The Fall of the House of Usher (Rapsodia per organo) (2017)

Carlotta Ferrari (b. 1975) — The Fall of the House of Usher (Rapsodia per organo) (2017)

“The Fall of the House of Usher (Rapsodia per organo)” (2017) is inspired by the famous 1839 short story by American author Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849). In the story, the narrator is called to the home of his friend Roderick Usher who is suffering from a mysterious illness. The narrator is pulled into Roderick and his sister Madeline’s world of madness and delusion, mirrored in the destruction and decay of the house itself. Featuring unparalleled psychological tension, remarkable evocation of atmosphere, and even an individual being buried alive, the story is widely considered one of Poe’s finest works: powerful, chilling, and deeply influential on later writers.

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 five all-Ferrari organ CDs: three recorded by Carson Cooman (2014/16) and two by Peter Clark (2015/16). 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.