Niccolò Valenti (1724-1792): Toccata all'Offertorio

Antegnati-Orgel (1636?) der Kirche S. Carlo in Brescia (via Hauptwerk) | English below! Biographische Angaben zu Niccolò Valenti sind schwer aufzuspüren. Geboren wurde er in Florenz am 10. Juni 1724. Seine Oper "La finta locandiera" wurde 1751 am Teatro del Cocomero in Florenz uraufgeführt. Das Manuskript einer 1773 bei der Accademia Filarmonica in Bologna eingereichten Komposition bezeichnet ihn als "Fiorentino", was seine Herkunft bezeichnen dürfte, aber wohl auch seinen damaligen Wohnort. Valenti hatte offenbar die Angewohnheit, seine Werke exakt zu datieren. Ein Manuskript in der Biblioteca della Musica in Bologna mit dem Titel "Elementi di contrappunto" (es enthält anscheinend eine größere Anzahl an Instrumental- und Vokalkompositionen) trägt den Vermerk "A dí 23 Mag.o [Maggio] 1746". Es ist dieses Manuskript, das sein Geburtsdatum wie auch seinen mutmaßlichen Geburtsort nennt; laut Katalog der Bibliothek ist es ein Autograph.
Das hier zu hörende Stück gehört zu einer zweiteiligen "Sonata per l'organo" (den anderen Satz, eine Elevazione, habe ich bereits früher eingespielt und hochgeladen: • Niccolò Valenti (1724-... ). Datiert ist die Sonata im selben Stil wie das Manuskript in Bologna ("a dí 15 Novb 1787"). Die im Video zu sehende eigenhändige Abschrift des Komponisten stammt aus der Sammlung Ricasoli, die die University of Louisville in Kentucky in den 1980er Jahren von einem Händler in Florenz erwarb. Die Ricasoli sind ein Florentiner Adelsgeschlecht; die Sammlung enthält nach Angabe der Universität Notenwerke von Musikern, die mit diversen Zweigen der Familie in Verbindung standen, aus der Zeit zwischen 1750 und 1860. Das Stück ist in einer neu gesetzten Ausgabe auf imslp.com zu finden, sowie in einer von Maurizio Machella herausgegebenen Druckausgabe der erhaltenen Orgelwerke von Valenti.
a_osiander(at)gmx.net . andreas-osiande... . / andreas.osiander
Biographical data about Niccolò Valenti are somewhat scarce. He was born in Florence on 10 June 1724. In 1751 his opera "La finta locandiera" was premiered at the Teatro del Cocomero in Florence. The manuscript of a composition submitted to the Accademia Filarmonica at Bologna in 1773 describes him as "Fiorentino", which may merely indicate his birthplace but probably means that he continued to reside in Florence. He seems to have been in the habit of dating his output precisely. A manuscript in the Biblioteca della Musica at Bologna entitled "Elementi di contrappunto" (and apparently containing quite a large number of both instrumental and choral works) is inscribed "A dí 23 Mag.o [Maggio] 1746". It is this manuscript that also gives the date and (probably) place of the composer's birth; the library catalogue describes it as an autograph.
The piece recorded here belongs to a two-part "Sonata per l'organo" (the other movement being an Elevazione, which I uploaded previously: • Niccolò Valenti (1724-... ). It is dated in the same format as the Bologna manuscript ("a dí 15 Novb 1787"). The autograph manuscript displayed in the video forms part of the Ricasoli Collection, acquired, from a seller in Florence, by the University of Louisville (Kentucky) in the 1980s. The Ricasoli were a noble family in Florence, and this collection according to the information given by the university contains scores assembled by musicians associated with various branches of the family between about 1750 and 1860. A modern score of this piece is available on imslp.com; there is a printed edition of this and the other extant organ works by Valenti edited by Maurizio Machella.

[@MarcusReeves]

A lively and enjoyable piece of 'galant' music. I enjoyed your video presentation too. Thank you.

[@einervonweitem]

Many thanks for your kind comment Marcus. I'm glad you liked the video!

[@The-Organised-Pianist]

Thank you for this bright & likeable music. I think I need to hear the other piece mentioned in the notes!

[@einervonweitem]

Thank you Jet -- "bright and likeable" hits the nail on the head! I note you have already listened to the Elevazione as well. Valenti is good and I can see myself uploading more pieces by him. But between uploading the two parts of this sonata almost ten years have passed! Unbelievable. I always meant to do the Toccata and it took almost ten years. At this rate... *sigh*. So much music, so little time.

[@The-Organised-Pianist]

@@einervonweitem Yes, that was a good one too! Ah yes, I know the feeling. Just be happy to fill each available moment with music, Andreas & you'll be fine! (And we'll be entertained.) 😁