Turrini / Barchi

12 Sonatas for Harpsichord Turrini / Barchi

"A blind man came to shed light on our darkness", thus said his contemporaries of Ferdinando Turrini (1745-1829). Blind and crippled on one hand he nevertheless played the keyboard beautifully: "One can only admire his boundless creativity, feeling, spirit and graceful articulation". Turrini held the important post of organist of the St. Giustina church in Padua, and he died in Brescia, lamented by his numerous students. Turrini's 12 Sonatas are written in two movements, one fast and lively, the other calm and meditative. Though rooted in the Galante Style they sometimes go beyond its restrictions, in terms of individual expression of emotions and technical complexities, prompting the great Gabriele d'Annunzio to draw comparisons with Beethoven.

Harpsichordist Michele Barchi was harpsichord player of Il Giardino Armonico, a member of the Lucerne Festival orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado and a sought-after soloist: he recorded Bach solo keyboard works for Teldec.