VIRTUAL ITALIAN ORGANS
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET DI ORGANI ITALIANI wishes all readers a good and holy Christmas of the Lord.
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET DI ORGANI ITALIANI is pleased to announce the release of the first multichannel sample set of a harpsichord: it is the Marioni/Rückers already available in the catalog in the appreciated dry version, resampled in January 2023 together with the spinet and the Italian Grimaldi copy harpsichord to be published soon.
The information page has been updated and the sample set is available in both versions.
Taking advantage of the reworking of the sample set "BOLOGNA, S. MARIA ANNUNZIATA - ZANIN 1962" we have resumed the studies on the post-production of the samples, with very promising results in terms of reducing processing times.
The new denoising technique, in addition to being very simple and fast, gives better results than the one used up to now, especially on low sounds and on particularly noisy raw audio: this will almost certainly have positive effects on the shortening of the production and release times of our sample sets.
As an example, we propose a comparison between the original recording and the processed version of a sample of the Zanin organ:
Original
Processed
As already announced, we are offering - alongside the release of original sample sets - the first example of a line of composite sets, for whose compilation we intend to make use of the best demos of commercial sets from other manufacturers.
As a first release, we are offering a generically European neoclassical model: here is the descriptive page of the sample set, offered free of charge.
Our releases resume with a small, graceful harpsichord instrument: it's the reproduction of a spinet built by the harpsichord maker Roberto Marioni in 2022. Here is the descriptive page of the sample set. An instrument that is certainly different from the many organ sample sets on the market: equipped with a delicate and almost intimate sound, it has considerable charm and is suitable for many chamber music repertoire.
Following the suggestions of expert users, we are realizing the idea of composite sample sets of various styles: as a first work we will soon propose a three-manual neoclassical organ obtained by taking advantage of some free demos of commercial sets.
These sets will be offered alongside the others we produce: follow the updates!
After the publication of the sample set of the Michelotto organ of S. Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio we finally resumed the processing of the other instruments in the catalogue, starting with the harpsichords sampled by Maestro Gabriele Giunchi over a year ago now. We decided to favor these instruments both for their relative processing speed and for the rarity of sample sets like these in the panorama virtual instruments for Hauptwerk or other platforms.
Particularly interesting is the harpsichord by Grimaldi, an Italian of the late 17th century, which we know has never been sampled and to which we are therefore giving priority: the first results, tested even as we publish these lines, they are also very encouraging for the possibility - as in the pipe organ sample sets - of having three channels with good reproduction of the environmental acoustics. We are surprised by the great singing quality of the voice of this harpsichord, clearly different from the Flemish one.
Continue to follow us!
We wish all readers a good Triduum and a good, holy Easter: the resurrection of Christ which we remember once again brings light to the darkness of these times.
After a long wait and an exhausting series of postponements we are finally pleased to announce the availability of a sample set which we hope will live up to expectations.
Users who already know our sample sets know that one of our primary objectives is to return a sound that is as clear, clean and transparent as possible: with this work we have raised the quality level further and it is a great satisfaction to be able to present a concrete result.
Maintaining compatibility with the old HW version 4.21 forces us to leave the sample set in open format; therefore the demo, differently from previous publications, consists of a selection of registers carefully chosen in order to still have a complete and playable instrument. However, we are working to be able to produce, even in the case of demanding sets like this, complete demo versions - we also support the thesis of those users who prefer to be able to try a sample set in its entirety. However, we are convinced that even in this case the demo is largely representative of the quality of the complete instrument. At the bottom of the web page dedicated to the set, as usual, the button to send the request email is available.
We hope that the "S. Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio - Michelotto 2020" sample set, with the richness of its resources and the impressive acoustics that enhance its sound, gives much satisfaction to anyone who decides to purchase it; We would like to particularly underline the fact that the proceeds from the version for Hauptwerk (the one for GrandOrgue is also in preparation) will go entirely to finance the maintenance of the original pipe instrument, according to the philosophy with which we started this project five years ago now.
The information page on our next sample set, whose release is now imminent, is finally available.
The proceeds of the version for Hauptwerk, in agreement with the Parish of S. Maria, will be entirely donated to finance the maintenance of the instrument: in these days we are defining in detail the sales methods in order to proceed with the publication of the sample set.
After three years of work we are pleased to finally announce the completion of the sample set of the Michelotto organ of S. Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio in Milan.
A sample set that has been awaited for a long time and which has been a real test both from the point of view of audio processing and, especially in recent months, of the implementation of the many and particular functions with which the Michelotto console is equipped: the result is a very respectable instrument, which in its over 70 registers has - as well as a faithful copy of the original Michelotto - also extensions that make it even richer in timbral nuances and dynamic planes, amplifying the symphonic-eclectic conception of the S. Maria organ. An added value is the very rich acoustics of the large church: we measured up to 10 seconds on some frequency bands, with a "cathedral effect" in which however the musical phrasing always remains very clear. The result, just like in the original organ, is the impression of an instrument much larger than it actually is.
From the point of view of our production, the processing of this sample set will certainly have repercussions on all future releases: such a complex and problematic post-production, together with the modeling of all the functionality, has forced us to equip ourselves with tools and techniques that - hopefully - will raise the quality bar of future productions, while reducing processing times.
We are currently preparing the information page on the sample set: follow the updates!
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET DI ORGANI ITALIANI wishes all readers a good and holy Christmas of the Lord.
As the Christmas holidays approach, we receive from M.° Roberto Lomurno - and are happy to publish - a video demonstrating the possibilities of the sample set, although still in beta version:
The video still shows the provisional graphics, with the incomplete stops tab: in the meantime, all the functions present in the pipe instrument console have been implemented and we are already able to show an almost definitive version of the graphical interface.
A heartfelt thanks to M.° Lomurno for the great interest with which he is following the processing of the set and for the precious advice that is helping us to significantly raise the quality level.
The completion of the functionality of the Michelotto organ sample set is now advanced: the beta testing phase has highlighted critical issues in some samples processed before the implementation of the current post-production standard, but the rework should not introduce significant delays in publication, expected by January 2024.
The set will be full of user-side accessory features: in addition to the possibility of adjustable Tremulants from the interface, now standard in our sample sets, a new feature of this release will be a dedicated panel to "per-rank detuning". Noting the strong differences in the tuning precision between the individual stops - both flue and reeds - of the Michelotto organ and having heard the opinion of expert users, we decided - in addition to the two general sliders for reeds and flue - to implement the possibility of adjustment on each individual rank, with dedicated cursors that act as "limiters" compared to the amount of detuning given by the general cursors. In this way it's possible for the user to make the general tuning more homogeneous without giving up the liveliness of the slight detunings present in the original pipe.
This function allows the greatest flexibility in going from a precise reproduction - for better or for worse - of the original tuning of the pipe instrument to a perfect equal tuning without burrs .
The processing of the audio samples of the Michelotto 2020 organ of S. Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio in Milan has finally been completed: a particularly complex and long process which however - as we have already mentioned - allowed us to significantly improve the post-production method, with very effective suppression of residual noise and perfect sound fidelity especially in the reverberation tails.
In recent weeks, in parallel with the testing phase on the sound part, the implementation of the graphics and the various functions of the sample set is underway: we anticipate a view of the stop's tab , although still in beta.
At the same time as finishing the Michelotto set we began processing the samples of the spinet, Italian harpsichord copy of Grimaldi and Flemish harpsichord copy of Ruckers recorded last January in Bologna by Maestro Gabriele Giunchi. We hope to have news on the next releases soon, after a break of almost two years.
The constant expansion of our sample library and the implementation of tools for agile ODF processing allows, alongside the publication of sample sets that reproduce existing pipe instruments, the study - already underway - of the possibility of producing "ad hoc" set in dry version, with personalized phonic arrangements.
We will have more updated news, predictably, during the first months of 2024: follow us!
At the beginning of Holy Week, ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET wishes all readers a happy and holy Easter.
On the afternoon of Thursday 30 March a web meeting took place with the group of organists of the Basilica-Sanctuary of Vicoforte, where a year and a half ago we sampled the prestigious organ of Carlo Vegezzi Bossi.
The initiative, organized in memory of Massimo Rovere - former organist of the Basilica and promoter of the sample set - on the anniversary of his untimely death, allowed us to show some instruments of sound analysis by applying them to the audio recorded during sampling, highlighting in an intuitive and effective way various technical and intonation characteristics of the valuable instrument.
The meeting aroused keen interest in all the participants, whom we thank for their attention, and demonstrated the far-sightedness with which Massimo had proposed the sampling, sensing that it would be the opportunity to have an accurate "sound photograph" from which to obtain a lot of information on the instrument: we report, by way of example, the spectrogram of the Flauto Dolce 8', Great, in which it is possible to notice already at first glance keep an eye out for the different types of pipes that follow one another along the texture (stopped pipes in the low section, open cylindrical pipes in a short central section and harmonics in the high notes).
A special thanks to Marzia Danna for her organizational support and to the Vice-Rector of the Sanctuary, Don Sergio Borsarelli, for the great interest with which he followed the meeting.
The demanding processing of a sample that has proved to be a real test bench continues expeditiously: in recent months, also thanks to the continuous evolution of the post-production method, the stop list has been almost completed and the sample set promises an excellent yield with a good fidelity to the original pipe.
Short test with flue stops and Tromba Armonica 8' of the III manual:
Before publication we reserve adequate time to test the finished sample set: realistically we expect to be able to release it by summer 2023.
Keep following us!
On the interest of Maestro Gabriele Giunchi, whom we thank for his availability, on 19-21 January we were able to sample an Italian-style harpsichord and a spinet built by harpsichord maker Roberto Marioni respectively in 2020 and 2022. The instruments are arranged in a large hall where the Ruckers copy harpsichord was also placed, which was resampled taking advantage of the good acoustic performance of the room.
The spinet during sampling; in the background the Flemish harpsichord
The Italian-style harpsichord
Given the good acoustics of the hall, the sampling was carried out on three stereo channels (two for the spinet, sufficient given the small size of the instrument) and with the multi-release technique. We think the possibility of reproducing an Italian-style harpsichord is very interesting: as far as we know no sample sets of this particular type of instrument have ever been produced and we are pleased to be able to include it in our catalogue. For this reason, also considering the relative brevity of the post-production, the publication will immediately follow that of Michelotto, preceding the other samplings we have in progress: the release is scheduled after the summer of 2023.
The sample set of the spinet and the re-edition of the Ruckers will be published over the next few months.
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET DI ORGANI ITALIANI wishes all readers a good and holy Christmas of the Lord.
Published in the "Articles" section a new article which presents a study on the integrated models of Tremulant in Hauptwerk.
Happy reading!
The time we are investing in perfecting the audio post-production is starting to bear fruit: we finally give news on the future release of the sample set of the Michelotto 2020 organ of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio, in Milan, an interesting instrument of 3 manuals and 53 stops, with a very original and versatile sound arrangement.
While waiting for the page dedicated to the organ and the sample set, an excellent demonstration of the characteristics and potential of the instrument - enhanced by the impressive acoustics of the church of S. Maria, with its 10 seconds of reverb - is given by the videos published on the Youtube channel of the titular organist M° Roberto Lomurno. The presentation of the stops list is particularly interesting, with audio examples of the various stops and technical information on the Michelotto organ:
The publication of the sample set is scheduled for spring 2023: follow the updates!
After the summer break, the processing of our sample sets resumes, with the Ottava 4' of the Prospero Foglia 1879 organ from Pieve di Inzino. At the same time, the study on post-production methods continues, which now allow us - on flue stops - to obtain a complete stereo channel in a few days of work, even starting from particularly noisy audio material, without sacrificing the quality level we are reaching.
A few days ago we were contacted by an organist - who wished to remain anonymous - who claims to be the new owner of the Tamburini organ which we reported months ago by publishing the sample set.
We thus learn of the sale of the small instrument, differently from what was communicated to us by the parish priest of Santa Maria Nascente at the beginning of February 2022; we are pleased that little Tamburini has found a new location and has not been dismembered, although of course all the doubts already expressed about the story remain.
After an appropriate technical intervention the problem seems to be solved and the emails should be received regularly; we suggest, however, as a precaution, to check - if necessary - the reception.
Since June, for technical reasons, we are gradually changing the e-mail addresses used on this site, in particular the one used for sample set requests.
Unfortunately we are experiencing many problems with Google, whose security policy is so strict that it heavily penalizes messages from other providers that almost always end up in spam and are reported as unsafe.
We warmly invite any user who requests our sample set to always check the SPAM folder of their Google account; even in the case of accounts with other providers, it is good practice to always check that the reply emails from this site do not erroneously end up in the junk mail.
We apologize for the inconvenience; we hope to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
In June we started one of the most demanding audio processing of all: the Controfagotto 16 stop of the III manual, from which Oboe 8 is also derived. It's a relatively sweet reed but rich in harmonics, whose 73 notes posed a challenge with regards to denoising especially in the distant canal.
The evolution in post-production methods has allowed good results in significantly shorter times than initially estimated: here is a audio example with the overall effect of Controfagotto 16 and Oboe 8, enriched by the Superoctave coupler.
The two direct and distant channels are mixed in the proportion of 50% each; the audio was resampled to 44100 Hz and 16 bit.
Short improvised piece during the testing phase:
We take this opportunity to address a greeting to Don Marcello Barlassina, parish priest of Santa Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio, who from September will be assigned to another parish of the Archdiocese of Milan. Don Marcello supported and followed with interest and great availability the sampling sessions of the Michelotto organ and the small Barani positive: we wish him all the best in his new mission.
After the publication of the "Tamburini 1959" sample set, the processing of the other sample sets in the catalog continues: in particular the Foglia 1879 from the Pieve di Inzino and above all the Michelotto 2020 in Santa Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio in Milan. The processing of these sample sets is bringing interesting developments in the post-production of the samples, with the result of a certain reduction in processing times and, above all, of an absolute naturalness of the sounds.
Audio examples will be available soon - stay tuned!
Maestro Gabriele Giunchi informed us that in the last days of April 2022 the Zanin organ underwent extraordinary maintenance by the organ builder Daniele Michelotto.
The pneumatic controls of the stops at the wind chests of Grand'Organo, now exhausted and totally inefficient, have been removed, replacing them with more reliable electromagnet controls; in this way the instrument has regained the complete functionality, compromised particularly in the last year.
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET FOR HAUPTWERK wishes all readers a happy Holy Week and a happy Easter. May the memory of Christ's Resurrection renew the hope of the peace that He alone can bring to the world.
While we are about to begin the processing of the samples recorded last October at the prestigious Carlo Vegezzi-Bossi 1903 at the Vicoforte Sanctuary, today, March 19, 2022, we receive the sad and unexpected news of the sudden death, at only 52 years of age, of the organist of the Basilica, Massimo Rovere, sampling promoter.
Although we only met him for a short time, we remember very well Massimo's great passion for "his" Vegezzi Bossi and the great interest shown in sampling; and we remember the warm welcome and support we received during our stay in Vicoforte - a welcome that immediately made us feel at home.
From these pages we also join in the condolences for his untimely death: and we hope that the replica of "his" instrument, which he so strongly desired, will soon be a tribute to his memory.
We are finally pleased to announce the release of our seventh sample set, also available for GrandOrgue: visit the information page!
The revision of the sample set after the test phase is now in its final stages: some corrections of a certain weight have been necessary which are slightly delaying its release but which nevertheless are indispensable for the success of the product.
The information page on the instrument and the sample set will be online soon: keep following us!
Although we do not deal directly with current affairs and although we are not experts in geopolitical issues and all the implications that the very delicate international situation we are experiencing in these hours may have, we cannot fail to say our word about it and take a stand in the face of the very serious facts of which we are, unfortunately, witnesses.
While we join the uncontested condemnation of every form of violence and every act of war, in Ukraine as in the whole world, we cannot fail to notice also in the Western context increasingly intolerant positions, which go far beyond legitimate reproach for an unjust act of aggression.
This is the case of artists, sportsmen and show business personalities who, simply because they are Russian, are immediately identified as "supporters of Putin" and therefore ostracized by European institutions and Westerners: it is news of recent days that, among the many cases reported by the news, the conductor Valery Gergiev received a real ultimatum from the mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala, who branded him as "pro-Russian" and "friend of Putin" and therefore forced to give up the planned direction of the opera "La dama di picche" scheduled for March 5 at the Teatro alla Scala.
It is evident that such positions do not help any pacification, on the contrary playing the game of those who are determined to continue hostilities: and anyone who supports such positions has responsibility at least equal to those of those who, reacting to provocations, are trampling on the rights of innocent populations.
"ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET OF ITALIAN ORGANS" not only dissociates itself from public gestures of authority that dare to judge and prosecute men for their ideas and their belonging, but condemns them with the greatest force as they dramatically make present today the shame that the Italian people already suffered a century ago.
We condemn as violent and racist the gesture of the mayor of Milan, who does not represent us in the slightest and from which it seems our duty to distance ourselves publicly: and we equally condemn any gesture moved by hatred that derives from the arrogant, unjustifiable belief that we can always proclaim ourselves morally superior.
It is not by erecting walls and fomenting hatred that peace is built: and certainly by not making the faults of its leaders fall ideologically on an entire people.
One month after the IT accident that cost the loss of a large part of the work on the Tamburini 1959 organ of the church of S. Maria Nascente at "QT8" in Milan, we are pleased to announce that the sample set is now in an advanced recovery phase, and the testing phase is expected very soon.
The related information page will be online soon.
In addition to the update on the sample set we have news, unfortunately not good, about the original instrument.
The church of S. Maria Nascente at "QT8" in Milan, built in 1955, was closed for over a year between 2020 and 2021 due to a massive renovation of the internal walls and above all of the vault, which had to be reclaimed by removing the asbestos contained therein; the Tamburini organ was then disassembled to avoid damage.
But when the church reopened on 8 December 2021, the organ was never reassembled: and it was precisely the parishioners, surprised, who informed us of this. Currently the instrument is replaced by a small Trühenorgel hired from the organ builder Ilic Colzani of Bulgarograsso (Como), author of the dismantling.
The news of the dismantling of the Tamburini reached us on Saturday 29 January 2021: suspicious of the fact that the parishioners were faced with the fait accompli of the replacement with the Trühenorgel we moved asking for more detailed information, addressing the organ builder Colzani, some parishioners directly involved in the administration of the parish and above all the competent diocesan offices.
In particular the responses received from the latter suggest that the failure to reassemble the Tamburini and its replacement with the Trühenorgel are a unilateral initiative of the pro tempore parish priest, taken solely on the basis of his personal taste and without even giving due communication in the competent offices. It seems that the initial idea was that of replacing it with an unspecified "German organ" taken from the second-hand market; the deal would then vanish, but the idea of selling the dismantled materials of the Tamburini would remain. Finally, responding directly to one of our messages which also involved the Diocese, the parish priest was quick to reply that "the sale is not foreseen but the fate of the instrument will be taken into consideration when the work is definitively completed" - but the church is was inaugurated over two months ago...
At the moment the Tamburini is therefore condemned, if not to be sold immediately, at least to remain disassembled and mute: it is a clear will of the parish priest that the instrument is not put back into service, despite the fact that it is a more than dignified organ, overhauled in 2015 and still fully functional. We leave to the readers the judgment on its replacement with a modest Trühenorgel; we will give an account of all the developments of the story in a future article in the "Third page" section.
We cannot close these notes without pointing out the fact that, to date, the sample set we are about to publish remains the only sound testimony of an instrument which, although not of particular value nor large, nevertheless had sonority very characteristic and alive; we hope that this will make us reflect on the opportunity of digital reproduction of instruments, perhaps much more valuable for technical characteristics or historical importance, which risk being lost for various reasons.
M.° Gabriele Giunchi informs us that the beautiful gothic church of the Annunziata in Bologna is in danger of closing, for reasons linked to excessive operating costs and the impossibility of covering them due to lack of adequate income.
The news comes like a cold shower, since only a few days earlier M.° Giunchi had communicated the will of the Parish to proceed with an extraordinary maintenance intervention on the valuable Zanin organ: we sincerely hope that things can change, and we hope to be able to announce this soon on these pages.
With the phrase that went down in history during the famous Apollo missions we communicate a serious IT problem that unexpectedly forces us to postpone the publication of the set which was scheduled for this week: we are working hard to resolve the situation and we are confident that we can give good news soon. Unfortunately, we fear that the planned publication of the sample set of the Tamburini of S. Maria Nascente church in Milan will be postponed for several weeks.
We hope to have better news soon: keep following us!
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET DI ORGANI ITALIANI wishes everyone a happy and merry Christmas.
We take advantage of this update of the information page, which falls at the beginning of December, to wish all readers - men and women of good will - a good Advent right now in view of the upcoming feast of the Lord Jesus' Birth.
The reworking of the first pioneering sample set that we produced back in 2011 is now at an advanced stage: an accurate sound survey carried out in 2015 proved to be of such quality that it can be used to reproduce the small Tamburini organ of the church of Santa Maria Nascente in the "T8" ("QT8") district on the outskirts of Milan, of which Andrea Bonzi was organist for exactly twenty years from 1997 to 2017.
In addition to the reworking of the samples, from which a very precise and realistic dry stereo channel was obtained, a complete photographic interface has been implemented that reproduces the original console and its operation in every detail and with great accuracy; the set will be completed with a distant channel in which the acoustics are reconstructed with the same system used for the Malpaga's Marzoli & Rossi and with the addition of some compatible stops to enrich the sound arrangement.
The information page will be published shortly: the release of the set is expected by the end of December 2021.
On 4-8 October 2021, on the initiative of the organist Massimo Rovere whom we sincerely thank, recording sessions were performed at the Carlo Vegezzi-Bossi 1903 organ of the Basilica-Sanctuary of the Nativity of Mary in Vicoforte, near Mondovì - province of Cuneo, Piedmont.
It is one of the most important and representative instruments of Italian Romanticism, particularly successful and inserted in an architectural context of rare beauty, whose acoustic characteristics greatly enhance its sonority.
A dutiful thanks goes to the Rector of the Sanctuary, Don Francesco Tarò, for having authorized and supported the project by offering a stay in the structures adjacent to the Basilica; we warmly thank the Vice-Rector, Don Sergio Borsarelli, for the welcome and the great availability during the recording sessions that he wanted to personally follow evening after evening.
We cannot finish these notes without at least mentioning the complex of the Sanctuary and the adjacent Cistercian monastery (now a Diocesan House of Spirituality) where we were housed: it is one of the most distinguished and impressive works of the Piedmontese Baroque. The great dome of the Basilica measures 37 meters by 25 with a height of about 75 and is entirely frescoed, constituting an extremely suggestive complex that has far exceeded our expectations and which we will adequately account for on the presentation page of the sample set. To this is added the high level of the accommodation in the former monastery and the scenic beauty in which the entire complex is inserted.
All this constitutes a whole of exceptional interest, which certainly deserves a stay in which the possibility of having a particularly beautiful and representative instrument at one's disposal blends beautifully with a context of rare suggestion that enhances it in an exemplary way.
For more information we warmly invite you to visit the site of the Sanctuary .
M.° Gabriele Giunchi informs us of some developments, fortunately positive, regarding the story we reported last July.
It is in particular the fact that the Superintendent officials notified the parish priest "pro tempore" of the requisition of the parish premises (it was never clear whether this also involved the sacred building) without taking care to verify the existence of an agreement written between the State Property and the Franciscan friars who until a few years ago ruled the parish. Agreement that not only exists, but which clearly defines what pertains to the parish of the SS. Annunziata, as such unavailable to the claims to the contrary - we would like to say that it is strange that the matter had to end in court, before a judge who could not do anything but confirm what had already been formally signed by both parties.
This story casts yet another shadow on Public authorities which, although institutionally devoted to the custody of the Italian artistic heritage, unduly and surreptitiously tend to appropriate it in a way that is anything but transparent; as far as we are concerned more directly, we can only hope that we will soon arrive at a decisive rethinking of the so-called "protection" of ancient organs - a field in which there is no lack of examples of arbitrariness on the part of the state bureaucracy, proving too often to be a even embarrassing level.
Here are some news received from M° Gabriele Giunchi, organist of the Zanin 1962 organ of the church of SS. Annunziata whose sample set is being worked on.
The important late Gothic church of the Annunziata is one of the most famous Marian sanctuaries in the city of Bologna, as well as constituting a large and popular city parish. The church building and the adjoining convent structures, however, are Italian State property and do not belong to the diocese of Bologna - an anomaly that dates back to the suppression of convents carried out by the newborn Italian state in 1866 in order to confiscate their assets and structures. Anomaly that has never been remedied by the Italian government, with the consequence of a persistent unknown about the actual full availability of the structures and of the same building of worship by the Christian community today is heir to those who in his time built the complex.
It is news in the first days of June that the current pro tempore parish priest was ordered to evacuate the parish premises, with the motivation of unspecified maintenance or restoration works in view of a conversion of the structures for different use: the communication arrived via email, without any notice and in an unofficial form, but in the meantime the works were immediately started.
We would like to communicate this to all our readers: we worked on the sampling of the Zanin organ kept in the church of the Annunziata and we feel somehow involved in the concern for the fate that awaits both the place of worship and the instrument itself.
We hope that the situation can be resolved with a fair agreement, which recognizes and gives due weight to the needs of both parties; we will continue to inform from these pages about any developments.
The complex processing of the samples recorded in January 2021 begins to give the first results: here we propose two audio demonstrations of the nearby channel of Diapason 8' (from which, as in the original instrument, the registers Prestant 4' and Doublette 2' are obtained by borrowing).
The audios are in their original format, 48 kHz and 24 bit; both pieces are improvisations by Andrea Bonzi, performed during the sample set test.
Ave maris Stella
Rapsodia
On Saturday May 15th 2021, our Facebook account was blocked unilaterally, without any warning and without giving any reason.
Facebook, despite being a private company providing a public service, is known for its arbitrary and discriminatory behavior towards users, even in institutional settings of global significance; behaviors that include censorship based on the opinions expressed in the posts and personal information, sometimes confidential, contained in the profiles. Beyond the user's intentions, a single word is sufficient for the FB algorithms to deem a post or an entire account as censurable.
Despite this, everyone is aware of the extreme invasiveness and insistence of the social network in the continuous request for personal and confidential data of users and in the psychological pressure in order to induce ever greater participation by the user itself - to the point of causing a real addiction.
As regards our account in particular, the peremptory request for strictly confidential personal data and information that was addressed to us with almost blackmail tones - under penalty of cancellation of the account in case of no response within 28 days - is absolutely unacceptable.
We therefore consider dishonest and immoral the management of this means of communication and we invite readers not to rely on the publication of news regarding our activity on the social network.
We warmly invite readers and anyone who wants to follow our activity to prefer direct consultation of this site, whose information page is constantly updated; for those who wish, a newsletter will soon be available, in a manner that will be communicated on this page as soon as possible.
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET FOR HAUPTWERK wishes all readers a happy and holy Easter.
Finished the processing, we present on this page our first sample set dedicated to an Italian-made harpsichord, sampled on the initiative of the owner M° Gabriele Giunchi.
As for the positive Ott a fully functional demo version is available, but with a periodic interruption of the sound.
After the release of the Ott positive the processing of the sample set Harpsichord R. Marioni 2015 (copy of Ruckers 1612) has begun, which is expected to be completed shortly.
At the same time, the processing of the audio acquired in S. Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio also began: the publication of the relative sample set is expected to take place after summer 2021.
After a laborious revision of the ODF, the sample set "Organo Positivo P. Ott 1972" was released. A fully functional trial version is available, in which the sound is periodically disabled: visit the information page!
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET OF ITALIAN ORGANS takes great care of the suggestions and indications of users on everything that can be useful for the qualitative improvement of the sample sets. For this reason, following the first feedback from our beta-testers, we are reworking the features implemented in the small positive Ott: in particular with the inclusion of the detuning functionality, which forces us to partially revise the graphical interface.
For this reason the release, initially scheduled for the beginning of the month, will be delayed by a few days: we thank the readers for their patience.
The test phase of the small positive Ott has started: soon the complete information webpage will be online. Follow the updates!
On the evening of Tuesday 2 February the expected sampling of the positive Barani took place, which was planned together with that of the Michelotto organ.
The small instrument will be available as a standalone sample set, but will also be used as an extension for the major organ.
From 18-24 January 2021, recording sessions were conducted in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio in Milan (Porta Genova area). The sampling was performed at the request of Maestro Roberto Lomurno, owner of the D. Michelotto organ installed in 2019; for a description of the instrument, very particular as to stops list and intonation, see this web page.
The sampling of the small Barani positive, which the parish has put up for sale after the installation of the new large organ, is also expected shortly.
The sampling sessions were rather long and demanding mainly due to the long reverberation time of the large church, on average 7-9 seconds, and its position in the heart of the urban environment; the publication of the sample set is expected in no less than several months.
We have the great pleasure of presenting a novelty that we hope will please all fans: during the processing of the Ott positive sample set, the possibility of having a user-adjustable Tremolo was successfully tested, taking advantage of the Hauptwerk wind modeling.
The first results are very encouraging in terms of realism: this feature will be implemented in all future publications, where this accessory is present in the stops list of the organs we will sample.
The new year opens with the news of the upcoming release of a rather particular sample set: the processing of the replica of the small positive P. Ott 1972 owned by M ° Gabriele Giunchi of Bologna is now at an advanced stage.
The relative information page has been published: the release of the sample set is indicatively expected by the end of January.
After the sampling sessions last October, the production of Prospero Foglia 1879 from the Pieve di S. Giorgio in Inzino (Brescia) began - alongside that of the other sets in the catalog. This is the first of our sample sets to feature three stereo channels.
The first results, despite their being temporary, seem decidedly encouraging on the achievement of the quality standard that we have set for ourselves by starting this project.
Follow the updates!
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET FOR HAUPTWERK wishes all readers a Merry Christmas: the memory of the coming into the world of God made man bring light in these dark times.
Given the recent evolution of this software we are pleased to announce that, from the next releases, our sample sets will also be available for GrandOrgue: in this way we hope to make the replicas of our Italian organs usable for an even greater number of enthusiasts.
We take this opportunity to remind you that until there are significant implementations of the Hauptwerk platform all our sample sets will continue to be designed for version 4.21 and will be compatible with all subsequent versions released so far.
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After a longer work than expected, due to a substantial expansion of the extended version compared to what was originally planned, the sample set of the Marzoli & Rossi 1908 organ of the Malpaga church is finally available.
We invite our readers to try it out and let us know their impressions!
In recent times we have been receiving several requests for the production of sample sets: we take this opportunity to thank those who have been and, we hope, will in the future be promoters of the virtualization of Italian pipe organs of particular value and interest.
Unfortunately, we must communicate that the current socio-health situation forces us to cautiously delay future sampling sessions - some were scheduled for the month of November - postponing them to the end of the current acute phase of CoVid19 infections in Italy.
Naturally, as is the nature of the project, we intend to honor every request received as far as possible: the samples are only deferred but will be planned as soon as the evolution of the situation allows for safe transfers.
On the initiative of Mario Antonelli, sampling sessions were carried out at the Prospero Foglia 1879 organ of the Pieve di S. Giorgio in Inzino (Brescia), an excellent example of late 19th-century Lombard organ building.
The audio recordings were made in the period 11-14 October 2020; for the first time, the six-channel technique was used. The processing of the set is queued to the other virtual instruments currently being worked on.
The processing of the sample set of Malpaga's Marzoli & Rossi 1908 is almost finished, and the relative information page has been published .
The release of the sample set is expected as soon as the testing phase is completed.
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The production of the sample set of Malpaga's Marzoli & Rossi 1908, which is expected to be released by the end of summer, is continuing.
The long processing of the Zanin set of the church of the SS Annunziata in Bologna also continues, whose publication is expected no earlier than several months.
We remind our readers that the news on the sample sets in progress shown on this page are only indicative, especially as regards the release times: for more precise information we recommend waiting for the publication of the specific page relating to each set.
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET DI ORGANI ITALIANI wishes all readers a Happy Sacred Triduum and Happy Easter: the memory of the Easter celebrations can be a reason for hope in this troubled time.
Since the end of February, audio has been available on Contrebombarde with the sample sets published so far and also with the beta version of the Zanin organ in Bologna - work still in progress.
Here are the links to the respective pages: the list is updated with each new entry.
Audio performed with the sample set COSTA SERINA - SAN LORENZO
Audio performed with the SERINA - SERASSI 1791 sample set
Audio performed with the sample set BOLOGNA - ZANIN (beta version)
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET DI ORGANI ITALIANI announces the awaited publication - free of charge - of the sample set for Hauptwerk of the prestigious organ Andrea Luigi and Giuseppe II Serassi 1791 of the church of SS. Annunziata in Serina (Bergamo).
It is, at least to our knowledge, the first sample set for Hauptwerk in which a Serassian organ - in addition to being meticulously reproduced in its original state - has extensions both in the keyboard and pedal range and in the stop list, as widely described in the presentation page - from which you can send a request for download.
We hope that the set will be widely distributed and will be satisfying for users who want to download it.
Despite what was communicated last month, we are pleased to announce the publication of a new free set: this is the replica of the valuable Serassi 1791 from the parish church of Serina (Bergamo).
The set, already produced in 2013, has been completely reworked and we have decided to publish it free of charge as it is presented only in stereo version (with a very direct recording; the four-channel version is under processing, with the same criterion adopted for the Costa Serina).
It is also our interest to spread the first sample set of an ancient Italian organ with "targeted" extensions - both in the range of keyboards and pedals and in the stop list - which allow the use of its splendid sounds for most of the classical repertoire, overcoming the known technical limits of our historical instruments: from this point of view we warmly invite future users to give us feedback.
The new year opens with a communication about our activity and upcoming publications of sample sets for Hauptwerk.
After having thoroughly documented ourselves on the subject, we are forced to recognize that the current Italian tax legislation effectively makes any attempt at a commercial project regarding the publication of the sample sets impossible, imposing charges incompatible with the modest volumes of activity in this sector.
The production of sample sets of high quality standards requires a number of hours of work quantifiable for each of several tens to many hundreds: an expensive work, compared to which we are in fact unable to obtain a fair economic recognition - not allowed also in the form of a free offer.
We therefore find ourselves having to decide with regret to postpone the publication of further sets of samples until a satisfactory solution is found.
We are sure of the understanding from the readers who have trusted us by appreciating the two free sets produced so far; we hope to be able to resume publications soon and for this reason we will still give information on the processing of the sets initially planned.
ANDREA BONZI - SAMPLE SET DI ORGANI ITALIANI offers all readers and users of the virtual organs so far published a warm wish for a Merry Christmas, thanking for the many messages of appreciation received so far.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
After a significant restyling organitaliani.andreabonzi.it is online with a new graphic design and above all with new content.
The presentation page of the sample sets for Hauptwerk is flanked by information spaces concerning the production or programming of new sets or more generally the world of Hauptwerk.
We wish all those who follow us a good read!
The release of version V of the most popular pipe organ emulation software seems imminent. Reading on the net you can see some concern from users about the change of the license system: change that does not only concern the software but also all those third-party sample sets that currently use dongle licenses.
These sets will no longer be compatible with the new version and this seems to arouse perplexity in those who have often bought them at a high price.
Given the uncertainty that still surrounds the new version, its publication and issues related to the license It is our decision that the sample sets presented on this site remain compiled for Hauptwerk v. 4.21; since they do not have a protective license, they will still be able to be loaded without problems even in Hauptwerk V if users wish to do so.
Thanks to the interest of M.° Gabriele Giunchi sampling sessions were carried out at the Zanin organ of the Annunziata church (1962, III / 46), at the Steinmeyer of the Methodist church (1931, II / 15) and at the positive organ P. Ott 1972 owned by M.° Giunchi himself.
The preliminary elaborations are very promising especially for the Zanin organ, inserted in an ambience with very rich and balanced acoustics.
The release of the new sets is expected in 2020: follow the updates!