Intrecci per un Miserere

PROGRAMME

1. Lotti     (1667-1740)

Miserere in D minor for 4-voice choir

1. Leo       (1694-1744)

Miserere in C minor for solos, double choir for 8 voices, children’s choir and continuo

1. Jommelli    (1714-1774)

Miserere in D minor for solos, choir and continuo

For the European Day of Ancient Music, Monday 21 March at 20.30 in the Church of Santa Caterina da Siena in Naples, the Pietà de’ Turchini Foundation proposes the first performance in modern times of the first of Niccolò Jommelli’s “Miserere”, dated 1750. The concert includes two other intonations of the 50th psalm, which almost certainly inspired Jommelli: Antonio Lotti’s “Miserere in D minor”, which Jommelli most likely listened to during the Venetian period, and the “Miserere in C minor” from 1739 by Leonardo Leo, his teacher at the Conservatory of the Pietà de’ Turchini, whose use in Naples is testified up to 1920. The program, of great historical-musical suggestion and entirely dedicated to the psalm set to music and adopted in the liturgies of the Holy Week, is entitled “Intrecci per un Miserere”. It will be performed by the Pietà de’ Turchini Choir, conducted by Davide Troìa with Emanuele Cardi on the organ, the Children’s Choir of San Rocco at its debut, and the extraordinary participation of the Cantori del Miserere of Sessa Aurunca (Caserta), guardian of an ancient vocal tradition of the “miserere”, nominated for the Unesco heritage. Introduced by Michael Pauser, the German musicologist who inspired the program and oversaw the revision of the scores. “Intrecci per un Miserere” will be streamed on the remaradio.eu platform as part of the fourth edition of the Day promoted by Rema (European Early Music Network) together with ambassador René Jacobs. This year’s edition is dedicated  to the memory of Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

Emanuele Cardi was born in Naples in 1973. He graduated with honors in Organ and Organ Composition after four years of studying with Wijnand van de Pol at the F. Morlacchi Conservatory of Perugia where he also obtained, with honors, the Academic Diploma of 2nd level. Later he graduated in Choral Music and Conducting Choir, Piano and Harpsichord.

Interested in the difficulties of restoration of ancient organs and performance practice, he has been running specific studies on Neapolitan music and organ-making for several years. He writes articles for specialized magazines on several occasions, participates in conferences as a speaker and carries out consultancy work in the field of the recovery of historical organs and the creation of new instruments. He also holds summer courses and masterclasses on Renaissance and Baroque organ music, and is often a member of the jury in international organ competitions.

Guest of some of the most prestigious musical institutions in the world, he carries out an intense concert activity in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France Germany, England Ireland, Norway, Holland, Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Hungary, Russia, United States, Brazil and Uruguay, playing some of the best known instruments including those of St. Thomas in New York, San Francisco (USA), Passau cathedrals, Friborg, Fulda, Munich, Bonn (Germany) Lausanne (Switzerland) London, Edinburgh, Brussels, Copenhagen, Turku (Finland), Lund (Sweden), Oliwa (Poland) and Moscow.

He has played in the main Russian concert institutions including the St. Petersburg, Ufa, Kazan, Ekaterinburg, Perm, Krasnoyarsk, Tomsk, Kemerovo philharmonics , up to Irkutsk. He has also played numerous inaugural concerts, including that of the great organ of the Clonard Monastery in Belfast and of the First Unitarian Church in Worcester (MA) in the United States.  He is professor of Organ and Organ Composition at the “S. Giacomantonio” Conservatory in Cosenza. He regularly records for the record companies “La Bottega Discantica” (Milan), “Priory Records” (London) and “Brilliant Classics” (Holland) whose recent recording, Neapolitan Organ Music, was awarded 5 stars by the “Music” magazine.

Since 2012 he has been a member of the artistic committee of the “Pietà de’ Turchini Foundation – Early Music Centre” – on behalf of which he is also tutor of the “Ensemble Giovanile della Pietà de’Turchini” project.

Davide Troìa  graduated in Choral Music and Choral Direction, Composition, Piano, Band Instrumentation Band at the S.Pietro a Majella Conservatory in Naples and in Singing at the A. Boito Conservatory in Parma.

He attended the two-year specialization course in Choir Conducting with Norbert Balasch at the National Academy of S. Cecilia in Rome; courses of Choir Conducting with G. Acciai; courses on contemporary choral music with B. Zanolini, G. Hollerung, G. Graden. After graduating as a baritone, he began studying ancient vocality as a countertenor under the guidance of Claudio Cavina; interested in philology and performance practice, he attended numerous seminars on vocality and early music with C. Cavina, G. Banditelli, C. Ansermet, R. Invernizzi, A. Florio, and at the Civic School of Music in Milan with R. Gini and C. Miatello.

He is the founder and director, since 1990, of the “Exsultate Deo” Polyphonic Choir, of Naples.

He has received numerous awards including: the absolute 1st prize at the 4th Edition of the National Competition for Polyphonic Choirs “Mutterle Prize”; 2nd prize at the 8th Edition of TIM ( International Music Tournament); 2nd prize (1st prize not awarded) at the 2nd Edition of the “San Bartolomeo”; 1st prize at the 1st edition of the “Eburum Prize” National Competition; he has participated in numerous national and international festivals including: Ascoli Piceno-Festival ’99, 9th musical season “Itinerari vocali” of Arezzo, 40th and 49th Lauretana International Festival of Sacred Music of Loreto (An), Jesi Festival in the 3rd centenary of Pergolesi’s birth, Troisième Printemps Musical International de Saint_Martin de Crau.

He leads the Chamber Choir and Children’s Choir of the Pietà de’ Turchini Centre for Early Music of Naples, with which he carries out important projects, transcriptions and first performances of choral works of the Neapolitan school of the’ 700, but also world premiere of contemporary performances produced by the Centre.

He has made numerous elaborations for choir and has overseen the revision of choral works by various authors including F. Grazioli, G. Sigismondo, C. Lenzi.

His repertoire has always included compositions of rare execution and works by contemporary authors, with world premiere performances in important festivals and concert seasons (C. Cotumacci, G. Russo, G. Panariello, G. Vessicchio).

He collaborated with Maestro Roberto De Simone in some of his works (“Quem vidistis pastores”, “Festa di Requiem”, “Dedicato a Giulia Di Caro”), with the Choral Scholars and actively collaborates as choir master with Maestro Peppe Vessicchio .

Alongside his activity as conductor, he is also countertenor, carrying out solo activities, in duo with the organist Emanuele Cardi and in various madrigal groups.

He recorded for Vatican Radio and for the RAI of Naples.

He holds the role of juror in Choral Execution and Composition competitions.

He has always carried out an intense didactic activity, frequently holding courses in Vocalism and Choir Direction for various choral associations. Since 2007 he has been teaching Choir Direction and Choral Composition at the “L. Canepa ”of Sassari.

The Pietà de’ Turchini Choir

Was established in 2013 from the “Liberi di Cantare” project, for the enhancement of the Church of San Rocco in Chiaia. The choir gathers 40 members and is entrusted to the direction of Davide Troìa.

The repertoire explored is very vast:

sacred, profane and popular, a cappella and with instruments, from the Renaissance to the Contemporary. Participation in the Choir is open to all and takes place through periodic auditions, its main objective is to approach music and concert activity in a joyful way. In little more than two years of activity, the Choir, has already completed several projects and performed concerts for the Early Music Centre season and for other festivals in Campania.

Sopranos: Antonella Venditti, Lia Scognamiglio*, Maria Pia Prisco, Maria Teresa Cataldi, Valentina Scepi, Fabrizia Spada, Graziella D’Acierno, Renata Greco, Rosa Andreone*, Rosanna Sodano*

Altos: Carla Ranavolo, Elena Vellusi, Marilia Tortora, Paola Ciranni, Tiziana De Bellis*, Antonella Ausanio*, Daniela Candreva, Eleonora Brescia, Gabriella Sisillo, Marina Vagnoni

Tenors: Fulvio Acciavatti, Giovanna La Fianza, Leopoldo Punziano*, Lucia Pariante, Salvatore Morelli, Daniela Esposito, Gabriella Valente, Roberto Franco, Stefano Sorrentino*

Bassos: Enzo Bucciero, Giuseppe Alaimo, Giuseppe Di Prisco, Stefano Di Fraia, Sergio Petrarca, Antonio Braccolino, Carlo Calabrò, Claudio Ciliberti, Vincenzo Vasca

Children’s Choir of San Rocco

Was established in 2015 from the “Liberi di Cantare” project, for the enhancement of the Church of San Rocco in Chiaia. The choir gathers 20 children aged between 6 and 10, and is entrusted to the direction of Davide Troìa.

Voices: Ada Del Vasto, Alessandro Varchetta, Antonia Scivittaro, Claudia Fiorillo, Clorinda Bianco, Fabrizio Tufo, Federica Fedele, Gennaro Lupo, Francesco Lupo, Giulia Migliaccio, Ilaria Imbimbo, Lorenza Zampaglione, Marco Cristofaro, Mario Anri Como, Rossella Setola, Mariavittoria Bernardo, Walter Bazzicalupo, Kendra Bazzicalupo, Zoe Berisio.

I Cantori del Miserere di Sessa Aurunca

Established in 1992 by Emilio Galletta, the group of “I cantori del Miserere” was born from the desire to make known the song of the Miserere, performed by a choir of three equal voices on the verse of Psalm 50 by David only in the Lenten period. But also other musical expressions of popular religiosity that are the heritage of the Aurunca land. Consists exclusively of confreres of the “Arciconfraternita del SS.Crocifisso e Monte dei Morti” of Sessa Aurunca (guardian of ancient vocal polyphonic traditions), it has received immediate interest in Italy and abroad. The current members of the “trio” are Domenico Cresce (1st voice), Giovanni Loffredo (2nd voice) Vincenzo Calenzo (3rd voice). They have performed in important international festivals and have collaborated with important musicians and bands including Enzo Avitabile, Stefano Albarello.