rose

Charles Burney

The Present State of Music in France and Italy (2nd, corrected edition)

London: T. Becket and Co., 1773

Rome


prev [ 387 ] next

TOC

undertaken by Signor Casali, and the
permission soon obtained.

I was conducted into the great
organ-loft by Signor Colista, who did
me the favour to open the case, and to
shew me all the internal construction of
this famous instrument. It is a thirty-
two feet organ, and the largest in Rome.
It was first built in 1549; and has under-
gone two repairs since; the one in 1600,
by Luca Blasi Perugino; and a second, a
few years since, under the direction of the
present organist. It has thirty-six stops,
two set of keys, long eighths, an octave
below double F. and goes up to E. in
altissimo. It has likewise pedals; in the
use of which Signor Colista is very dex-
trous. His manner of playing this instru-
ment seems to be the true organ stile,
though his taste is rather ancient; in-
deed the organ stile seems to be better
preserved throughout Italy than it is
with us; as the harpsichord is not suffi-
ciently cultivated to encroach upon that

in-