Seven centuries of organ history, a musical tradition that has shaped European history, and the liturgical needs of a cathedral that is also one of the most delicate monuments in the world. This complexity gave rise to the project for the new organ at St. Mark\u2019s Basilica in Venice, commissioned by the Procuratoria to the firms Johannes Klais Orgelbau of Bonn and Francesco Zanin of Codroipo, based on the design by Maestro Alvise Mason, the cathedral\u2019s principal organist, a native of Chirignago. Work is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2028, the year marking the 1,200th anniversary of the arrival in Venice of the relics of the evangelist Mark. A conference is scheduled for Friday at Sant\u2019Apollonia to provide an update on the project. <\/p>\n
Maestro Mason, how did the need for a new organ at St. Mark\u2019s arise? What will change? <\/strong> Why does the project require such a comprehensive vision?<\/strong> What are the main features of the project?<\/strong> Why was an international commission established?<\/strong> What will be presented at the conference on Friday, October 16?<\/strong> Seven centuries of organ history, a musical tradition that has shaped European history, and the liturgical needs of a cathedral that is also one of the most delicate monuments in the world. This complexity gave rise to the project for the new organ at St. Mark\u2019s Basilica in Venice, commissioned by the Procuratoria to the firms Johannes Klais Orgelbau of Bonn and Francesco Zanin of Codroipo, based on the design by Maestro Alvise Mason, the cathedral\u2019s principal organist, a native of Chirignago. Work is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2028, the year marking the 1,200th anniversary of the arrival in Venice of the relics of the evangelist Mark. A conference is scheduled for Friday at Sant\u2019Apollonia to provide an update on the project. <\/p>\n Maestro Mason, how did the need for a new organ at St. Mark\u2019s arise? What will change? <\/strong> Why does the project require such a comprehensive vision?<\/strong> What are the main features of the project?<\/strong> Why was an international commission established?<\/strong> What will be presented at the conference on Friday, October 16?<\/strong>
\nThe idea for a new organ at St. Mark\u2019s has deep roots in the past. Already in recent decades, on several occasions, the Basilica and its organists have sought a solution that would define and clarify the role of the organ and the organist at St. Mark\u2019s, particularly in light of the Basilica\u2019s great musical and organ-playing tradition. The project arose from a twofold need: the need for a dignified and comprehensive accompaniment to the liturgy that meets the requirements of a cathedral, and the opportunity to perform the world\u2019s great organ repertoire in the Basilica, both during liturgical services and in concerts. The new organ will open the door to the possibility of performing a wide range of musical repertoire\u2014repertoire that cannot be performed in other churches but which St. Mark\u2019s Cathedral demands, mindful of its glorious heritage. It will offer a completely new acoustic experience. <\/p>\n
\nSt. Mark\u2019s is not just any basilica. It has seven centuries of organ history and about six centuries of history tied to its music chapel. The new instrument must strike a balance between these various phases. <\/p>\n
\nThe new organ will be divided into four sections: two main sections in the chancel and two secondary sections in the transept. The electronic transmission system will allow these sections to be \u201ccontrolled\u201d: this division of the organ will enable the sound to be distributed throughout the space, in harmony with the architecture, without compromising the Basilica\u2019s delicate mosaic work. A secondary console with two keyboards will also be available, intended for accompanying weekday services in the Chapel of Our Lady of Nicopeia. <\/p>\n
\nSince this project is no easy challenge, it was deemed appropriate to establish an international committee to support it, composed not only of myself but also of Martin Baker, former choirmaster of Westminster Catholic Cathedral in London; Winfried B\u00f6nig, principal organist of Cologne Cathedral; Jean-Baptiste Monnot, organist of the famous Cavaill\u00e9-Coll organ at Saint-Ouen Abbey in Rouen, and Michele Vannelli, choirmaster of the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna. Their experience and insights are also invaluable for understanding great historic organs. <\/p>\n
\nThe event, titled \u201cThe Sound of St. Mark\u2019s: Toward the Basilica\u2019s New Organs,\u201d will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Sant\u2019Apollonia Hall, next to the Cathedral. It will be an opportunity to showcase the progress of the work and explore the project in depth with those involved. Speakers will include organ builders Philipp Klais, Francesco Zanin, and Carlo Zanin; the day will also feature musicological presentations by Franco Rossi, Paolo Da Col, Luigi Collarile, and Matteo Malagoli, focusing on the history of the instruments, musical venues, tuning practices, and organ transformations of the late 19th century during the Perosi era. The day will conclude at 7:30 p.m. in the Basilica with the concert \u201cThe Legacy of Gabrieli,\u201d in which I will perform alongside cornettists Frithjof Smith and Gebhard David. A follow-up event is also planned for 2027, along with the future publication of the proceedings, to leave a musicological and historical record of this journey. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":22200,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2197],"tags":[3411,3410,3408,3412,3413,3414,3409,1999],"class_list":["post-22280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crux-en","tag-alvise-mason","tag-conference","tag-organ","tag-organist","tag-presentation","tag-sound","tag-st-marks-basilica-2","tag-venice"],"acf":{"categoria":[2197],"categoria_source":{"label":"Category","type":"taxonomy","formatted_value":[{"term_id":2197,"name":"Crux","slug":"crux-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2197,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":17,"filter":"raw"}]},"sottotitolo_h2":"The principal organist of St. Mark\u2019s Cathedral in Venice, a native of Chirignago, describes the project designed to transform the musical experience at St. Mark\u2019s: \u201cWe\u2019ll be able to perform a repertoire that was previously unthinkable, with an entirely new acoustic effect.\u201d","sottotitolo_h2_source":{"label":"Subtitle","type":"text","formatted_value":"The principal organist of St. Mark\u2019s Cathedral in Venice, a native of Chirignago, describes the project designed to transform the musical experience at St. Mark\u2019s: \u201cWe\u2019ll be able to perform a repertoire that was previously unthinkable, with an entirely new acoustic effect.\u201d"},"immagini_principale":{"ID":22200,"id":22200,"title":"organo 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centuries of organ history, a musical tradition that has shaped European history, and the liturgical needs of a cathedral that is also one of the most delicate monuments in the world. This complexity gave rise to the project for the new organ at St. Mark\u2019s Basilica in Venice, commissioned by the Procuratoria to the firms Johannes Klais Orgelbau of Bonn and Francesco Zanin of Codroipo, based on the design by Maestro Alvise Mason, the cathedral\u2019s principal organist, a native of Chirignago. Work is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2028, the year marking the 1,200th anniversary of the arrival in Venice of the relics of the evangelist Mark. A conference is scheduled for Friday at Sant\u2019Apollonia to provide an update on the project. \n\nMaestro Mason, how did the need for a new organ at St. Mark\u2019s arise? What will change? <\/strong>\nThe idea for a new organ at St. Mark\u2019s has deep roots in the past. Already in recent decades, on several occasions, the Basilica and its organists have sought a solution that would define and clarify the role of the organ and the organist at St. Mark\u2019s, particularly in light of the Basilica\u2019s great musical and organ-playing tradition. The project arose from a twofold need: the need for a dignified and comprehensive accompaniment to the liturgy that meets the requirements of a cathedral, and the opportunity to perform the world\u2019s great organ repertoire in the Basilica, both during liturgical services and in concerts. The new organ will open the door to the possibility of performing a wide range of musical repertoire\u2014repertoire that cannot be performed in other churches but which St. Mark\u2019s Cathedral demands, mindful of its glorious heritage. It will offer a completely new acoustic experience. \n\nWhy does the project require such a comprehensive vision?<\/strong>\nSt. Mark\u2019s is not just any basilica. It has seven centuries of organ history and about six centuries of history tied to its music chapel. The new instrument must strike a balance between these various phases. \n\nWhat are the main features of the project?<\/strong>\nThe new organ will be divided into four sections: two main sections in the chancel and two secondary sections in the transept. The electronic transmission system will allow these sections to be \u201ccontrolled\u201d: this division of the organ will enable the sound to be distributed throughout the space, in harmony with the architecture, without compromising the Basilica\u2019s delicate mosaic work. A secondary console with two keyboards will also be available, intended for accompanying weekday services in the Chapel of Our Lady of Nicopeia. \n\nWhy was an international commission established?<\/strong>\nSince this project is no easy challenge, it was deemed appropriate to establish an international committee to support it, composed not only of myself but also of Martin Baker, former choirmaster of Westminster Catholic Cathedral in London; Winfried B\u00f6nig, principal organist of Cologne Cathedral; Jean-Baptiste Monnot, organist of the famous Cavaill\u00e9-Coll organ at Saint-Ouen Abbey in Rouen, and Michele Vannelli, choirmaster of the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna. Their experience and insights are also invaluable for understanding great historic organs. \n\nWhat will be presented at the conference on Friday, October 16?<\/strong>\nThe event, titled \u201cThe Sound of St. Mark\u2019s: Toward the Basilica\u2019s New Organs,\u201d will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Sant\u2019Apollonia Hall, next to the Cathedral. It will be an opportunity to showcase the progress of the work and explore the project in depth with those involved. Speakers will include organ builders Philipp Klais, Francesco Zanin, and Carlo Zanin; the day will also feature musicological presentations by Franco Rossi, Paolo Da Col, Luigi Collarile, and Matteo Malagoli, focusing on the history of the instruments, musical venues, tuning practices, and organ transformations of the late 19th century during the Perosi era. The day will conclude at 7:30 p.m. in the Basilica with the concert \u201cThe Legacy of Gabrieli,\u201d in which I will perform alongside cornettists Frithjof Smith and Gebhard David. A follow-up event is also planned for 2027, along with the future publication of the proceedings, to leave a musicological and historical record of this journey. ","introduzione_source":{"label":"Introduction","type":"wysiwyg","formatted_value":"
\nThe idea for a new organ at St. Mark\u2019s has deep roots in the past. Already in recent decades, on several occasions, the Basilica and its organists have sought a solution that would define and clarify the role of the organ and the organist at St. Mark\u2019s, particularly in light of the Basilica\u2019s great musical and organ-playing tradition. The project arose from a twofold need: the need for a dignified and comprehensive accompaniment to the liturgy that meets the requirements of a cathedral, and the opportunity to perform the world\u2019s great organ repertoire in the Basilica, both during liturgical services and in concerts. The new organ will open the door to the possibility of performing a wide range of musical repertoire\u2014repertoire that cannot be performed in other churches but which St. Mark\u2019s Cathedral demands, mindful of its glorious heritage. It will offer a completely new acoustic experience. <\/p>\n
\nSt. Mark\u2019s is not just any basilica. It has seven centuries of organ history and about six centuries of history tied to its music chapel. The new instrument must strike a balance between these various phases. <\/p>\n
\nThe new organ will be divided into four sections: two main sections in the chancel and two secondary sections in the transept. The electronic transmission system will allow these sections to be \u201ccontrolled\u201d: this division of the organ will enable the sound to be distributed throughout the space, in harmony with the architecture, without compromising the Basilica\u2019s delicate mosaic work. A secondary console with two keyboards will also be available, intended for accompanying weekday services in the Chapel of Our Lady of Nicopeia. <\/p>\n
\nSince this project is no easy challenge, it was deemed appropriate to establish an international committee to support it, composed not only of myself but also of Martin Baker, former choirmaster of Westminster Catholic Cathedral in London; Winfried B\u00f6nig, principal organist of Cologne Cathedral; Jean-Baptiste Monnot, organist of the famous Cavaill\u00e9-Coll organ at Saint-Ouen Abbey in Rouen, and Michele Vannelli, choirmaster of the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna. Their experience and insights are also invaluable for understanding great historic organs. <\/p>\n
\nThe event, titled \u201cThe Sound of St. Mark\u2019s: Toward the Basilica\u2019s New Organs,\u201d will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Sant\u2019Apollonia Hall, next to the Cathedral. It will be an opportunity to showcase the progress of the work and explore the project in depth with those involved. Speakers will include organ builders Philipp Klais, Francesco Zanin, and Carlo Zanin; the day will also feature musicological presentations by Franco Rossi, Paolo Da Col, Luigi Collarile, and Matteo Malagoli, focusing on the history of the instruments, musical venues, tuning practices, and organ transformations of the late 19th century during the Perosi era. The day will conclude at 7:30 p.m. in the Basilica with the concert \u201cThe Legacy of Gabrieli,\u201d in which I will perform alongside cornettists Frithjof Smith and Gebhard David. A follow-up event is also planned for 2027, along with the future publication of the proceedings, to leave a musicological and historical record of this journey. <\/p>\n"},"paragrafi_articolo":null,"paragrafi_articolo_source":{"label":"Article Paragraphs","type":"repeater","formatted_value":false},"parole_chiave":[],"parole_chiave_source":{"label":"Keywords.","type":"taxonomy","formatted_value":false},"autore_esterno":"","autore_esterno_source":{"label":"Autore Esterno","type":"text","formatted_value":""}},"yoast_head":"\n