Rosana Orsini

Rosana Orsini performs regularly in prestigious festivals, theatres and concert halls in Brazil, the USA, Panama, Portugal, Spain, the UK, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Italy. She is graduate in lyric singing from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, has a masters in singing from the Manhattan School of Music de Nova York, a post-graduate degree in singing from the Royal Academy of Music in London and a masters in modern and contemporary history from the Paris IV University – Sorbonne, and received her doctorate in modern and contemporary history from the Paris IV University – Sorbonne and in musicology from the Universidade Nova in Lisbon, and is a researcher at CESEM, Universidade Nova, Lisbon. In the field of early music, she specialized in baroque performance practices at the Conservatorio di San Pietro a Majella in Naples, under the direction of Antonio Florio, and the Curso Internacional de Interpretación Vocal Barroca in León, under the direction of Eduardo López Banzo. She has performed with various groups specializing in the historical performance of early music such as the Esprit Ensemble, National Gallery of Art Chamber Players, Il Combattimento, Scarlatti Lab, Cuarteto Alicerce and Favola d’Argo. She was the artistic director of the productions of Il Ballo delle Ingrate by Claudio Monteverdi and Vendado es amor, no es ciego by José de Nebra at the Festival Internacional de Música Antiga e Música Colonial Brasileira in Juiz de Fora.

Marco Brescia

Marco Brescia began his organ studies with José Luis González Uriol as part of the Daroca International Early Music Courses. In 2013, he finished his masters in performance of early music/historical organ at the Higher School of Music of Catalonia, under the direction of Javier Artigas, earning the “Matrícula de Honor”. In the same year, he defended his doctoral thesis in organology at the University of Paris IV – Sorbonne and the Universidade Nova, Lisbon, earning the highest grade, “très honorable à l’unanimité”. As a performer, Marco Brescia is regularly invited to prestigious international festivals and concert series in Europe and the Americas, having collaborated with renowned groups and soloists such as Marco Beasley, Ministriles de Marsias, Real Filharmonía de Galicia and Il Combattimento. Since 2006 he has worked with the soprano Rosana Orsini as an acclaimed duo. He was the technical coordinator for the critical restoration of the historic Almeida e Silva organ in Diamantina (1787). He is a member of the Commission for Historical Organs of the Azores and of the scientific committee for the restoration of the historic organ of the National Palace of Queluz. His work in the protection and recuperation of historic organs in Brazil was acknowledged with the President Juscelino Kubitschek Medal of Honour. His discography includes Angels and Mermaids (Arkhé Music, 2016), with Rosana Orsini, and Zipoli in Diamantina (Paraty, 2019).

Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Machico

In the historical documentation from before the 20th century there are references to two instruments: according to historical tradition, one was given to the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição in 1499 by King Manuel, and another acquired in 1746. As regards the Manueline organ, we may deduce that it was placed within the archway above the choirstalls on the Gospel side of the sanctuary. In the 18th century, the state of this instrument must have left much to be desired, leading to the acquisition of the second instrument in 1746. The organ arrived in Madeira in 1752, with the Council of the Treasury initially contributing the cost of purchase and later the installation costs.

The recent restoration undertaken by Dinarte Machado was done with the principal objective of returning as far as possible it to its original constitution, in accordance with indications to be gleened from the pieces of the instrument during its dismantling. Thus, the restoration always proceeded from a philosophy of taking into account the specificities of the original pieces, from the configuration of the case and its polychrome decoration, to the way the registration, pipework, bellows-work and even its placement - in the sanctuary - were returned to how they were originally. As regards the composition of the stops, the split keyboard, with the reed stop in the right hand, which the organ indicated was an original feature, which indeed characterised the instrument. The original keyboard, which was found piled in a heap, and which it was possible to repair and reassemble retains the short octave, as was usual at this period. The new pipework was completed with great rigour in accordance with the characteristics of the few original pipes that had survived, compared with the actual indications and dimensions of the windchest, which was also studied and recorded in great detail.

There can be no doubt that this is one of the loveliest organs on the island of Madeira. It is one of the instruments that conserves some of the most typical features of Portuguese organ building in the 17th century. It should be stressed that the restoration work carried out on this instrument required study of considerable documentation, as well as comparison with other instruments of the period. Since no other instruments of this kind are to be found in Portugal, recourse was had to instruments from other countries for the necessary data.

Manual (C, D, E, F, G, A-c’’’)
Flautado de 12 palmos (8’)
Flautado de 6 palmos (4’)
Flauta doce
Dozena (2 2/3’)
Voz humana (c#’-c’’’)
Quinzena (2’)
Composta de 19ª e 22ª
Sesquialtera II (c#’-c’’’)
Clarim* (c#’-c’’’)

* horizontal reeds