Letizia Romiti - Bernardo Pasquini: Organ Works (2012)

This is the third CD from Tactus to feature the music of Bernardo Pasquini, one of the key figures in the musical life of 17th century Rome. The 14 pieces for organ that are presented here are performed by the highly regarded soloist Letizia Remiti.

After releasing a 12 CD set box dedicated to the published keyboard works of Girolamo Frescobaldi (TC580600), and a disc devoted to the composer Gregorio Strozzi performed by Elena Sartori (TC614401), Tactus has now returned to the music of Bernardo Pasquini, a composer to whom they have already dedicated two CDs. Pasquini was born in Massa Valdinievole (Lucca) in 1637 and died in Rome in 1710. He was organist at the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, and played harpsichord continuo in the opera house orchestra where Corelli was first violinist. Alongside his keyboard music he also wrote operas and directed concerts for Queen Christina of Sweden.

The 14 pieces for organ on this new album have mainly been chosen from original manuscripts in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin which are considered to be the most reliable source of Bernardo Pasquini’s output. They present a major new insight into the musical world of this great star of the second half of the 17th century Italian instrumental repertoire.