Aurelio Bonelli (?1569-?1620)
Ricercar del I Tuono
Ricercar del II Tuono
Ricercar del III Tuono
Ricercar del IV Tuono
Ricercar del V Tuono
Ricercar del VI Tuono
Ricercar del VII Tuono
Toccata a 8 "Cleopatra"
Dialogo a 8 "Anime pellegrine"
Licori, Canzone
Urania, Canzone
Istrina, Canzone
Nisa, Canzone, Irene, Canzone
Artemisia, Canzone
Erina, Canzone
Dialogo a 8 "S'un di, mosso a pieta"
Toccata a8 "Athalanta"

Federico del Sordo, orgue, clavecin, clavicorde

Orgue Abbatiale San Magno, Amelia, Ombrie, Italie

Le label Brillant Classics continue vaillamment de documenter la littérature italienne pour orgue avec ce nouvel opus consacré à Aurelio Bonelli, compositeur né à Bologne en 1569 dont on sait qu’il mena une carrière parallèle de peintre. On lui doit une célèbre fresque au couvent de San Michele in Bosco réalisée avec Agostino Carracci. Il fut surtout organiste à Milan puis à Bologne où il reprit le poste d’Adriano Banchieri. Outre quelques pièces vocales (Villanelle a tre voci (1596) et une messe (1620)), il publie son recueil pour orgue à Venise en 1602. Il s’agit d’une collection de "ricercar, i canzone et toccata" et de "dialoghi" (madrigaux à huit voix). Bonelli ajoute volontiers des poèmes dans ses partitions et donne des noms aux "canzone et dialogo" tirés de la mythologie ou de récits populaires. Les ricercari correspondent fidèlement au "stylus ecclesiasticus", les tons en vigueur à l’église. Il n’est d’ailleurs pas fait mention explicitement d’orgue sur la partition et ces pièces pourraient convenir tout aussi bien au clavecin. D’où le choix de Federico del Sordo de jouer sur les deux instruments. De structure tripartite, elles évoquent son contemporain Frescobaldi sans en avoir l’invention ni la complexité. Même les "canzone et toccatas" illustrent assez bien le tout venant de la musique pour clavier de l’époque. L’organiste joue sur l’orgue de San Magno (Amélia Ombrie). Instrument provincial assez rare inclus dans un couvent de Bénédictines qui a la particularité d’avoir deux entrées distinctes (une pour les moniales et une pour l’organiste). Sa partie la plus ancienne date des années 1500. Un disque destiné aux aficionados de l’orgue. (Jérôme Angouillant)

Following the release last year of works by Holzer, Antegnati and Pellegrini, the renowned organist Federico Del Sordo further delves into the world of Renaissance and early Baroque keyboard repertoire. In this set, he turns his attention to Italian composer Aurelio Bonelli. Bonelli’s life is shrouded in mystery and today little remains of his creative output. The set features works from the collection Il primo libro de ricercari et canzoni a quattro voci of which only two copies remain. An artist by day it’s thought he learnt painting from Agostino Carracci, a key figure of the Bologna School. They worked together on the frescos of Bologna’s Olivetan monastery of San Michele in Bosco and in approximately 1611 Bonelli was appointed monastery organist. The set opens with eight four-part Ricercari. This gives a fascinating insight into how the Italian ricercar evolved from simply a vessel for compositional experimentation with few formal structures, to a defined style governed by rules, eventually making it the keyboard equivalent of the liturgical vocal motet. Bonelli’s ricercari can be placed in the middle of this transition period. Ricercar del Secondo Tuono and Ricercar del Quinto Tuono for example have identifiable forms but irregularities occur with the introduction of new stylistic and formal elements at the end of the second section which contradict received ideas about the tripartite form. Classical themes are reflected in the eight four-part canzoni where names are drawn from mythology and epics: ‘Licori’, ‘Arete’, ‘Urania’, ‘Istrina’, ‘Nisa’, ‘Irene’, ‘Artemisia’ and ‘Erina’. Again, we hear the conflict between experimentation and modern rules, and the pieces all feature four or five different themes and regularly change metres. This gives the impression there are as many as four or five different parts while only ‘Urania’ strictly follows the ternary structure. Federico Del Sordo plays the organ of the Abbey of San Magno. Dating from the 1600s, it is the oldest organ with surviving double pedals, allowing works written for two organs to be performed. The artist also plays a harpsichord strung with iron wire rather than brass to replicate the sound of the period. This release is a rare find and offers us a comprehensive overview of Bonelli, and his repertoire provides a detailed snapshot of the era’s musical progression.