Rossini: Preludio Religioso for harmonium from Petite Messe Solennelle

More about Performer, Artis Whodehouse: www.artiswodeho...
Live performance by Artis Wodehouse 10/11/12 of the Preludio Religioso (Offertory) of Rossini's 1864 Petite Messe Solennelle on her 1902 Mustel Art Harmonium. The concert was held at St. Peter's Church in NYC and sponsored by Gotham Early Music Scene. The Mustel Art Harmonium is dated 1902 and was completely restored by Louis Huivenaar of the Netherlands.
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Gioachino Rossini's Petite messe solennelle was written in 1863 and described by the composer as "the last of my péchés de vieillesse" (sins of old age).
The witty composer, who produced little for public hearing during his long retirement at Passy, prefaced his mass-characterized, apocryphally by Napoleon III, as neither little nor solemn, nor particularly liturgical-with the words:
"Good God-behold completed this poor little Mass-is it indeed sacred music [la musique sacrée] that I have just written, or merely some damned music [la sacré musique]? You know well, I was born for comic opera. Little science, a little heart, that is all. So may you be blessed, and grant me Paradise!"
-------Courtesy Wikipedia

[@MarcoRoepers]

very beautiful indeed. Thank you for playing and showing.

[@sergiromero5620]

FROM CATALONIA: Barcelona. Amazing! WOW!!!!

[@hellowwolleh3437]

Impressionant!

[@sergiromero5620]

amazing

[@tormus1]

Lovely!

[@andre26071955]

Beatifully played on a period instrument! For me the only alternative is a historic Erard or Pleyel Grand Piano...

[@forods5986]

amazing!!!!

[@forods5986]

WOW!!!

[@laurapascu4369]

Nice!!!!

[@danielleinad8434]

thank you!!!

[@danielleinad8434]

04:41 - Amazing.

[@forods5986]

Impresionant!

[@GerardvanR]

For me the dynamics are too harsh, too violent, too exaggerated. But perhaps I'm wrong and is it due to the recording and not to the foot work of the player.

[@federicosavio]

Absolutely agree. It is quite disturbing. Rossini did not want this, for me...

[@pepperco100]

Please, some kind person explain to me the difference between a reed organ and a harmonium?

[@ArtisWodehouse]

Nomenclature both in the USA during the 19th century and beyond was fluid. The principle behind all instruments of this type are sets of brass reeds made to sound by air flowing through a keyboard. The only clear distinction between the bewildering thousands of instruments manufactured is in the way the air was delivered to the keys to sound the notes: pressure (outward through the reeds) and suction (inward to the interior of the instrument). American makers used the suction method in building their instruments. European builders favored pressure, but there were even some European builders that also used the suction system (Mannborg, for instance.) European instruments were invariably described by their builders as "Harmoniums" (there were other terms, but too complex to cover here.) . When European manufacturers built suction instruments, they were were sometimes referred to as "American Harmoniums". American-built instruments were called both "harmoniums" and "reed organs" by their manufacturers. Summary: there neither was nor is a clear definition that fits neatly.

[@pepperco100]

@@ArtisWodehouse Thank you for your informative response!