Organ Focus

Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 133, No. 1793, Aspects of Australian Music (Jul., 1992), p.
365
Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd.
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1002568
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Festival in Treviso New in Scotland

With 64 out of 265 churches in the dio- A plethora of organ building and
cese dedicated to Our Lady, it is hardly sur- tion has been sweeping through
prising that Marian devotional music Dundee has recently completed the
formed a major part of this year's Lent on Easter
Easter Sunday
Sunday with tion
with aareconstruction
reconstruction of of a fine Harrison instrument in the
of
music festival in Treviso. the Vespers
Vespers of
of The
The Blessed
BlessedVirgin byCaird
Virginby the Hall, and the vast new Rieger organ
the
Inaugurated last year, 'Cantate Domino' Padua-born
Padua-born composer
composer Amadio for St Giles in Edinburgh is in use.
AmadioFreddi,
Freddi,
draws its inspiration from the music of Maestro
Maestro di
di Cappella
Cappella of
of Treviso However, it is comforting to know that
TrevisoCathedral
Cathedral
Christian worship. A total of five concerts from
from 1615
1615 until
until 1626.
1626. Scored
Scoredfor these monumental constructions are not
forsoloists,
soloists,
were given over the Lenten period, all per- two choirs
choirs and
and instrumentalists,
instrumentalists,the
thework
work
entirely confined to servicing the needs of
formed within various churches of this pic- represents
represents an
an ambitious
ambitiousattempt
attemptto a fossilised repertoire. In March, Philip
toadapt
adapt
turesque city - once the seat of an important the 'grand'
'grand' Venetian
Venetian style
styleof Sawyer premiered John McLeod's The
ofMonteverdi
Monteverdi
musical chapel which for many years and Giovanni
Giovanni Gabrielli
Gabrielli to
tothe
thepossibilities
possibilities
Seven Sacraments of Poussin on the instru-
rivalled that of Saint Mark's in Venice. of a provincial
provincial church.
church. ment only recently installed by Peter
For Christians of the Middle Ages and Early
Early music
music festivals
festivals like
likethe
theone
one in
in in Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh.
Collins
beyond, the saints were real figures - alive Treviso
Treviso are
are relatively
relatively rare
rareininItaly. The Sacraments hang in the National
Italy.Despite
Despite
and familiar, a constant source of comfort a rich
rich legacy
legacy of
of sacred
sacred and
andsecular Gallery of Scotland, and form so rich and
secularmusic
music
and inspiration. At the same time, singing from the Middle Ages and the unified a work of art that it was surprising
to find that the music treated each one indi-
and dancing permeated all levels of society. Renaissance, the practice of 'authentic'
In the face of calamity and danger men of performance is not really a trend which vidually.
has The programme contained colour
reproductions of all the paintings, and so
every class found assurance and expression caught on here. Professional instrumental
in music. Both these cultural elements con- and vocal ensembles specialising in the
invited direct comparison with each, but
verged in the cult of the saints - a unique the unifying threads in the music were
pre-Baroque repertoire are not numerous,
fountain of artistic creativity which at least not on the scale we are witnessing
needlessly severed by such fragmentation.
'Cantate Domino' faithfully sought to in Britain. The reason for this is unclear,
It was a fine performance, Sawyer weav-
revive. but it may lie in the fact that Italy also
ing effortlessly through a vast and sophisti-
The veneration of the Virgin Mary pro- lacks small specialist recording companies
cated tonal palette. The writing is restrained,
vided the main focal point - a cult which dominated by languid figures and ghostly
willing to take on the risk of introducing
developed with the growth of courtly man- unfamiliar music to a wider public. echo
Yet effects - the only real aggression surfac-
ners and, with it, the concept of the female the indication is that such timidity ing
is in the Sacraments of Marriage and
figure. The programme was varied and unfounded. All five concerts were well- Penance, the latter beating us into submission
comprehensive, embracing different genres received by appreciative audiences, and
by the insistent arhythmic stabbing of a low
of sacred music from the tenth century to 'Cantate Domino' shows every sign of pedal note. This instrument has the reputa-
the eighteenth. It included masterpieces becoming a permanent fixture in the musi-
tion of being fearsomely loud, but whether
like de Machaut's Messe de Nostre Dame cal life of both Treviso and northern Italy
by design or accident the volume throughout
as aas
(sung by The Hilliard Ensemble) as well whole. never rose beyond a fulsome mezzoforte.
JOHN-PIERRE
lesser, but nevertheless deeply-felt, works JOYCE CHRISTOPHER LAMBTON

of religious devotion. The festival ended

Simon Preston is one of the celebrities at 21 August, King's College Chapel, Phyllis
the Oundle International Organ Festival, Bryn-Julson (soprano), Donald S
11-19 July. Oundle is the focal point for Sutherland (organ).
events in the area. Preston plays at King's
College Chapel, Cambridge on 17 July; at Every other Tuesday from 9 June to 15
Peterborough Cathedral on 14 July will be September contains an evening organ
heard a duo recital from Naji Hakim and recital in Westminster Cathedral.
his wife Marie-Bernadette Dufourcet. strikingly attractive series, of which the Remaining dates: Kevin Bowyer (7 Jul
Recitals at Oundle School Chapel include
organ recitals (all at 7.30) are as follows: 7 James O'Donnell (21 July), Philip Sawy
August, King's College Chapel, Jean
Alexander Fiseisky from Russia (18 July), (4 August), Michael Gailit (18 Augus
David Higgs from the USA (12 July),Guillou;
and 12 August, St Catharine's College Francis Grier (1 Sept), Susan Landale
Chapel, Jacques Charles (saxophone),
Eddie Davey from South Africa (13 July). Sept). Information from the Festiv
Anne Page (organ); 19 August, King's Office, 42 Francis St, London SW1P
College
Cambridge Summer Recitals present a Chapel, Francois-Henri Houbart; 1QW.

July 1992 The Musical Times 365

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