Picchi: Complete Harpsichord Music and Other Venetian Gems Stella Simone

• Giovanni Picchi (1571 - 1643):
• 1 Picchi: Toccata, Fvb 95 04:39
• Intavolatura di Balli D'arpicordo:
• 2 Picchi: Intavolatura di Balli D'arpicordo: I. Pass'e Mezzo 05:43
• 3 Picchi: Intavolatura di Balli D'arpicordo: II. Saltarello Del Pass'e Mezzo 01:15
• 4 Picchi: Intavolatura di Balli D'arpicordo: III. Ballo Ditto Il Pichi 02:03
• 5 Picchi: Intavolatura di Balli D'arpicordo: IV. Ballo Ditto Il Stefanin 02:16
• 6 Picchi: Intavolatura di Balli D'arpicordo: V. Ballo Alla Polacha 02:17
• 7 Picchi: Intavolatura di Balli D'arpicordo: Vi. Ballo Ongaro 02:35
• 8 Picchi: Intavolatura di Balli D'arpicordo: VII. Todescha 01:36
• 9 Picchi: Intavolatura di Balli D'arpicordo: VIII. Padoana Ditta La Ongara 01:21
• 10 Picchi: Intavolatura di Balli D'arpicordo: IX. L'ongara a Un'altro Modo 01:37
• Intavolatura D'organo:
• 11 Picchi: Intavolatura D'organo: I. Passe E Mezzo di Mg. Gio. Picchi 03:39
• 12 Picchi: Intavolatura D'organo: II. Passo E Mezzo di Giovan. Picchi 02:52
• 13 Picchi: Intavolatura D'organo: III. Saltarello Del Detto 01:27
• 14 Picchi: Intavolatura D'organo: IV. Passe E Mezzo Del Giovanni Picchi 04:50
• 15 Picchi: Intavolatura D'organo: V. Saltarello Del Detto Prima Parte 01:21
• Giovanni Picchi:
• 16 Picchi: Toccata Del Vi Tono 04:04
• 17 Picchi: Ricercare Del XII Tono 04:58
• 18 Picchi: Canzon À 4, Dita "La Bovia" 03:20
• 19 Picchi: Toccata I "Undecimo Detto Uinto Tono" 05:57
• 20 Picchi: Canzon Francese Detta Frais Et Gaillard 04:06
• 21 Picchi: Toccata 03:28
• 22 Picchi: Fuga Del IX Tono 02:35
• 23 Picchi: Ricercare Del VII E VIII Tono 02:57
• 24 Picchi: Canzon I Detta La Spiritata 02:42
• Total Runtime 01:13:38

Info for Picchi: Complete Harpsichord Music and Other Venetian Gems

The only complete survey available of the keyboard music written by a forward-looking contemporary of Monteverdi.

Giovanni Picchi (1572-1643) flourished in Venice, notably as the organist at the Scuola di San Rocco. He became renowned as a composer of both secular and sacred music, attested by his presence in the Nobiltà di dame by Fabrizio Caroso, the most important collection of dance music of the time. A collection of his canzone was published in 1625 and his fame spread to England, where a Toccata for harpsichord was transcribed within the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (of which Brilliant has recently released the first-ever complete recording, 95915).

Other important sources for his keyboard music include collections published in Venice in 1621 and an undated collection of intablatures (transcriptions and elaborations of music by other composers) which is now held in Turin. Together they amount to some of the most brilliant and appealing music for the harpsichord from 17th-century Italy. Picchi’s harmonic language was especially daring, and his flair as a performer is reflected in the style of his writing, which exploits the full range of the instrument.

In complement to Picchi’s work, Simone Stella has chosen other jewels from Venetian composers of the time: toccatas, ricercare and canzone by Annibale Padovano, Claudio Merulo, Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli and Vincenzo Bellavere. Bellavere is another neglected figure nowadays, but the Toccata recorded here is a gloriously ornate example of the genre, alternating intricate counterpoint with filigree decoration.

Giovanni Matteo Picchi was born in Venice, one of the most important musical centers of that time. A versatile musician, perfectly at ease in the practice of both secular and church music, Picchi lived and worked most of his life in Venice, and concentrated on performing on and composing for the keyboard, developing a musical practice closely linked to dance music, which enjoyed widespread popularity and a prestigious tradition in Venice.

In 1619, Picchi published Intavolatura di balli d’arpicordo, one of the rare collections of music for keyboard moulded on contemporary dance music. The majority of Picchi's dances are composed in pairs. Three of the four Passamezzos are followed by a Saltarello in triple meter. The short dances in duple meter (Ballo alla Polacha, Ballo Ongaro and the Todescha) conclude with either a balletto or saltarello in triple meter. The Padoana ditta la Ongara and the Ongara a un altro modo obviously form a single composition consisting of variations. Further to the keyboard music of Picchi this recording presents other keyboard works by Venetian masters: Padovano, Merulo, Gabrieli and Bellavere, a collection of Canzonas, Toccatas and Ricerares.

Played on the harpsichord by Simone Stella. With his earlier recordings for Brilliant Classics (Buxtehude, Böhm, Reincken, Walther, Pachelbel and many others), Simone Stella established his reputation as one of the foremost interpreters of Baroque keyboard music, receiving 5 star reviews in the international press.

"Walther, 94730: ‘A release of major importance… Emphatically recommended as indispensable to every collection of organ music." (Fanfare)

"Buxtehude, 94216: ‘Stella succeeds in capturing all the facets of Buxtehude’s universe." (Diapason)

Buxtehude, 94312: "Here we have an Italian eager to touch base with his inner Teuton, as Stella sets well-ordered lucidity above unfettered flamboyance." (BBC Music Magazine)

Froberger, 94740: "Stella’s achievement… is remarkable… The polyphonic pieces are played with commitment and virtuosity, while the harpsichord suites and tombeaux are played with excellent style and expression." (Choir and Organ)

Simone Stella, harpsichord

Simone Stella
Born in Florence in 1981, Simone Stella has been a pupil of harpsichordist Francesco Cera. He also studied organ with Mariella Mochi and Alessandro Albenga and organ improvisation with Fausto Caporali and Stefano Rattini. He has attended many courses and seminars held by international acclaimed artists, including Ton Koopman, Matteo Imbruno, Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini, Luca Scandali, Giancarlo Parodi, Stefano Innocenti, Klemens Schnorr, Ludger Lohmann, Michel Bouvard, Monika Henking and Guy Bovet.

Simone Stella is the winner of the 2nd and 3rd “Alessandro Esposito” Youth Organ Competition held in Lucca (2004-05), and the 1st “Agati-Tronci” International Organ Competition held in Pistoia (2008).

He has performed as soloist and in chamber groups in Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, USA and Brazil. His repertoire is devoted principally to the music for organ and harpsichord of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. A particularly interesting project was his live performance (2009-10) of the complete organ works by Dieterich Buxtehude in the historical Church of Orsanmichele in Florence.

Actually Stella is titular organist at the historical organs of the churches of SS. Annunziata and Badia Fiorentina in Florence.

He has recorded Handel’s harpsichord suites for OnClassical, the complete harpsichord and organ works of Dietrich Buxtehude, Georg Böhm and Johann Adam Reincken for Brilliant Classics and the complete harpsichord sonatas by Luigi Cherubini for Amadeus Rainbow

Active also as composer, Stella has published for the italian publisher Armelin.

Booklet for Picchi: Complete Harpsichord Music and Other Venetian Gems