Capriccio americano (sopra l’inno “How Firm a Foundation”) (2017)

Carlotta Ferrari (b. 1975) — Capriccio americano (sopra l’inno “How Firm a Foundation”) (2017) for organ

“Capriccio americano” (2017) was written for premiere on a small American organ: E. & G. G. Hook, Opus 177 in First Congregational Church in Kennebunkport, Maine. The Hook organ is, in the manner of many small American organs of its era, a single manual organ with a 13 note pedal board. This particular instrument is an especially beautiful example of an unaltered organ by the greatest American builders of the 19th century. It is especially well suited to its home in the small church sanctuary. The capriccio is based on the beloved American hymn tune FOUNDATION, usually paired with the text “How Firm a Foundation.”

Carlotta Ferrari (b. 1975) is an Italian composer. Educated at the Conservatory in Milan, she has composed in many genres, developing a personal language that is concerned with the blend of past and present. Her compositions have been performed frequently around the world. Ferrari’s music appears on several CD recordings, including five all-Ferrari organ CDs: three recorded by Carson Cooman (2014/16) and two by Peter Clark (2015/16). She served as chair of music composition at Hebei Normal University in Shijiazhuang, China and is currently professor of music composition at the European School of Economics in Florence, Italy.