Friday 24 October, 9.30, p.m.
Church of São Martinho
João Santos, organ
Orquestra Clássica da Madeira
Norberto Gomes, artistic direction
The six organ concertos op. 4 by Handel were composed between 1735 and 1736 and were published in 1738. This combination of instruments (organ and orchestra) was in some sense initiated by Handel, and followed by many other composers to the present day. These concertos were intended to fill the intervals (Interludes) in oratorios presented at Covent Garden.
Michel Corrette had an important role in the establishment of the concerto form in France. A composer at the heard of the Enlightenment, synthesizing the French tradition but with a distinct Italianate element. The concertos for organ and orchestra, op. 26, were published in 1756, the result of his great admiration for Handel’s concertos. They were performed at his mansion, where he had an organ with six registers, for an audience of more than 40 people. These were weekly concerts in which Corrette promoted his work and also that of other, older, French composers such as Lully and Campra.
Though they were considered old-fashioned at the time, Haydn’s organ concertos show his youthful style of writing, already distinct in sonority and form from the baroque. From the brilliant fast movements to the lyrical adagios, andantes and largos, these concertos are unfailingly successful on account of their galante charm. Composed at a time of great development in the realm of keyboard instruments, they are comparable in importance those by Handel, but already looking towards the piano concertos of Mozart.
Weber wrote his Adagio und Rondo for an experimental instrument called the Harmonichord. This instrument was one of a number of attempts to fuse the sound of the piano and the violin, but had no great success. This is a work rarely played, but is s good way to finish this concert made up exclusively of works for organ and orchestra.
João Santos
Georg Friedrich Haendel (1785-1759)
Concerto for organ and orchestra in F major, Op. IV nº 4
Allegro
Andante
Adagio
Allegro
Michel Corrette (1707-1795)
Concerto no. 6 in D minor
[Allegro]
[Andante]
[Presto]
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Concerto for organ and orchestra in F major, Hob. XVIII:7
Moderato
Adagio
Allegro
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826)
Adagio and Rondo for harmonium and orchestra, Op. post. 15
Adagio molto
Allegretto
Participants
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João Santos studied sacred music at the School of Arts of the Portuguese Catholic University in Oporto, where he studied with Luca Antoniotti (organ), Eugénio Amorim (composition and choir conducting), Cesário Costa (orchestral conducting), Anselm Hartmann (Piano) and others. He has concentrated particularly on organ and composition, both in Portugal, having won the 2nd prize in the National Organ Competition of the Gregorian Institute of Lisbon (2007), and abroad, working with renowned organists such as T. Jellema, W. Zerer, M. Bouvard, J. Janssen, F. Espinasse, O. Latry, D. Roth, L. Scandali and others. He has participated in prestigious international organ competitions in Alkmaar, (Holland, 2007), Freiberg, (Germany, 2009) and Innsbruck (Austria, 2010). He performs regularly throughout Portugal and recently gave a solo recital at Westminster Cathedral in London. As a composer, his work Triptych for a cappella choir reached the finals of the Simon Carrington Chamber Singers Choral Composition Competition (USA). João Santos is the accompanist of the countertenor Luís Peças, with whom he performs regularly in concerts throughout Portugal and abroad, in France Switzerland, Brazil the USA, Belgium, the UK, Germany and Slovakia. He has directed the Coro Municipal Carlos Seixas (Coimbra) since it was founded, and is titular organist of the Cathedral of Leiria and the Sanctuary of Fátima. |
João Santos|
Originally founded as the Madeira Chamber Orchestra, in 1964 by Jorge Madeira Carneiro, the Classical Orchestra of Madeira is one of the oldest in the country still active. It is currently managed and organized by the Notas e Sinfonias Atlânticas Association (ANSA). During its existence, the COM has given concerts both in Portugal and abroad, notably in festivals in Madrid, Rome and Macau, the latter on the occasion of an Asian tour. In 1998, it recorded a CD with the violinist Zakhar Bron, and in 2005 a series of five CDs with Portuguese soloists, of works by Mozart, for EMI Classics. It has been directed by the titular conductors Zoltán Santa, Roberto Pérez and Rui Massena and guest conductors such as Gunther Arglebe, Silva Pereira, Fernando Eldoro, Merete Ellegaard, Paul Andreas Mahr, Manuel Ivo Cruz, Miguel Graça Moura, Álvaro Cassuto, Jaap Schröder, Luiz Isquierdo, Joana Carneiro, Cesário Costa, Paolo Olmi, Jean-Sébastian Béreau, Maurizio Dini Ciacci, Francesco La Vecchia and David Giménez. Having enjoyed 50 years of activity, the Classical Orchestra of Madeira is currently engaged on a daring artistic project providing a season rich in programmes from the classical, romantic and contemporary periods, in which various works will receive the world premières. During this season, the Orchestra will collaborate with artists such as Martin André, António Vitorino de Almeida, Ilya Grubert, Artur Pizzarro, Phillippe Entremont, Mário Laginha, Arno Piters, Allissa Margulis, Pedro Neves and many others. |
Orquestra Clássica da Madeira|
The Madeiran violinist Norberto Gomes began his musical studies at the Madeira Music Conservatory, with his sister Zita Gomes, with a study grant from the Gulbenkian Foundation. He has been awarded a number of national prizes, notably the First Prize, Higher Level – Soloist in the RDP Musicians Competition and the “Artistic Merit” medal of the Regional Government of Madeira. In 1989 he began a long period of study in the former USSR, continuously supported by the Regional Government of Madeira, where he had the opportunity to study with various teachers of renown, notably the distinguished violinist, musical critic and teacher A.N. Gorochov. He is the First Violinist and Artistic Director of the Classical Orchestra of Madeira. Norberto Gomes, who holds a number of academic titles, is Professor at the Madeira Conservatory - Professional School of Arts, where he is also Artistic Advisor to the Board. |
Norberto GomesNotes about the Organ
Church of São Martinho, Funchal
The oldest documental reference it has been possible to find concerning the existence of a pipe organ at the parish church of São Martinho goes back to 1806. According to a record set down by the treasurer of the Confraria de Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Fraternity of Our Lady of the Rosary), an organist was contracted in 1806 to tune the organ (ARM Confraria: 2), and there are other later records referring to maintenance work.
In the record of expenditure for the year 1862, to be found in the Accounts Book (1834-1877), the vicar José Rodrigues de Almada noted down the sum of 200,000 réis for payment of the new organ, specifying that 150,000 réis were contributed by the Benefice of the church; 40,000 réis was credited from the amount paid for the old organ and 10,000 réis was donated, thus making up the real price of the instrument (ARM Fábrica 1834-1877: 27).
From this source it has proved impossible to determine the conditions for its transport, or where it was acquired. What is certain is that in 1863 the organ was already in this church, for that year Father João G. de Noronha was contracted to tune the said instrument, receiving 2,000 réis for his work (ARM Fábrica 1834-1877: 28).
With the transfer of the parish to the newly consecrated church in 1918, the organ was then taken there, where it continued to function until 1934. According to the records found in the Accounts Book (1877-1954), the organ underwent successive maintenance works, the most expensive being in 1879 (a payment of 38,000 réis to Nuno Rodrigues) and, especially, in 1916, because it was very out of tune and had a number of technical problems (ARM Fábrica 1877-1954: 22-25v).
As an instrument to accompany and enhance divine worship, the organ of the church of São Martinho will have participated in various solemnities, and in the year 1917 there is a record in the Accounts Book of receipt of 10.700 réis “arising from the contribution of the organ to the festivities” (ARM Fábrica 1877-1954: 26).
Rregistration
Stop Diapason Bass (Sol1-si)
Stop Diapason Treble (dó1-fá3)
Principal
Flute
Dulciana