CD 33/34

Music from Stams Monastery X

Of  all  the  compositions  by the  Stams  choirmaster  and conductor  Stefan  Paluselli, the  Soggetti  diversi  per  il Clavicembalo,  a  selection of  which  is  presented  here, concern  his  most  personal domain.  This  series  of  70 pieces for harpsichord, by now documented in full throughout several CDs in the Music from Stams Monastery series (CD 25 tracks 9-11, CD 28 tracks 13- 25, CD 40 tracks 4-11), was collected by Paluselli around 1800, towards the end of his life, presumably from his earlier handwritten music. The careful editing  of  this  manuscript edition and the minute attention to detail in the title – a rarity for  Paluselli  –  lead  us  to assume that the collection was particularly  important  and precious to him. He may have suspected how innovative for the genre of program music his  achievement  was.  But because of the solitariness of the  monastery,  it  remained isolated.   The   collection, probably also intended partly for  Paluselli’s  pedagogical functions,  contains  mostly short “characteristic” pieces. The expression of roguishness, teasing  and  playfulness  is especially typical of Paluselli’s personal style. This probably also explains his acute attention to  a  highly  differentiated handling of rhythm. Paluselli’s original  inventions  and  his mastery   of   concentrated musical realization, usually with the simplest of means, are practically inexhaustible. This  little  world  in  myriad forms of inspired miniatures for  harpsichord  found  an ideal  interpreter  in  Brigitte Engelhard.

CD 2, Track 15, 1:34
Allegro Assai
Stefan Paluselli OCist.
(1748-1805)

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