In 1899 won a competition announced by the magazine La tribune de St. Gervaise, in which jury were present Bordes, D’Indy, Guilmant, De la Tombelle. He composed works, symphonies, sacred music and for piano. He published various articles concerning theoretic and scientific arguments. Serie in re minore included in this anthology reveals a solid control of the counterpoint  as the last fugue and a remarkable melodic vein that sometimes shows the involvement of Foschini with the theatre.

Federico Caudana

Castiglione Torinese, December 4th 1878
San Mauro Torinese, July 29th 1963

After receiving his first musical rudiments at Oratorio Salesiano  di Torino – Valdocco from his teacher Giuseppe Dogliani, he was addressed to Conservatorio di Milano, where in 1907 he graduated in organ. In the same year, after winning an announced competition, he became first organist and kappelmeister in the Cathedral of Cremona, position that lasts all his life. Next to this activity, he was teacher of choral chant  and piano at Collegio Beata Vergine. Caudana’s name remains bounded to Carrara publishing house che printed many of his compositions, as Lauda Sion, Puer Natus in Bethlehem, Iste Confessor. We can also underline masses, cantatas, band compositions, theatrical works for young people and organ pieces as Mater Amabilis, that reveals the intimist aspect of the organ through the use of simple melodies with a polished harmonization. Caudana supported Movimento Ceciliano, which aim was that of purifying sacred music from theatrical contaminations.

Roberto Rosso

Palazzolo Vercellese, April 21st 1881
Torino, May 26th 1969)

After studying with the famous Remondi, he graduated in organ on 1910 and on 1912 in composition. His activity counts masses, cantatas, lieders with organ accompaniment , choirs and organ concerts. Padre Roberto Rosso was for many years organ player at Santuario di Sant’Antonio da Padova and concert performer in Italy and abroad. Pieces for organ, that himself performed in his concerts, reveal a spectacular use of the instrument tending to virtuosity, even in the use of pedal keyboard where are frequent long cadences rich in bravura. Pastoral Toccata “Ricordo di Lourdes” Op. 37 N.2 is based on a spare  theme performed with oboe at the beginning of the piece and followed by rhythmic and lyric moments.

Giuseppe Mosso

Santena, June 29th 1883
Torino, May 6th 1966

He studied at Liceo Musicale of Turin graduating in organ and choral chant (1909). After the conduction of the musical chapels in Calvi and Teano, on 1907 was invited in Monte Cassino in order to teach. Back in Turin on 1913 became organist at Basilica Metropolitana, director of musical studies at Istituto per Ciechi and he taught at Scuola Diocesana and at Real Collegio Carlo Alberto in Moncalieri. He wrote 300 compositions as motets, psalms, cantatas for orchestra and he died playing organ during a funeral. The intermezzo included in this collection presents a bold language rich in harmonic solutions.

Pietro Baima

Turin, January 26th 1872
Piobesi Torinese, June 14th 1958

Born in Turin on 1872, he became priest when he was 22 years old. Before arriving in Piobesi, he was vice curate in Castagneto Po and Favria. On December 20th 1903 he entered Natività di Maria Vergine Church in Piobesi, where he remained till death on 1958. He was an expert of sacred and profane music and he spent energies increasing chant, liturgy and instrumental performances. Organ player and director of choir, in 1914 established the male Schola Cantorum and in 1915 the female one, teaching them musical theory and chant. Composer, in 1912 and in 1941 published two texts of chants and lauds.

Ulisse Matthey

Turin, April 17th 1876
Loreto, July 6th 1947

After studying in Milan and Turin, he became student of Alexandre Guilmant in Paris. This experience shaped him and enlarged his organ vision and the way to play it thanks to his teacher and to life in French capital. It was fundamental his contribution to the development of Italian organ building. The most important evidence in this field was the great Tamburini organ at Conservatorio di Torino, on which Matthey performed many times. He was the first organ player performing under the direction of Arrigo Pedrollo with the Symphonic Orchestra of EIAR (1932). Marco Enrico Bossi wrote for him Fantasia Sinfonica Op.47 for organ and orchestra. Matthey performed in Italy, Europe and America. Between 1901 and 1923 was organ player at Santuario di Loreto, between 1923 and 1942 taught at Liceo Musicale di Torino and he returned to Loreto in 1942 till death in 1947. The Prelude In Memoriam reveals Matthey’s great passion for choral music, where voices plaiting has an elegant counterpoint that creates sonorities in an afterlife dimension.

Pietro Alessandro Yon

Settimo Vittone, August 8th 1886
Huntington, New York,November 22nd 1943

He was student of famous organ player of his time (Burbatti, Fumagalli, Remondi): he graduated in organ under the guide of Remigio Renzi and he was his assistant at Basilica di San Pietro from 1905 to 1907. The intense career allowed Yon performing in Europe and America: after that he moved to New York, where, with his brother Costantino, established a music school and became organ player and director of choir at St. Francis Xavier Church. From 1919 to 1921 came back to Italy and was nominated second organ player at Cappella Giulia: after the nominee in 1921 as honorary organist, he preferred come back to America obtaining the citizenship, where in 1926 was nominated organ player at St. Patrick Cathedral in New York. He wrote oratorios, masses and motets; the sonata Romantica is a piece of wide breath divided in three times (Introduzione Allegro – Adagio – Finale). This work is characterized by magnificence, variety of registers and sonority.