The efforts of “Gruppo Ciampi”, already in its 58th year, to organize the 43rd International Organ Week, encompassing also the XIV Contemporary Festival “Giuseppe Zanaboni”, are really meritorious.  Extremely high level music and players are always ensured, as shown in the last concert performed in Sant’Antonino basilica by the organist Luca Benedicti and the Spanish flautist Claudi Arimany.

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The program has been conceived and chosen to enlighten the dialogue between the two instruments, so that many of the pieces dated back to the eighteenth century. “The reason”, said Arimany, “is that, apart from guaranteeing an agreement with this very beautiful organ, the flute was employed at that time to accompany other instruments. However there are also very nice pieces from the nineteenth century that are suitable to play with the organ.”

In the first part of the concert a relevant role has been played by the Marcia trionfale, transcribed for organ by Verdi, not only for its patriotic character, but also for the passionate execution by Benedicti. We cannot forget other composers, less known by the public but highly relevant for the technical evolution and for the methodological development, like Benedetto Marcello (Sonata n. 12 in G major), Marco Enrico Bossi (Canzoncina a Maria Vergine op. 113 n. 3), of whom the 150th anniversary is celebrated this year, and Michel Blavet (Sonata in Si minore).

In the second part of the concert we have listened to samples of sumptuous music written in the eighteenth century by identically prominent performers of that time like Wilhelm Friedermann Bach (Sonata in F major BR WFB B 18), one of the outstanding Johann Sebastian’s sons, then Johann Ludwig Krebs (Three Fantasies for Oboe, Flute or Trumpet and Organ with pedal keyboard) and finally Georg Philipp Telemann (Sonata in F minor).

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This concert has been only the last support in favour, said Benedicti, “of the enormous potential of the organ in particular, of its extraordinary tone and colour variety that is suitable for many transcriptions, having each instrument its own richness”. Also the sonority of the flute has played a relevant role, being sweet, placid, with a few harmonics and a limited power of sound, but at the same time breezy and hence very popular.

DA BLAVET A VERDI, VIRTUOSE E DOLCI ARMONIE

“Settimana organistica”: successo per Benedicti e Arimany in Sant’Antonino

FROM BLAVET TO VERDI, OUTSTANDING AND SWEET HARMONIES

“Organ Week”: a success for Benedicti and Arimany in Sant’Antonino church