Old Italian Organ Music: Organ Comb Bound Book

$8.99 USD

Old Italian Organ Music: Organ Comb Bound Book

Name: Old Italian Organ Music: Organ Comb Bound Book
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-K09773
Price: 8.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Gabrieli, Frescobaldi, and Others

Ed. Otto Gauss

Item: 00-K09773

$8.99

Shipped

One moment…

Gabrieli, Frescobaldi and others (Otto Gauss). The comb binding creates a lay-flat book that is perfect for study and performance.

Old Italian Organ Music: Organ Comb Bound Book isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.

Request This Title

Tell us you want it.

Start Your Free Trial

Explore everything that's ready to play right now.

No sample audio found.

No sample videos found.

Series: Kalmus Edition

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 32

UPC: 029156040920

SKU: 00-K09773

More about this title

About the Creator: Gabrieli, Frescobaldi, and others (edited by Otto Gauss)

Gabrieli and Frescobaldi shaped the sound of the Baroque organ across two generations. Giovanni Gabrieli (1557-1612) worked in Venice, where he composed grand, resonant pieces that showcased the organ's architectural presence in the basilica. Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643) followed in Rome, developing a more intricate, harpsichord-influenced style that demanded technical sophistication and interpretive flexibility from performers.

Otto Gauss assembled this collection to represent the range of Italian organ music during its most formative period. By grouping these masters together, Gauss highlights how differently two organists from neighboring regions approached the same instrument and how quickly organ repertoire evolved during the early Baroque.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

Frescobaldi's keyboard writing feels fresh every time you return to it, especially after spending time with the broader canvases Gabrieli commands. This collection captures a genuine turning point in organ music, when composers started asking what intricate passagework and rhetorical phrasing could accomplish on an instrument that could sustain sound indefinitely.

What to expect

Stately and ceremonial, with sudden moments of ornamental brilliance. The music holds the weight of the instrument itself while revealing the intellect and imagination of composers who understood counterpoint and rhetoric at the highest level.

Who it's for

Organists preparing for recitals or service music who want to move beyond the well-worn Bach and Buxtehude repertoire. Intermediate to advanced players will find substantial material here; the Frescobaldi works in particular demand secure technique and historical awareness.

How to get the most out of it

Approach registration as a compositional element rather than an afterthought. The original instruments had limited stops; knowing what was available in Venice versus Rome in the 1600s changes how you voice a phrase.
Let Frescobaldi's rapid figuration breathe. These passages sit between harpsichord technique and pure organ writing; rushing them sacrifices the clarity that makes the counterpoint audible.
Test the organ's reverberation in your rehearsal space early. The architectural acoustics matter more for this repertoire than most, and what works in a small practice room may need adjusting in a cathedral.

How to use it

Open a recital with a Gabrieli piece to establish the grandeur of the occasion, then move into Frescobaldi's more intimate world. These works also serve well as offertories or postludes in a liturgical setting, grounding the service in authentic historical practice.