The Reform of Church Music in 19th-Century Italy

In 19th-century Italy, a powerful movement emerged to reform church music — one that sought to drive the theatrical, operatic style out of sacred spaces and rediscover a sound more fitting for prayer. Musicians and composers turned back to the Baroque, drawing inspiration from the pure, polyphonic traditions of masters like Frescobaldi and Palestrina.

At the same time, Italy’s distinctive organs — designed to emulate the drama of the opera house — proved a challenge for foreign performers. One famous story tells how Camille Saint-Saëns, during a concert in Milano, struggled to play Bach convincingly on such an instrument.

In 1881, the organ builder Merklin constructed a new, modern instrument in Rome, inaugurated by Filippo Capocci and Alexandre Guilmant. The performance delighted the Pope, marking a turning point in the history of Italian sacred music and organ building.

This episode is presented in French by Alessandro Urbano, who guides you through this fascinating chapter in Italy’s musical transformation.

Music by Girolamo Frescobaldi (Capriccio) and Marco Enrico Bossi (Scherzo & Étude symphonique).