Giovanni Morandi: Complete Organ Works Vol. 4 (Complete organ works 4 hands (1830-1843)

Description

This Da Vinci Classics album constitutes the fourth volume of an ambitious, and long overdue, project, i.e. the recording of Giovanni Morandi’s complete organ works. This double CD encompasses and wholly comprises an interesting portion of Morandi’s compositional output. It is dedicated to his works for four-hand organ duet, i.e. two organists playing on the same instrument, in the fashion of the four-hand piano duet.
As a matter of principle, there is nothing strange in the idea of playing the organ four hands, since the parallel piano duet is a normal and common feature of concert life. However, the organ is not “just” a musical instrument on which all kinds of new techniques can be tried; it is also an instrument which, in the vast majority of cases, is found in churches and constitutes an integral component of worship. This context influenced the development of the organ repertoire. In fact, especially in the nineteenth century, the four-hand piano duet had a slight connotation of “amusement”. This was due to the fact that a similar aural result can be obtained with greater efforts by a solo player, and with more ease by a duet, thus making a substantial portion of the four-hand piano repertoire accessible to amateurs (not all, of course). Countless amateur pianists were found in the homes and mansions of the upper bourgeoisie and aristocracy; their evenings and soirées were frequently enlivened by music. Playing together allowed more than one person to participate actively in the musical performance, and, as hinted before, to obtain a musically satisfactory result even in the absence of virtuoso skills.
Thus, four-hand piano music had a series of elements which made up a different kind of repertoire with respect to solo piano music: a more pronounced “social” component; a higher degree of “pleasurableness” in comparison with the “seriousness” of much piano repertoire; and a kinship with orchestral music, which resulted in a wealth of transcriptions and arrangements.
Some of these elements were utterly incompatible with the needs of liturgy, even though a much-lamented, but nevertheless common phenomenon in 19th-century Italy was the practice of playing operatic music on the organ during Mass. Others were tolerated or tolerable. Still, it is easy to understand why music for four-hand organ was not in great demand and represents a niche in the overall organ repertoire.
This context helps us to frame many of the pieces contained in this double CD, which have, in most cases, a rather pronounced secular component. There are, of course, pieces of sacred music proper: for instance, there are two Sonatas whose explicit destination is the Elevation and Post-Communion, i.e. two of the most sacred and central elements of Catholic worship. The Elevation takes place when the consecrated Host, which has by now become the Body of Christ, is shown to the congregation by the celebrant. At a time when many members of the congregation were not used to receive Holy Communion, this moment was the one when they felt the deepest union with the Lord. Contemplation took the place of Communion, and the music played in that liturgical moment had to support this mystical experience. Similarly, the Post-Communion was the other moment of Mass when the congregants could concentrate more deeply on the mystery of the Eucharist. Those who had received Communion could pray in thanksgiving and adoration, and here too the music played by the organist (or organists, as in this case!) had to foster a climate of recollection and inner silence. Several Post-Communion pieces by Morandi, however, have a rather brilliant connotation, since they were the concluding movements of his organ Sonatas, taking the place of the usual brilliant finale.
Among the other pieces recorded here, there are two Pastorali composed for Christmas, in 1830 and in 1831 respectively. These count certainly as sacred music, but it should be emphasized that Christmas was, and still is, a rather special occasion in the Catholic liturgical year. One of the three main liturgical events of the year (with Easter and Pentecost), it had a long history of being regarded as a somewhat “freer” occasion, in which many tenets of the liturgical practice could be lifted temporarily. Already in the Middle Ages, when liturgical music was sung only in Latin and consisted exclusively of plainchant, there were many opportunities to sing carols in the vernacular at Christmas; there were also pageants, processions, sacred plays, and similar para-liturgical celebrations. Even Martin Luther, when he undertook his Reformation, was careful not to forbid many practices which he might have personally regarded as superstitious, but which were so deeply ingrained in the common feeling of the congregation that their possible suppression would have had catastrophic results. Therefore, the idea of playing a Pastorale (a shepherd’s song or lullaby) with a four-hand organ duet at Christmas represented, in a manner of speaking, one of those “licenses” which were usually admitted on that occasion of the liturgical year.
A similar discourse applies to track 7 of CD 1, which is a colourful piece depicting the arrival of the Magi to Bethlehem. The liturgical occasion for the performance of this work would have been the feast of Epiphany, towards the end of Christmastide. In Italy, it was an occasion for many celebrations and traditions, with gifts to children and several legends such as that of the “Befana”. Beyond that, however, the very history of the Magi had elicited the creation of numerous artworks in the visual, poetic, and musical fields. There was a component of exoticism, since the Gospel tells us of these Wise Men who had come from far away; the Christian tradition had seen in them the representatives of the heathen, of the Gentiles, who had come to pay the homage of adoration to the Child Jesus. This idea prompted the creation of pieces of music or paintings where reminiscences or suggestions from “other” worlds (Asia, Africa…) could find a place. Occasionally, these representations showed some degree of fancy or approximation; the “Other” was seen through the lens of Western culture, and these depictions were marred with stereotypes. Still, these stereotypes were normally not derogatory; they did not express any kind of alleged superiority, but merely represented other cultures in a superficial, albeit suggestive fashion.
Other pieces in these CDs are examples of so-called “absolute music”, without any particular indication as to their extramusical content or occasion. Such are the opening Symphony (1831), the Introduzione, tema e variazioni, the Sonata which follows it immediately, the other Introduzione, Tema, Variazioni e Finale and the two concluding Sonatas (one of which is indicated as “Gran sonata”. Its specification “per gli organi moderni”, “for modern organs”, reveals the composer’s attention to the dimension of timbre and to the innovations which technology had provided to both organ players and builders).
Still other pieces have a connotation which might surprise modern listeners, i.e. a martial dimension. There are a Gran marcia militare (1843), a Sinfonia marziale, another Gran marcia militare and a Marcia militare. The last two of these, undated, were written on the occasion of the birthday of Emperor Francis II. Francis II of Habsburg-Lorraine was the last monarch of the Holy Roman Empire (r. 1792-1806) and the first Emperor of Austria (1804-1835). This gives us a terminus ante quem for the composition of these undated pieces, since legally Francis lost the right to the title of Holy Roman Emperor already in 1806.
This somewhat surprising combination of militarism and organ music is less bizarre than it looks in modern eyes. First of all, the common denominator of “solemnity” united the different and separated worlds of Church, State, and Army. “Pomp and circumstances”, as Elgar would have put it, were part of the shared language of these distinct spheres. Secondly, the organ had the intrinsic capability to evoke a wide and large palette of colours, including many which were typical for wind (and therefore military) bands. Furthermore, many organs had also some “percussion” effects, which in turn mimicked the rhythmical component of the typical Army band. Finally, the organ’s potential for large sonority and imposing sounds fascinated composers, players, and listeners alike, and involved them all in an all-encompassing musical experience.
In all of these pieces, Morandi’s talent, expertise, and skill are clearly at work. He is doubtlessly one of the most influential Italian organists of his era. Originally from the Marche region, he played a significant role in 19th-century music both as a composer and as a supporter of his wife’s operatic career. Born into a musical family, Morandi received his early training under his father, a respected composer. His marriage to the accomplished singer Rosa Morolli in 1804 marked a pivotal point in his life, leading to a dynamic partnership that took the couple across Italy and into France, where Morandi’s talents extended beyond performance to include managerial and compositional roles. Morandi’s career was further distinguished by his connection with Gioachino Rossini, whom he supported at a critical early stage. After Rosa’s death in 1824, Morandi settled in Senigallia, where he immersed himself in local cultural and civic life, contributing extensively to the city’s musical landscape through teaching, composition, and active participation in religious and public institutions. His oeuvre, particularly his organ compositions, reflects both the breadth of his career and the shift in his focus after withdrawing from the operatic circuit. Morandi’s works, including the pieces featured in this collection, underscore his adaptation to contemporary organ-building trends, revealing his deep engagement with the evolving musical technologies of his time.
Chiara Bertolio © 2024