, and registra- 2 — C [ ″ ″ ] tions Gherardeschi uses in the versetti. 3 — 3/8 [ ″ ″ ] The last aspect is the most important, for 4 — 3/8 [ ″ ″ ] it tells us a great deal about the late 18th- 5 Grave C [ ″ ″ ] century and early 19th-century Tuscan organ in general and the Pistoiese organ Gloria in particular. In this regard, the Mass re- 1 Allegro C [Organo aperto] Timp., Usignoli sembles the other sets of versetti in the 2 — 2/4 [ ″ ″ ] collection, all of which specify different 3 — C [ ″ ″ ] stops as solos or in combinations. 4 Andantino 3/4 Principale, Musetto, e Clarone 5 Allegro 2/4 Flauto in 8va, Trombe e Basse Registration 6 Larghetto 3/4 Principale e Voce Umana Gherardeschi frequently calls for “or- 7 Allegro moderato 3/4 Cornetto, Principale, e Ottava gano aperto” in his music. This means 8 Tempo di marcia 2/2 [cut time] Principale, Trombe sopran e basse the complete Ripieno (Principale 8′, Ot- Amen — C Pieno Timpani tava 4′, Decimaquinta 2′, Decimanona 1 ′ 1 ⁄3 , and two or three high-pitched ranks Sanctus combined, the Vigesima seconda e sesta 1 — C Pieno ′ 2 ′ ′ 2 ′ [1 , ⁄3 ] or seconda, sesta e nona [1 , ⁄3 , 2 — 2/4 Pieno ½′]), plus the Trombe (trumpet) 8′ and Cornetto.7 This combination, the equiva- Agnus Dei lent of a full organ without fl ute stops, 1 — C Pieno produces a clear and brilliant but not overpoweringly loud sound. “Pieno” re- Preludio per attaccare il Postcomunio in Bfá fers to the complete or partial (i.e., 8′, 4′, Grave C Pieno 2′) Ripieno (Gherardeschi does not spec- ify which). All the other combinations in the Messa call for specifi c principal and Ex. 2a. Messa in Elafà, “Gloria,” P.VIII, versetto I, m. 1–9 ‘da concerto’, i.e., solo, stops, including some divided stops (Musetto treble 8′; Clarone bass 4′; Trombe bass 8′). Stops divided between bass and treble regis- ters have been a feature of Italian organs since at least 1664, when the Flemish Jesuit, Willem Hermans, built an organ for the church of Sant’Ignazio di Loyola (known in later times as “Spirito Santo” and since 1 February 2011, again as Sant’Ignazio) in Pistoia.8 They are advan- tageous on a small organ. In Pineschi’s words, “Gherardeschi’s clever use of the divided stops allows one to casually move from the bass section of the keyboard to the treble section and the other way round in such a way that the listener has no time to realize that.”9 He might have added that Gherardeschi must have pos- sessed uncommon dexterity, given the lack of mechanical aids for registration changes and the fact that many of these occur in the middle of a piece. Perhaps next 15 years were tumultuous ones in turbulence amid constant reminders 18th century, so it is not surprising to he employed an assistant, maybe his son all the regions of the Italian peninsula, of a military presence. The Sonata . . . fi nd them in organ music as well. Luigi as organist-in-training. Pineschi when French-initiated political and so- a guisa di banda militare even includes suggests that these directions to change cial reforms met with strenuous opposi- the “Janissary style” derived from Turk- Versetti or add divided stops (which always occur tion from many Italians and the Church. ish military bands, a type of march in In the preface of this volume, Pineschi at cadence points) refl ect spontaneous The return of Austrian rule in 1815 after which cymbals, bass drum, and triangle lists the versetti as a third group after changes made by Gherardeschi when he the Congress of Vienna, repressive as it are implied in the instrumentation (Ex- the sonatas and Masses. These works, was improvising, as experienced organ- was, was hailed as a return to order and ample 2b, see page 28). Marches fi gured though individually brief, are the most ists did; the written version is for organ- normality.15 Gherardeschi composed his prominently in operas, symphonies,16 numerous and perhaps the most impor- ists who were not as skilled or experi- music against this backdrop of political and secular keyboard music in the late tant for what they tell us about the Pis- enced in the art of improvisation.10 Of course, Gherardeschi’s registrations refl ect and reinforce the character of in- dividual versetti in the Messa; rhythms, THECOMPLETEORGANWORKS OF tempos, and styles complete the pic- ture. The fi rst and last Gloria verses are of particular interest because they are cast as marches in duple meter with an Jean Langlais abundance of dotted rhythms, repeated chords, triadic openings, trumpet-like solo lines, and liberal use of a “special ANN LABOUNSKY, ORGAN effect” Timpano stop (from two to six wooden pipes, out of tune in such a way as to give a kettle-drum effect, operated by a pedal played by the right foot). The “I have just learned that the recordings of my organ fi rst Gloria verse begins with a fanfare in music will happen. This is the greatest joy of my the manual accompanied by pedal and life and it is to you, dear Ann that I owe this.” Timpano. In measure 5, another special — JEAN LANGLAIS effect (also played with the right foot), the Usignoli (Nightingale) stop, appears OCTOBER, 1978 alternately with the timpani to simulate the trills of a clarinet11 (Example 2a). Marches, whether for military bands or Available November 10, 2011 in concert music, were a common and popular musical genre in the 18th cen- 12 tury. As such, they connoted heroism, The Complete Organ Works of Jean Langlais, a collection vigor, cheerfulness, and manliness.13 Gherardeschi was not the fi rst composer of 25 CDs with accompanying book. The definitive recordings to set the “Et in terra pax” couplet to a made under the direct supervision of the composer by march; François Couperin had done Ann Labounsky, leading American disciple and author that 100 years earlier in his Messe pour of his biography and DVD. les couvents.14 Undoubtedly, the trium- phal, affi rmative nature of the text is a determining factor in the choice of musi- For more information or to reserve your collection visit: cal style, but in the Messa there is more voixduventrecordings.com to the matter. Napoleon invaded Italy in 1790, defeating the Austrian army. The
NOVEMBER, 2011 27
Nov 2011 pp. 26-29.indd 27 10/13/11 11:22:48 AM toiese organ of the time. There are two Ex. 2b. Sonata per organo a guisa di banda militare che suona una marcia, P.III, m. 1–13 types of versetti, distinguished by their registrations. Versetti a pieno require the [ri-]pieno, or full, sound, with only a tem- po indicated at the beginning (the regis- tration is implied) (Example 3a); versetti concertati require use of the ‘da concer- to’ stops and have specifi c registrations provided at the beginning of each piece (Example 3b). From these, we learn the tonal design of the organs for which Gherardeschi wrote his music.17 The ‘da concerto’ versetti are also labeled ‘so- lenni’, referring to their intended litur- gical use in the Mass or other services, especially the Offi ce of Vespers (e.g., the Magnifi cat). Versetti are written in all eight psalm tones, as one would ex- pect. Interestingly, the versetti a pieno, P.II, are only fi gured basses; the organist must realize them in performance. Ob- viously this Baroque musical shorthand was still proving useful at the beginning of the 19th century. Ex. 3a. No. 10 Versetti a pieno e No. 10 Versetti concertati per órgano, P.VI, 10, m. 1–6 Organs Specifi cations for four organs that Gherardeschi would have known appear in the preface to the Opere per organo. The fi rst, by Hermans, was the prototype for the rest, which were built in the 1780s and ’90s by Antonio and Filippo Tronci and Pietro Agati. These instruments have been preserved and restored in Pistoia and Lucca. A similar organ built by Luigi and Benedetto Tronci in 1793 has been in the Cathedral in Pistoia since Pineschi rescued it from the chapel of the Rucel- lai villa, Campi Bisenzio (a small town between Prato and Florence), in 1998. This is the instrument I played every day for fi ve days in preparation for the Ex. 3b. Versetti concertati Vespers performance. It is, amazingly, in its original condition. The specifi cations are as follows (For photos and audio clips of the Hermans and Tronci organs, visit The Diapason website,
28 THE DIAPASON
Nov 2011 pp. 26-29.indd 28 10/13/11 11:23:05 AM Willem Hermans 1664 Luigi e Benedetto Tronci, 1793 den liberation of Tuscany from the hands of or inspired by the organ built in 1664 by the after his death as ‘Dio della musica de’ nostri popular in Revolutionary France, or an ironic the rapacious French, enemies of every good Flemish Jesuit [Willem Hermans] for the tempi’ [The God of Music in our time]. Mo- and dysphoric march. A well-known example and especially of the people of God . . .” and church of Sant’Ignazio di Loyola—known also zart met Martini in 1770 and spent that sum- of the latter type is “Non più andrai” from The “Ecce sacerdos magnus, on the occasion of as “Spirito Santo”—attached to the Jesuit col- mer studying 16th-century counterpoint with Marriage of Figaro. Ibid., 128, 150. the entrance of the Supreme Pontiff Pius VII lege in Pistoia.” Pineschi, Opere, XIII. him. Martini, who had taught Johann Christian 14. Pineschi observes, “In further compar- in the Cathedral of Pistoia on 7 November 18. According to Pineschi, Hermans was Bach (whose music was an early infl uence on ing [these four Pistoiese] masses with the 1804. Repeated for the same happy occasion one of the fi rst builders to use both wood and the young Wolfgang) years before, welcomed two of François Couperin, we discover some on 28 May 1815 after the defeat of the trai- metal pipes in the Principale, although wood the youth with characteristic warmth and hu- similarities of attitude by these composers, in tor [Joaquin] Murat by the Austrians.” Opere, was only used for the lowest octave. Previ- mility. Mozart later wrote to Martini, “I never a certain degree at least, towards particular XII. ously, church organs used metal pipes, house cease to grieve that I am far away from that liturgical situations or texts, although they 16. Haydn, Symphony No. 100 in C, the and theatre organs used wood. He speculates one person in the world whom I love, revere belong to very different traditions. For in- “Military”; Mozart, “Non più andrai,” The that wood was cheaper and provided a dif- and esteem most of all.” Howard Brofsky and stance, for both Couperin and Gherardeschi Marriage of Figaro, to give but two examples. ferent fundamental than the tin. Metal pipes Stefano Durante, “Giovanni Battista Martini,” the registrations become virtually the verse 17. “Examining the registrations indicated were always used for the façades. E-mail cor- The New Grove Dictionary, 2nd ed. Vol. 15, titles. The Pistoiese organ, though much by Gherardeschi for the different collections respondence, May 12, 2011. 921. Martini’s only perceptible weakness, ap- smaller than a normal French organ and of pieces, it is clear that each one was meant parently, was a craving for chocolate. Robert very different in many respects, is nonethe- for a precise type of instrument among those Sarah Mahler Kraaz, DMA, is Professor W. Gutman, Mozart: A Cultural Biography, less very colorful and rich in fl utes and reeds, existing in Pistoia at that time, from the es- of Music and Chair of the Department at Ri- (San Diego: Harcourt, Inc., 1999), 266. closer therefore than any other type of Ital- sential Italian organ (Principale, Ottava, pon College in Ripon, Wisconsin, where she 4. Umberto Pineschi, ed. Giuseppe ian organ to the French.” “Organ alternatim Decimaquinta, Decimanona, Ripieno, Flauto teaches organ, piano, and music history, and Gherardeschi, Le Opere per Organo, XVIII Practice in Two MSS of the Library of the in Ottava, and Voce umana) to an instrument directs the Collegium Musicum. She is an ac- (Pistoia: Fondazione Accademia di Musica Cathedral of Pistoia,” The Organ Yearbook enriched by a larger number of da concerto tive composer and has performed recitals in Italiana per Organo, 2009). XXXI (2002), 74. stops typical of the organs of the Pistoiese the U.S.A., Scotland, and Italy. She is a fre- 5. Ibid., XIII. 15. Gherardeschi leaves no doubt as to his school (Flauto traverso 8′ [stopped], Flauto quent contributor of reviews and articles to 2 ′ ′ 6. “L’infl usso dell’opera teatrale è chiara- political convictions in the title pages of sev- in XII [2 ⁄3 ] soprano, Flautino 1 bassi, Cor- THE DIAPASON. Dr. Kraaz spent several weeks mente ovunque. Infatti gli Offertori risentono eral compositions: “Antiphon and Psalm 65 netto soprano, Trombe 8′ basse e soprano, this spring researching and playing historic dello stile della Ouverture, le Elevazioni e le for full choir of voices and instruments 26 and Clarone 4′ bassi, Musetto 8′ soprano e Vio- organs in Italy and Spain during a sabbati- Benedizioni di quello della romanza, mentre 27 July 1799 . . . for the occasion of the sud- loncello [reed Voce umana] 4′ bassi), copied cal leave. nei Postcommunio riecheggia lo spirito civ- ettuolo della cabaletta, sempre comunque con fantasia, equilibrio e, soprattutto, buon gusto.” Umberto Pineschi, “Breve Biografi a di Giuseppe Gherardeschi,” Informazione Or- Yale University ganistica, Pistoia, 1999. 7. Cornetto pipes are wider scaled than those of the Principale-ripieno family and narrower that those of the Flute family; the Cornetto in the Pistoiese school can be IV GRADUATE STUDY IN ORGAN PERFORMANCE 2 3 2 3 ranks (4′, 2 ⁄3′, 2′, 1 ⁄5′), III ranks (4′, 2 ⁄3′, 1 ⁄5′, 2 3 seldom 2 ⁄3′, 2′, 1 ⁄5′), II ranks, or a single rank at Yale Institute of Sacred Music and School of Music (especially when there are two Cornettos, 2 one with a 2 ⁄3′ alone or with a 4′ rank, and 3 the other, that is 2′ and 1 ⁄5′). The Pistoiese Cornetto is similar to the French Cornet, FACULTY the difference being in the various possible combinations of ranks. Le Opere per Organo, Thomas Murray, Professor of Organ XIV–XVI. 8. Ibid., XIII. Martin Jean, Professor of Organ 9. Ibid., XVI. Jeffrey Brillhart, Organ Improvisation 10. E-mail, May 9, 2011. 11. The imitation bird stop, beloved of Ital- Walden Moore, Liturgical Keyboard Skills ian organ builders, is activated by fi lling a small container inside the chest with water; the pipe blows air through it, producing a very credible warbling. The Timpano and Usignoli DEGREES OFFERED effects are activated by adjacent foot pedals. Master of Music 12. “The march was originally a procession- al and ceremonial piece. It came to be more Artist Diploma closely associated with soldiers during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The Doctor of Musical Arts arrival of the ‘Turkish’ instruments and the use of the march for real marching reinforced the military character of the march, but even Full tuition scholarships awarded to all Institute students. in the Romantic period one still encounters marches for slaves, priests, huntsmen, and pil- *HQHURXVVWLSHQGVDYDLODEOHWRTXDOL¿HGDSSOLFDQWV grims.” Raymond Monelle, The Musical Top- ic: Hunt, Military and Pastoral (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2006), 160. 13. Unless the piece is a marche funebre, Yale Institute of Sacred Music / 409 Prospect Street / New Haven, CT 06511 tel www.yale.edu/ism
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NNovov 22011011 ppp.p. 226-29.indd6-29.indd 2299 10/13/11 11:23:26 AM