Italian organo classico and some characteristic registrations of the 16th–17th centuries in the primary sources

Abstract

The paper describes the features of classical Italian organ of the 16th–17th centuries and peculiarities of its disposition, which had been remaining practically intact until large organs of the mid-19th century. Studying the key primary sources (“L ’Arte Organica” (1608) by Costanzo Antegnati, Part II of “Il Transilvano” (1609) by Girolamo Diruta and hand-written registration table for the Vincenzo Colombi organ in Valvasone (1558)), the author investigates the fundamental principles of combination of Italian organ registers and reveals interconnections between certain registrations and genres (or moments of their application in a church service). Dispositions of famous organs and fragments of the mentioned treatises including guidelines for registration can be found in the appendix. The author also carries out a critical analysis and reveals some important discrepancies and mistakes in the monograph “Organ and Clavier Culture of Italy (late 16th century and first half of the 17th century)” by E. Burundukovskaya published by the Kazan Conservatoire — the first special study in Russian on the topic under
investigation.

Keywords:

Italian organ, Girolamo Diruta, “Il Transilvano”, Costanzo Antegnati, Vincenzo Colombi, Valvasone, S. Petronio Bologna, registration table, Elena Burundukovskaya