Marco Enrico Bossi
Marco Enrico Bossi (April 25, 1861, Salò – February 20, 1925) was an Italian organist, composer, improviser and pedagogue.
Life
Bossi was born in Salò, a town in the province of Brescia, Lombardy, into a family of musicians. His father, Pietro, was organist at Salò Cathedral, which has a one-manual organ built by Fratelli Serassi from 1865 (opus 684), which was restored in 2000/2001. He had two brothers, Costante Adolfo Bossi and Pietro Bossi.
He received his musical training at the Liceo Musicale in Bologna and the Milan Conservatory, where his teachers included Francesco Sangalli (piano), Amilcare Ponchielli (composition) and Polibio Fumagalli (organ).
In 1881, Bossi became director of music and organist at Como Cathedral. Nine years later, he was appointed as professor of organ and harmony at Naples Conservatory. In addition, he held directorships at conservatories in Venice (1895–1901), Bologna (1902–1911) and Rome (1916–1923), where he established and implemented the standards of organ studies that are still used in Italy today. His notable pupils included Giulio Bas, Giacomo Benvenuti, Giorgio Federico Ghedini, and Gian Francesco Malipiero. Throughout his career, Bossi made numerous international organ recital tours, which brought him in contact with well-known colleagues such as César Franck, Marcel Dupré, Alexandre Guilmant, Joseph Bonnet, Camille Saint-Saëns, Charles M. Courboin, and Karl Straube.
In November 1924, Bossi embarked on a recital tour to New York and Philadelphia, where he made important appearances at Wanamaker's department stores in New York and in Philadelphia, where he played the Wanamaker Organ, the world's largest pipe organ. Bossi died unexpectedly at sea while returning from the United States on February 20, 1925, and was interred at Como.
Compositions
Marco Enrico Bossi wrote more than 150 works for various genres (orchestra, five operas, oratorios, choral and chamber music, as well as pieces for piano and organ). His catalog of compositions is still largely unknown, except for his organ works. Andrea Macinanti is recording Marco Enrico Bossi's complete organ works for Tactus label.
Organ Solo
- Tempo di Suonata per Organo a Pieno Op. 3
- Ouverture per organo op. 3 no. 3
- Intermezzo Tragico op. 10
- Scherzo in F major op. 49:1
- Scherzo in G minor op. 49:2
- Impromptu à la Chopin Op. 49:3
- Inno Trionfale op. 53
- Res Severa Magnum Gaudium: Prima Suite di 4 pezzi per organo op. 54:
- Preludio
- Allegro moderato
- Corale
- Fuga
- 4 Pieces op. 59:
- Toccata
- Pastorale
- Meditazione
- Offertorio
- First Sonata in D minor op. 60
- Fuga sul tema Feda a Bach op. 62
- Fantaisie op. 64
- Marcia di Processione op. 68
- 6 Pieces op. 70:
- Prélude
- Musette
- Choral
- Scherzo
- Cantabile
- Alleluja Final
- Second Sonata op. 71
- Marche héroïque op. 72
- Siciliana E Giga, Op.73 (arrangement?)
- 3 Pieces op. 74:
- Preghiera
- Siciliana
- Offertorio
- Cantate Domino. Westminster Abbey - Hymne of Glory/Hymne de Gloire op. 76 for organ solo or organ and choirs
- Étude symphonique op. 78
- 3 Pieces op. 92:
- Chant du soir in F major
- Idylle in B major
- Allegretto in A-flat major
- 2 Pieces op. 94:
- Élevation in E-flat major
- Noël in G major
- Scherzo Opus 95
- 3 Pieces op. 97
- Andante con moto
- Aspiration
- Grand Chœur
- 5 Pieces op. 104:
- Entrée Pontificale in C major
- Ave Maria in F major
- Offertoire in D minor
- Résignationin G major
- Rédemption in C major
- Missa pro Sponso et Sponsa Opus 110
- Graduale
- Offertorio
- Communio
- [Savoya-Petrovich.] Marcia Nuziale/Hochzeits-Marsch op. 110 no. 4
- 5 Pieces op. 113:
- Offertorio
- Graduale
- Canzoncina a Maria Vergine
- In memoriam
- Laudate Dominum
- Thema und Variationen op. 115
- 10 Compositions for Organ op. 118:
- Preludio
- Fughetta
- Pastorale
- Angelus à 3
- Toccata di Concerto
- Melodia
- Invocazione
- Marcia festiva
- Intermezzo à 3
- Finale
- Pièce héroïque in D minor op. 128
- Concert Piece in C minor op. 130
- 5 Pieces in free style op. 132
- Legende in D-flat major
- Trauerzug in B-flat minor
- Ländliche Szene in D major
- Stunde der Weihe in B major
- Stunde der Freude in C major
- Improvisation op. 134 no. 2
- 3 Momenti francescani op. 140:
- Fervore
- Colloquio colle rondini
- Beatitudine
- Triptico ... Op. 142
- Meditazione in una Cattedrale op. 144
- 2 Morceaux caractéristiques without opus:
- Preghiera. Fatemi la grazia in E major
- Marcia dei Bardi in A-flat major
- Intermezzo lirico in A-flat major without opus
- Flora mistica without opus
- Postludio in E minor without opus
- Ave Maria without opus
- Scherzo (terzo tempo della Sinfonia tematica) without opus
- Rapsodia without opus
Organ with other instruments
- Ave Maria [#1] Op. 50, organ, voice & violin
- Siciliana E Giga, Op.73
- Adagio in A-flat major op. 84 for Violin and Organ
- Concerto for organ op. 100
- 1st version in B-flat minor with large orchestra
- 2nd version in A minor with four horns, timpani and string orchestra
- Entrata Pontificale opus 104 no. 1 for two organs
- Benediction nuptiale for cello & organ, Op. 111/1 (1897)
- Concert Piece in C minor op. 130 for Organ and Orchestra
- Epousailles - Sposalizio op. 134:1
- Méditation Réligieuse (violino, vioncello, arpa e organo)
- Fantasia Sinfonica for organ & orchestra, Op.147
Chamber music
- Sonata No. 1 in E minor for violin and piano
- Romance in A♭ major for cello or viola and piano, op. 89 (1894)
- Four Pieces in the Form of a Suite for violin and piano, op. 99
- Trio in D minor for violin, cello and piano, op. 107
- 3 Feuillets d'album for cello and piano, op. 111
- Sonata No. 2 in C major for violin and piano, op. 117
- Trio sinfonico in D major for violin, cello and piano, op. 123
- Il Canto dell'Anima for cello and piano (without opus)
- Improvviso for flute and piano (without opus)
- Santa Caterina da Siena, Poemetto for violin, string quartet, harp, celesta and organ (without opus)
Piano
- 7 Waltzes, Op.93 (for piano duet)
- 5 Morceaux op. 95 [opus # doubtful]
- 4 Pièces en forme d’une suite ancienne op. 103
- 4 Morceaux op. 109
- Album for the Young, op. 122
- Caresses
- Souvenir
- Scherzando
- Nocturne
- Babillage
- Gondoliera
- Valse charmante
- Berceuse
- Intermezzi goldoniani op. 127
- 6 Kinderstücke, Op.133
- Satire musicali without opus
- Papillons dorés ?without opus
Vocal and orchestra works
- Ouverture Sinfonica for orchestra in E major, Op. 1
- Salve Regina op. 8
- Siciliana e giga in stile antico for small orchestra, Op. 73 (1905); original version
- Missa pro defunctis, for chorus, Op. 83
- Dio siete buono op. 98
- The Blind op. 112: Lyric Scene for baritone, choir and orchestra
- In memoriam, No. 4, for chorus, Op. 113/4
- Canticum Canticorum op. 120: biblical cantata in three parts for baritone, soprano, choirs, orchestra and organ
- Il Paradiso perduto op. 125: sinfonic poem in one prologue and three parts for soloists, choir, orchestra and organ
- Suite in D minor, Op. 126 (timpani, percussion, harp, strings.)
- Intermezzi Goldoniani op. 127 for string orchestra
- Johanna d’Arc op. 135: a mystery in one prologue and three parts (12 images) for soloists, mixed choir, male choir, children's choirs (boys' and girls' parts), large orchestra and organ
- Il Viandante without opus: lyric drama
- Sanctus et Benedictus without opus for alto and organ
- A Raffaello divino without opus for mixed choir a capella
Sources
- Bossi, Marco Enrico (1885). "Ancora sulla questione degli organi". Gazetta Musicale di Milano, XL/34 (August 23), p. 203.
- Bossi, Marco Enrico & Tebaldini (eds.) (1893/97). Metodo teorico pratico per organo. Milan: Carisch.
- Cominetti, Ennio (1999). Marco Enrico Bossi. Sannicandro Garganico: Gioiosa Editrice.
- Mompellio, Federico (1952). Marco Enrico Bossi. Milan: Ulrico Hoepli.
- various pages on Amazon and sheetmusicplus.com.
External links
- Brief Biography of Enrico Bossi at the Naxos website
- Biographical Dictionary of the Organ | M. Enrico Bossi at www.organ-biography.info (Subscription required)
- Free scores by Marco Enrico Bossi at the International Music Score Library Project
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