Bertoldo & Borgo: Complete Organ Music Manuel Tomadin

• Sperindio Bertoldo (1530 - 1590):
• 1 Tocata seconda di Sperindio Bertoldo 02:32
• 2 Canzon francese 03:13
• 3 Hor vienza vien 03:15
• 4 Ricercar del sesto tuono 03:10
• 5 Petit fleur 02:53
• 6 Ricercar del primo tuono 03:38
• 7 Un gai berger 03:45
• 8 Ricercar del terzo tuono 04:15
• 9 Tocata prima di Sperindio Bertoldo 03:28
• 10 Frais e gagliard 03:53
• Cesare Borgo (1560 - 1623):
• 11 Canzon l'albergona 03:32
• 12 Canzon l'arnona 03:59
• 13 Canzon la baialupa 03:30
• 14 Canzon la Breda 03:33
• 15 Canzon la castelnovata 03:35
• 16 Canzon la cipola 03:46
• 17 Canzon la colombana 03:19
• 18 Canzon la forera 03:40
• 19 Canzon la gabutia 03:56
• 20 Canzon la parolina 03:57
• 21 Canzon la scarabella 03:39
• 22 Canzon la lucina 04:10
• Total Runtime 01:18:38

Info for Bertoldo & Borgo: Complete Organ Music

Among the most popular of pianistic genres now, boasting virtuoso showpieces from Bach to Prokfiev, the keyboard toccata first appeared in print in 1591, within this collection of work by Sperindio Bertoldo. Sadly the collection only appeared posthumously, for Bertoldo died around 1570, at the age of 40 or so, at the height of an illustrious if eventful career. He had become organist of Padua Cathedral in his early 20s, but in 1567 he was suspended for insubordination. Having evidently shown appropriate contrition, he was reinstated, and remained in post until his death, having at that stage published only books of madrigals.

Yet his organ works are equally worthy of revival, anticipating the florid brilliance and spatial effects of the Venetian masters such as the Gabrielis. Another volume published in 1591 was dedicated to Canzoni francese: instrumental versions of French songs by Crecquillon, Janequin and Clemens non Papa and these are elaborately decorated with imitation and ornamentation like a side-chapel to a Rococo church.

Scarcely better known is the scant output of Cesare Borgo, who was born and died in Milan and worked there as an organist-friar, rising to become organist for the then-newly built instrument at Milan Cathedral. Published in Venice in 1599, this collection of canzone is also inflected with fashionable French-style harmonies though given the titles of vernacular Italian songs whose origins are now mostly lost. The attraction of Borgo’s canzone lies in their often gentle, reflective explorations of the melodic material within a sturdy ABA structure. They are played on this new recording on the organ installed by Vincenzo Colombi in 1523 at the Chiesa del Santissimo Corpo di Cristo in Valvasone in the province of Pordenone. Full specifications and photographs are printed in the booklet along with an introduction by Manuel Tomadin to these rarities of early Italian organ music.

This new recording brings together organ music by two Italian Renaissance composers, Sperindio Bertoldo (1530-1570) and Cesare Borgo (1560-1623), master musicians active as organists of resp. the Padua Cathedral and the Milan Cathedral.

The two organ music scores contain typical forms of music of the Renaissance period for keyboard instruments such as the toccata, ricercar and canzona.

Played on a beautiful historical organ built by Vincenzo Colombi in 1533, situated in the Chiesa del SS Corpo di Cristo in Valvasone, Italy, the specification of which are included in the booklet.

Organist Manuel Tomadin is one of the foremost Italian organists of today, a scholar and passionate musician, with an impressive discography to his name: Husumer Organ Book, Alberti Complete Keyboard Works, and other North German organ masters.

Manuel Tomadin, organ

Manuel Tomadin
He spends constantly his musical attitude to Renaissance and Baroque music through the study of ancient essays and historical instruments. He studied with Claudio Astronio, Andrea Marcon, Michael Radulescu, Luca Scandali, Ferruccio Bartoletti,Peter Planyavsky, Olivier Latry, Paolo Crivellaro, Jon Laukvik, Ludger Lohmann, Gustav Auzinger, Hans Fagius, Peter Van Dijk, Francesco di Lernia, Eric Lebrun, Teo Theoliema. From 2001 to 2003 he studied at Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (Switzerland) with Jean Claude Zehnder and Andrea Marcon.

He has an intense concert activity, in Italy and in Europe. He recorded for the editorial series “Gli Organi Storici del Friuli Venezia Giulia” and for Toondrama record label. He collaborates with the recorder player Manuel Staropoli and with the ancient music ensemble “Terg Antiqua”; he teaches in italian academies, in Mannheim, Lubijana and Belgrade.

He won four prizes in national organistic contests and four international awards (First prize in Fussen – Breitenwang – Mittenwald and Second prize in Innsbruck for two times). He is also winner of the Grand Prix d’ECHO in the Alkmaar Schnitger Competition.

He is artistic director of the Organ International Festival in Udine and of the Antonio Vivaldi Festival of Trieste.

This album contains no booklet.