Until now, any musician wishing to approach the early Italian organ repertoire with true competence faced the daunting task of consulting and synthesizing a vast array of sources. Thanks to the scholarly insight of Paolo Crivellaro, this immense body of knowledge has now been masterfully distilled into two volumes – an achievement of remarkable clarity, depth, and authority. Crivellaro also dispels a number of common misconceptions: that early Italian organs had only a few pedal notes, that the “ideal registration” for Frescobaldi’s Toccate per l’Elevazione should be with the Voce umana, to mention just a few of the most striking examples. A must-have for every professional organist’s library.
LORENZO GHIELMI

After his admirable publications on German and French organ literature, Paolo Crivellaro now succeeds, as never before, in gathering together all the primary sources on the interpretation of Italian organ music of the 16th and 17th centuries. The impressive scope of the work, the analytical synthesis, meticulous study of the sources, and scholarly rigor make these two volumes an indispensable and irreplaceable resource for anyone wishing to engage with this magnificent repertoire. A definitive compendium on treatises, instruments, and composers of the “golden age” of Italian organ music.
ANDREA MARCON

Paolo Crivellaro has assembled an impressive amount of historical material to elucidate the rich history of the Italian organ and its music. He has organized the material to help the reader trace the development of organ culture through different regions and periods, always providing the original sources, with excellent English translations. This work is essential for anyone interested in the early Italian organ and a godsend to English speakers!
KIMBERLY MARSHALL

This work plays a key role in dispelling long-standing misconceptions—such as the alleged absence of reed stops, chimney or à fusée flutes, extended pedalboards, and multiple manuals in Italian organ building—offering instead a nuanced and thoroughly documented perspective on its rich and varied traditions. Anyone interested in the Italian organ and its repertoire will find in Crivellaro’s work an invaluable resource—the fruit of decades of interpretative and organological research, presented with exemplary clarity and structure.
PIER DAMIANO PERETTI

1) The Italian classical school
General overview
The organ, King of Instruments
Role of the organist
Concerti fatti in organo

2) Sources
Tablatures, partbooks, open scores
For any type of instrument
Keyboard repertoire
Treatises

3) Repertoire for organ solo in the Catholic liturgy
Usage and restrictions
Organ and alternatim
Organ and Proprium Missae

4) Types of organ
Organ location
From Blockwerk to organ a la moderna
Organi doppi and organi ugnoli
Wooden organs and courts organs
Main types of organ cases

5) Characteristics of the organ
Keyboard
Pedalboard
Divided stops
Partecipata tuning, split chromatic keys and equal temperament
Organ pitch to suit choir and instruments

6) Classification of stops
Principale and Ripieno
Open flutes, flutes alla alemanna and stopped pipes
Tremoli, Fiffari, Voci umane
Reeds in the Italian tradition
Accessory stops

7) Organs and organ builders
Some significant instruments
Multi-manual organs
Master organ builders
Influences from across the Alps