Today’s Video
I recently came upon a Harmonium sample set for Hauptwerk. In trying this organ, I turned to a simple set of pieces in my collection written by Luigi Bottazzo. The score indicates the collection as being composed for the Harmonium. Today, we start with the first piece in the collection – the first Prelude in C major.
Luigi Bottazzo – La Santa Misa
I don’t remember where or when this score entered my collection. It is perhaps the easiest organ score by far of the thousands of pieces I have.
Some background on the source music: My score is part of a Spanish library, the Biblioteca Orgánica. The publishing house is La Editorial de Música Boileau.
This edition is apparently first in a series of organ works from this publisher. The title indicates 20 pieces for the Harmonion (Veinte piezas para Armonio). The compositions are presented in groups of 4 under the categories Preludios, Ofertorios, Elevaciones, Comuniones, and Postludios.
The collection is suited for the Catholic Mass. I’ve used the edition on a few occasions when prep time during the week has been limited or just plain absent. While the pieces are written as single notes in each hand, they are easily harmonized, which is the approach I’ve taken to embellish them when played at a mass.
This piece comes in at just about one minute. As a prelude in a service setting, this is extremely short. While the video presents the piece as written, when I have played this as an actual prelude, I embellish the piece with harmonies, usually add an interlude and then recap the prelude with additional embellishment. This approach would give me a piece in the three to four minute range.
Video Link
Link to video: Luigi Bottazzo: La Santa Misa para Armonio – Prelude 1
The Dutch Harmonium of Kezdimartonfalva
As this collection of pieces is noted as being written for the Harmonium, finding a Dutch Harmonium that could be integrated in Hauptwerk proved useful. This organ is one of several free sets made available by T. Augustine at his website Augustine’s Virtual Organs.
The notes for this harmonium indicate it has been part of a Dutch parish and is by an unknown maker. It says “Boot Bodegraven”.
The Dutch Harmonium is available as a 24-bit sample set. The original compass of the manuals are 54 keys (C-f3), no pedal. The extended sample set similar to the originals and the pedal compass is extended to 30 keys.
For a harmonium, the specifications provide for about as rich of a registration selection as you will ever find. The complete specifications can be found via the following link at the source website:
Registration Specifications for the Dutch Harmonium
The Score for La Santa Misa by Luigi Bottazzo
I checked the publisher’s website for a current copy of the score La Santa Misa by Luigi Bottazzo. While they have several books available for sale with similar covers, the current editions available are listed as Numbers 2 through 4 in the series. The edition I have was there Number 1 edition and I do not see an edition description currently available for this particular score. So, if the score is of interest for purchase, this likely falls into the category of searching via eBay or related websites (until otherwise it might show up on IMSLP or be made available again by the publisher).
For related scores by Luigi Bottazzo that are available, you can click here to be directed to related scores at the publisher’s website.
The publisher’s website does show an edition of “La Santa Misa” Volume 1 by Luigi Bottazzo – however the picture shows different information than the link description, and the page count does not match my personal edition – so it is unclear if this offering is in fact, Volume 1 of La Santa Misa.