Paolo della Croce (Poema sinfonico) (2016)

Carlotta Ferrari (b. 1975) — Paolo della Croce (Poema sinfonico) (2016) for organ

1. In vulneribus Christi (In the Wounds of Christ)
2. La salita all’Argentario (The Climb to Monte Argentario)
3. Solitudine divina (Divine Solitude)
4. Passione (The Passion)

“Paolo della Croce” (2016) is a symphonic poem inspired by the life of Paolo della Croce (Saint Paul of the Cross) (1694–1775), an Italian mystic who was the founder of the Passionists, a religious order devoted to the Passion of Christ. The Passion is reflected almost everywhere throughout the piece. The first movement, In vulneribus Christi, is a meditation on Christ’s wounds, and features the main theme, The central part of this movement, with a faster character, is a reflection on pain. The second movement describes the ascent to the mount Argentario (actually a beautiful hill) in southern Tuscany, where Paolo founded his order. The third movement is a sweeter meditation on contemplative life, always with a focus on the cross and Passion. The dramatic last movement is openly dedicated to Passion, the top subject in the Passionist theology.

Carlotta Ferrari (b. 1975) is an Italian composer. Educated at the Conservatory in Milan, she has composed in many genres, developing a personal language that is concerned with the blend of past and present. Her compositions have been performed frequently around the world. Ferrari’s music appears on several CD recordings, including four all-Ferrari organ CDs: three recorded by Carson Cooman (2014/16) and another by Peter Clark (2015). She served as chair of music composition at Hebei Normal University in Shijiazhuang, China and is currently professor of music composition at the European School of Economics in Florence, Italy.