Lorenzo Perosi
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Biography
Early years and education
Lorenzo Perosi was born at
In 1890, 18 years old and still a student, Perosi obtained his first professional post: organist and "teacher of the piano novices" at the
In 1894 Perosi went to Solesmes Abbey to study with the Gregorianists Dom André Mocquereau and Dom Joseph Pothier. The Renaissance polyphony he learned from Haberl, and the Gregorian chant he studied in Solesmes were the two pillars upon which the entire oeuvre of Perosi rested.
Years in Venice
From Imola, Perosi obtained a more important post, that of Maestro of the Cappella Marciana at San Marco's Basilica in Venice. This Venetian appointment resulted from the deep friendship between Perosi and Cardinal Giuseppe Sarto, then Patriarca di Venezia (Patriarch of Venice) but soon to be Pope Pius X. Sarto was a profound music-lover who was disturbed by the roughly hundred years (c.1800–1900) that Gregorian Chant was absent from the Church. A more operatic, entertaining style of music prevailed. Thus, Perosi found in Sarto not only a friend and kindred spirit, but also a staunch sponsor.
Perosi's Venetian appointment (1894) unleashed a torrent of music that lasted at least until 1907. He continued to compose prolifically until his death, but this 13-year period produced some of his most substantial work.
In 1895, Perosi became a priest, having been ordained by his good friend Cardinal Patriarch Sarto himself. Sarto and Perosi were friends with Luigi Orione, who was born in Tortona in 1872 like Perosi, and the three were also mutual inspirers.
Don Perosi was inspired by the later Pope Pius X also to infuse priestly sanctity into the music, and Perosi daily offered Mass and spent many hours in prayer.
Vatican appointment
In 1898, Cardinal Sarto used his influence with
Perosi remained Maestro Perpetuo until his death over 50 years later, in spite of interruptions in his directorship. After 1907, Perosi began to suffer more intensely from psychological and neurological problems, caused by his problematic (probably breech-) birth.[7] These afflictions reached their apex in 1922; many declared him "incurable." The composer did spend many months in comparative seclusion; some sources suggest he was briefly institutionalized,[3] although recent scholarship suggests that this was not the case, and that he did not change residence in 1922.[8] In fact, the very next year, 1923, Perosi had fully resumed his administrative and compositional activity; in the last decade of his life, he also maintained a busy conducting schedule.[9]
Compositions
According to biographer Graziella Merlatti, Perosi was the most prolific composer of sacred music of the 20th century.[10] According to musicologist Arturo Sacchetti's estimate, Perosi composed 3,000–4,000 works.[11] A great many still await publication; some have not yet been located. All of the sources mentioned in the bibliography agree that Perosi was the most influential composer of the Cecilian Movement.
Despite the relative obscurity of his name today, Perosi was a prominent member of the
In his day, Perosi was best known for his oratorios, large-scale works for chorus, soloists, and orchestra based on Latin texts. While the works can seem slow-paced today, at the time they were quite novel not only for their fusion of Renaissance polyphony, Gregorian chant, and lush, Verismo melodies and orchestrations, but also for Perosi's deep-seated faith in the words that he had set. The oratorio as a genre had been in decline in the preceding centuries, and Perosi's contributions to the canon brought him brief but significant international acclaim.[3]
In addition to the oratorios and masses for which he is best known, Perosi also wrote secular music—symphonic poems, chamber music, concertos, etc. In his youth, he also wrote pieces for organ.
Giacomo Puccini is quoted as saying that "There's more music in Perosi's head than in mine and Mascagni's put together."[14]
See also
List of major works
Oratorios
- La Passione di Cristo secondo S. Marco (1897)
- La Trasfigurazione di Cristo (1898)
- La Risurrezione di Lazzaro (1898)
- La Risurrezione di Cristo (1898)
- Il Natale del Redentore (1899)
- La Strage degli Innocenti (1900)
- Il Giudizio Universale (1904)
- Transitus Animae (1907)
Masses and mottetti
- Missa In Honorem Ss. Gervasii et Protasii (1895)
- Missa In Honorem Beati Ambrosii (1895)
- Missa "Te Deum Laudamus" (1897)
- Missa Eucharistica (1897)
- Missa [Prima] Pontificalis (1897)
- Messa da Requiem (1897)
- Missa a Tre Voci Maschili (Missa Cerviana) (1898)
- Missa "Benedicamus Domino" (1899)
- Missa Secunda Pontificalis (1906)
- Melodie Sacre (eight volumes) (1897–1904)
Perosi's successor
Perosi was succeeded as director of the Sistine Choir and Papal musician by his assistant, monsignor Domenico Bartolucci (born Borgo San Lorenzo, May 7, 1917 - 11 November 2013) in 1956, who remained at this post until 1997. Bartolucci, who was rehabilitated in 2006 under Pope Benedict XVI, was harshly critical of Perosi, whom he blamed for the deterioration of Church music.[15]
References
- ^ Le Journal des Débats (21 November 1899)
- ^ Massimo Bruni, Lorenzo Perosi (Tortona, 1972), p. 9.
- ^ a b c Waterhouse, John C.G. "Lorenzo Perosi." Grove music online, ed. L. Macy (accessed 20 December 2006). www.grovemusic.com.
- ^ In Mario Rinaldi's Lorenzo Perosi the correct date is given as December 21 (page 17 explains why that is correct).
- ^ Graziella Merlatti, Lorenzo Perosi, una vita tra genio e follia (Milan, 2006), p. 14
- ^ Letter from Perosi to Mons. Domenico Baruzzi, secretary to Bishop Tesorieri of Imola (13 September 1893). Riproduced in Onofri, pp. 39–40.
- ^ Rinaldi, Lorenzo Perosi, p. 20.
- ^ A lengthy discussion of Perosi's psychological health can be found in Ciampa, Don Lorenzo Perosi
- ^ Rinaldi, Lorenzo Perosi, pp. 374 ff.
- ^ Merlatti, Graziella (2006). Lorenzo Perosi, una vita tra genio e follia, Chapter 1.
- ^ Merlatti, Graziella (2006). Lorenzo Perosi, una vita tra genio e follia, Preface.
- ^ See Bassi. A chapter is devoted to quotations by the above-listed French composers pertinent to this premiere.
- ISBN 0-8369-1188-1.
- ^ Bassi, Adriano, Don Lorenzo Perosi: L'uomo, il compositore e il religioso (Fasano di Brindisi, 1994), p. 226
- ^ Magister, Sandro, "I Had a Dream: The Music of Palestrina and Gregory the Great Had Come Back"
Sources
Biographies
- Amadori, Andrea (1999). Lorenzo Perosi: Documenti e inediti. ISBN 88-7096-233-4.
- Bassi, Adriano (1994). Don Lorenzo Perosi: L'uomo, il compositore e il religioso. Schena. ISBN 88-7514-708-6.
- Bruni, Massimo (1972). Lorenzo Perosi.
- Ciampa, Leonardo (2006). Don Lorenzo Perosi. AuthorHouse. ISBN 1-4259-3440-4.
- Damerini, Adelmo (1953). Lorenzo Perosi.
- Glinski, Matteo (1953). Lorenzo Perosi.
- Hesse, Helmut (1981). Lorenzo Perosi. Sein Leben und seine Musik. Vol. Heft 5. Musica Sacra. pp. 343–349.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Merlatti, Graziella (2006). Lorenzo Perosi, una vita tra genio e follia. Àncora. ISBN 88-514-0330-9.
- Onofri, Teodoro (1977). Lorenzo Perosi nei giorni imolesi.
- Pagano, Sergio (1996). L'epistolario "vaticano" di Lorenzo Perosi (1867-1956). Marietti. ISBN 88-211-9120-6.
- Paglialunga, Arcangelo (1952). Lorenzo Perosi.
- Rinaldi, Mario (1967). Lorenzo Perosi. Rome.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Sanarica, Marino (1999). Lorenzo Perosi: coscienza e tradizione in un'anima musicale. Rimini. ISBN 88-8049-161-X.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link
External links
- Free scores by Lorenzo Perosi at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- Free scores by Lorenzo Perosi in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)