Page 203 - Weiss, Jernej, ur. 2017. Glasbene migracije: stičišče evropske glasbene raznolikosti - Musical Migrations: Crossroads of European Musical Diversity. Koper/Ljubljana: Založba Univerze na Primorskem in Festival Ljubljana. Studia musicologica Labacensia, 1
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from theatre to church: some remarks about censorship on operatic style ...
Marcie [sic] estratte da opere serie teatrali e ridotte per organo written by Gi-
useppe Cerruti (the operas in question were by Rossini, Bellini and Doni-
zetti).15 Marches were most typically performed at the end of the service.
But not only Italian opera composers were represented: foreign com-
posers also found their space (for instance, Polibio Fumagalli transcribed
Carl Maria von Weber’s Ouverture Euryante)16. Reductions could either be
carried out by opera composers themselves, or recognized work by third
party transcribers or even circulate anonymously. By now, they wrote “if
people flock to church it is mainly because they like to enjoy the sweet
memory of music heard elsewhere.”17
Organs attempted to reproduce orchestral nuances both timbrally and
phonetically; the percussion section included bells, triangles, cymbal and
bass drum, sonorities that were typical of bands. In the Catholic press, such
instruments would now come across as being «childish».18
Many composers had become accustomed to this style and even if they
did not produce transcriptions or reductions from famous operas, they
would, however, write liturgical music which perfectly echoed the operat-
ic world and its canons. Vincenzo Petrali19 was one of the authors that bet-
ter expressed the operatic style in vogue at the time, making the most of the
randi, Sonate per organo a quattro mani, performed by Chiara Cassin and Federica
Iannella, booklet by Giovanni Moroni, CD Tactus.
15 Cinque marcie estratte da opere serie teatrali e ridotte per organo da Giuseppe Cerruti
(Torino: Magrini, s.d.); today they are edited by Maurizio Machella. (Padova:
Armelin, 2006). Among the marches, the Gran marcia dall’opera “Norma” of Bellini
was often performed and by the same author also the canon from the opera Adelson
e Salvini and the duet Suoni la tromba from the work Puritani could be heard.
16 The ouverture was transcribed by Polibio Fumagalli (1830–1900), Italian composer,
organist and pianist, active as organ teacher at the Conservatory of Milan.
17 “se il popolo assiste numeroso ad una messa solenne, vi assiste, più che altro, per go-
dersi il dolce ricordo d’una musica udita in un altro luogo,” “Secondo Congresso di
musica sacra,” Il Cittadino Italiano, IV/237 (20.–21. 10. 1881), 2.
18 “The countless organ stops more or less pleasantly imitating orchestra and band in-
struments – the so-called human voice (resembling the choir of the elderly in Faust),
the bells, the triangles, the cymbals, the drums, the timpani and the bass drum,
which are of course considered to be the key qualities of this organ are, in my view,
completely inappropriate. An organ suitable for religious worship cannot be based
almost entirely on all these elements, definable as childish”. Giulio Roberti, “Nostre
corrispondenze” (Turin, August 10, 1882), Archivio Musicale (Musical Archive), I/15
(1882): 468.
19 Vincenzo Antonio Petrali (1830–1889): Italian organist, author of four operas, he
went down in history as an excellent improviser, adopting a severe style during his
maturity.
201
Marcie [sic] estratte da opere serie teatrali e ridotte per organo written by Gi-
useppe Cerruti (the operas in question were by Rossini, Bellini and Doni-
zetti).15 Marches were most typically performed at the end of the service.
But not only Italian opera composers were represented: foreign com-
posers also found their space (for instance, Polibio Fumagalli transcribed
Carl Maria von Weber’s Ouverture Euryante)16. Reductions could either be
carried out by opera composers themselves, or recognized work by third
party transcribers or even circulate anonymously. By now, they wrote “if
people flock to church it is mainly because they like to enjoy the sweet
memory of music heard elsewhere.”17
Organs attempted to reproduce orchestral nuances both timbrally and
phonetically; the percussion section included bells, triangles, cymbal and
bass drum, sonorities that were typical of bands. In the Catholic press, such
instruments would now come across as being «childish».18
Many composers had become accustomed to this style and even if they
did not produce transcriptions or reductions from famous operas, they
would, however, write liturgical music which perfectly echoed the operat-
ic world and its canons. Vincenzo Petrali19 was one of the authors that bet-
ter expressed the operatic style in vogue at the time, making the most of the
randi, Sonate per organo a quattro mani, performed by Chiara Cassin and Federica
Iannella, booklet by Giovanni Moroni, CD Tactus.
15 Cinque marcie estratte da opere serie teatrali e ridotte per organo da Giuseppe Cerruti
(Torino: Magrini, s.d.); today they are edited by Maurizio Machella. (Padova:
Armelin, 2006). Among the marches, the Gran marcia dall’opera “Norma” of Bellini
was often performed and by the same author also the canon from the opera Adelson
e Salvini and the duet Suoni la tromba from the work Puritani could be heard.
16 The ouverture was transcribed by Polibio Fumagalli (1830–1900), Italian composer,
organist and pianist, active as organ teacher at the Conservatory of Milan.
17 “se il popolo assiste numeroso ad una messa solenne, vi assiste, più che altro, per go-
dersi il dolce ricordo d’una musica udita in un altro luogo,” “Secondo Congresso di
musica sacra,” Il Cittadino Italiano, IV/237 (20.–21. 10. 1881), 2.
18 “The countless organ stops more or less pleasantly imitating orchestra and band in-
struments – the so-called human voice (resembling the choir of the elderly in Faust),
the bells, the triangles, the cymbals, the drums, the timpani and the bass drum,
which are of course considered to be the key qualities of this organ are, in my view,
completely inappropriate. An organ suitable for religious worship cannot be based
almost entirely on all these elements, definable as childish”. Giulio Roberti, “Nostre
corrispondenze” (Turin, August 10, 1882), Archivio Musicale (Musical Archive), I/15
(1882): 468.
19 Vincenzo Antonio Petrali (1830–1889): Italian organist, author of four operas, he
went down in history as an excellent improviser, adopting a severe style during his
maturity.
201
