Massimo Gabba - Pietro Alessandro Yon: Complete Organ Music Vol. 2 (2017)

Pietro Alessandro Yon (Settimo Vittone, 1886 – Huntington, 1943) belongs to that group of organ players that contributed to free this instrument from its own habit of liturgical tool, but also making it with full rights a concert instrument. This thanks to the possibilities that late ‘800 America offered (and offers nowadays) both in economical term, sizes and instrumental versatility. The American organ is a synthesis of the different European school, technologically advanced and most of all conceived to entertained. Exactly from the half of the XIX century spreads the American virtuosic school, most of all thanks to the popular and didactic activity of European organ players – Guilmant, Bonnet, Lemare, Middleschulte – that exported the “modern” language. Thanks to their large number of American students and to the organ players that, from the old world migrated in search of job and success, America became a center of attraction for the organ music lovers, most of all for the numerous transcriptions from the most famous symphonic and chamber pages. In this context emerges the figure of Yon, who, from his native Piedmont, passing through Rome, where he was the Vatican organ player, arrives in America to become the first organ player of St. Patrick Cathedral in New York. This organ is currently one of the biggest in the world and it already was one of the most important of the new world. The entire organ production by Yon is practically conceived for these huge electric traction instruments, rich in effects and colors and it is always turned to a virtuosity much more musical than technical: the pieces proposed in this CD link the American entertainment to the singing themes (often so popular).