Gaetano Valerj, the composer, was an organist at Padua's cathedral.
Compositional Technique
The 12 Sonatas begin with a Caprice marked "Tutti li registri" (all registers) and conclude with a Fugue, where the choice of registers is left to the performer.
Historical Context
In 19th-century Italy, the organ repertoire continued to thrive, unlike in Germany where it declined after Bach, and often incorporated influences from opera.
Composition History
The 12 Sonatas by Gaetano Valerj were printed in 1785 and dedicated to "Her Excellency Signora Andrianna Bonfadini Cavalli."
Composer's Artistic Vision
Italian organists like Gaetano Valerj, the composer on this album, used the term "sonata" to mean a piece to be played without the dialectical implications of the Austro-German sonata form.
Compositional Technique
Valerj's Sonatas precisely indicate specific organ registers to be used, including the less-familiar Tromboncino, typical of the Venetian organ-making school.
Cultural Impact
Gaetano Valerj also composed an opera, "Il trionfo di Alessandro sopra se stesso," around 1800, and some of his organ works feature "band-like effects" possibly borrowed from melodrama.
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