Biography

Curriculum vitae
The Polyphonic Choir was formed in 1985 on the occasion of the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Foundation of the Sacred Heart Parish in Celano. Since then he has carried out his activity by participating in numerous exhibitions and polyphonic meetings, animating important religious ceremonies and holding concerts in many locations not only regional, helping to make classical music known, with particular reference to Giuseppe Corsi, in the places where he held concerts. He has collaborated with the Local Authorities that operate in the territory taking part in the events organized by them. The rediscovery of the Celano musician Giuseppe Corsi born in Celano in 1630 has given a further impulse to the commitment of all the members of the group: research activities are being carried out in Italy and abroad and in 1994 the “Giuseppe Corsi” Study Center was founded with the establishment of the archive containing the material found. After a period of pause, the members of the choir, united by relationships of affection and friendship built over 25 years, shared again the love for music, finding the right impulse to face a new path on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Sacred Heart Parish.

Statute of the Association
The Polyphonic Choral Association “Giuseppe Corsi” promotes the knowledge of the musical and cultural heritage as well as the enhancement of places and environments suitable for hosting musical and cultural events in general, educational and educational courses, events, exhibitions and art shows, and any other activity useful for achieving the associative purposes.

The Centro Studi Giuseppe Corsi
Research activities (Accademia dei Lincei – Conservatorio G.B. Bologna) Corsignani – Mons. Gennaro Pignatelli
In 1994 the “Giuseppe Corsi” Study Centre was founded with the establishment of the archive containing the material found. In this regard, bio-bibiography research activities are being carried out on the author.

The Polyphonic Choral Association “Giuseppe Corsi di Celano”, through the Study Center dedicated to him, contributes from 1994 to date to make known the works and merits of this author, a pupil of Giacomo Carissimi through concerts, seminars.

Brief Biography CORSI (Corso), Giuseppe known as “il Celano” or Celani

He was born in Celano (L’Aquila) in May 1630. Regarding his country that gave birth to him, Celano, there are many testimonies. From Corsignani to Mons. Gennaro Pignatelli who define him as follows: Giusepe Corsi called celano, because from Celano (AQ). After his priestly ordination, which took place before 1659, he practiced his activity as maestro di cappella in various churches in Rome, where he had also moved to complete his musical studies under the guidance of Giacomo Carissimi, of whom he was a favorite student.

Our Giuseppe Corsi, who settled in Rome from Celano under the guidance of Giacomo Carissimi, became, according to Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni, one of “the best disciples that this had done”. The architecture of the cantatas of the Corsi does not differ from the models of the time in the traditional furrow of the chamber cantata already practiced by Giacomo Carissimi. According to Corsignani “in the theater of virtue, Corsi has been able to occupy the first places of many distinguished modern composers”.

In 1659 he was maestro di cappella in the Basilica of S. Maria Maggiore (Rome), and then passed from 1661 to 1665 in the basilica of S. Giovanni in Laterano, where he returned in 1667. He was maestro di cappella in the churches of S. Apollinare and S. Maria in Vallicella, of the Holy House of Loreto, where he remained in office until 11 November 1667. He then returned to Rome where he had to leave the city because he was banished by Pope Innocent XI who relegated him to Narni for having spread some books put on the Index.

He was called by the Duke of Parma on 20 June 1681 to serve at his court and in the chapel of the Steccata of Parma with a salary of twelve Spanish doubloons. Corsi held this position until October 17, 1688, when he obtained from the duke a license to leave the city, not having obtained an increase in salary, among other things already very high and far higher than that of all the masters who had preceded him. In the years of his stay in Parma he had the opportunity to form a school from which many students came out, including illustrious among all the Bolognese G. A. Perti, already a pupil in Rome of another of his disciples, Fr. Franceschini, whose compositions he helped to make known, which he himself performed several times by Corsi. He was highly esteemed in the Bolognese musical circles where he served at the chapel in S. Petronio.

The last news received on the activity of the Corsi concerns a letter of commission from Prince Ferdinando de ‘ Medici dated December 26, 1690; he died after that date in Modena in the service of that court.

Below we mention a singular episode that occurred during a stay of the Corsi in Naples.

Following criticism from musical circles opposed to him, Corsi took revenge by composing a cantata fraught with difficulty due to the numerous changes in tonality, rhythm and the continuous variety of the most daring modulations that put his rivals in difficulty. The cantata entitled “Era la notte e lo stellato cielo” was brilliantly performed by Corsi and contributed significantly to the composer’s notoriety. The work then circulated in various collections of the time with the title of La stravaganza, fully deserving this denomination. “In facts like words they are very extravagant, so and perhaps more so is the music for difficult steps of jumps, agility and bizarre movements of times” (Catal. of Bibl. of the Liceo musicale di Bologna, III, p. 198).

Publication of the Proceedings of the Conference
December 7, 2013 the Association organized in Celano, in concert with the Municipality and thanks to the far-sighted work of Maestro Pierluigi Mencattini, a Study Day dedicated to Giuseppe Corsi”, in order to carry out a large and articulated project that highlighted the figure and the forgotten work of Giuseppe Corsi da Celano. An intense program of initiatives that involved different and precious synergies, of the Municipality of Celano and the Giuseppe Corsi Association. The event was attended by scholars and musicians of national importance: Mafalda Baccaro (Vice President of the Italian Organists Confederation), Paolo Peretti (Conservatory of Music “Giovanni Pergolesi” of Fermo), Giovanni Triburzio (Conservatory of Music “Nino Rota” of Monopoli). The bio-bibliographic reconstruction event was followed by a Concert with Ensamble Labirinto Armonico and Choir.

The Giuseppe Corsi Award – City of Celano
The “Giuseppe Corsi – Città di Celano” Award aims to enhance the work of those who, individuals, organizations, associations, schools, with their commitment and their art, have contributed to the dissemination and promotion of musical activities in different artistic and cultural forms.

The Award was institutionalized by the City Council of Celano with resolution no. 64 of 17 May 2014 and by the City Council with a special resolution no. 32 of 29/07/2016, naming the initiative: “Giuseppe Corsi Award – City of Celano”. The initiative, as provided for in the resolution of the Municipal Council of Celano, is to act in favor of the development of the territory, through careful collaboration in the fields of training and culture, implementing specific actions such as the Giuseppe Corsi Award.

Since the first edition, the Award has received an important recognition and patronage from:

• Senate of the Republic;
• Presidency of the Chamber of Deputies;
• Abruzzo Region;
• Province of L’Aquila;
• City of Celano.

The award-winning professional musicians:

• 1st edition – year 2013: Band Concerts: “Città di Celano” and “Amici della Musica”
• 2nd edition – year 2014: Fisorchestra Celanese of Maestro Luciano Di Renzo.
• 3rd edition – year 2015: M° Tony Vitagliani
• 4th edition – year 2016: M° Giuseppe Iacobucci
• 5th edition – year 2017: M° Giulio Barbieri and Lifetime Achievement Award to M° Nazzareno Carusi
• 6th edition – year 2018: M° Adriana Marinucci – Musical Section Istituto Tommaso da Celano and Lifetime Achievement Award to Maestro Sergio Prodigo.
• Recognition to the Musical Section of the First Grade Secondary School of the State Comprehensive Institute ” Tommaso da Celano “.

Main musical initiatives:

• 26 December 2012 – Charity Concert “Rassegna Corali”
• June 2013 – Giuseppe Corsi Award Ceremony Concert with the participation of the “Corale Avejanum – Madonna del Passo” of Avezzano
• December 28, 2013 – Concert with the participation of the Concerto Bandistico Città di Celano with tribute to Giuseppe Verdi whose anniversary was celebrated.
• Award Concert of the Giuseppe Corsi Prize with the extraordinary participation of the Sopranist Cristophe Lambert
• December 26, 2014 Musical Concert to commemorate the figure of Georg Richard Strauss of whom he remembered
• January 12, 2015 the Association proposed to the entire Marsican territory an event in memory of the Marsica Earthquake 1915 – 2015 entitled: “E’ solo Polvere” in collaboration with: Archi del Cherubino, Solo Voices and Choir.
• 26 December 2015 : Christmas Concert with Homage to Giacomo Carissimi Maestro di Giuseppe

Courses:
Jubilee Year 2016

• As part of the project conceived by the Association: “The merciful journey”: the canticle of Francis, the Dies Irae of Thomas and the motets of Giuseppe Corsi da Celano, realized in collaboration with the Municipality of Celano and included in the macro project: “Tommaso e Francesco”, which includes all the Municipalities of the Marsica, Valle subequana and Cicolano up to the Sacred Convent of Assisi. With his own project he has held concerts in Castelvecchio Subequo, Celano and Borgo San Pietro at the Franciscan Sanctuary of Santa Filippa Mareri.
• 15 October 2016 animated the Celebration at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on the occasion of the postgraduate for the cause of Beatification of Thomas of Celano
• 26 December 2016 “Christmas Concert”
• June 2017 Award Concert on the occasion of the Giuseppe Corsi Award with the participation of the Octava Dies Choir
• June 2017 the Choir accompanied the Holy Mass presided over by His Excellency Msgr. Bartolucci (delegate for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints) at the Basilica of Santa Balbina in Rome, on the occasion of the cause of beatification of Father Simpliciano.
• Year 2017 accompanied the solemn Eucharistic celebration for the gift of the relics of the Most Holy Martyrs of Celano to the Basilica of Santa Balbina in Rome.
• December 2017Christmas concert “Puer Natus” with the participation of soloists: Tenors and Sopranos Professionals of relief and narrator: Prof. Donato Angelosante
• June 2018 Award Concert of the Giuseppe Corsi Prize – City of Celano
• 26 December 2018 Christmas Concert with the extraordinary participation of: Nuove Armonie Ensemble “Giuseppe Pignatelli” of Castelvecchio Subequo; M° Adriana Marinucci with the “Purple trio” with M° Claudia Mizzoni and M° Silvia Cioffi; Guest tenor: Benedetto Agostino.
• Presentation of the DVD: 2018 European Year of Culture “Our Heritage where the past meets the future. A tribute to an eternal wonder
• Presentation of the Project: The organs in the Marsica of the ‘700.
• On many occasions the Giuseppe Corsi Choir has lent its collaboration to charitable initiatives carried out in the entire regional area and has participated in various choral festivals.

Within the Association huge is the commitment of sopranos, professional tenors and qualified soloists. The staff consists of about 35 elements.
The activity of the Polyphonic Choir continues with the study of the Baroque vocality both solo and choral, a cappella and accompanied by the basso continuo and the works of Giuseppe Corsi transcribed from the originals by the Maestro Conductor of the Choir Prof. Maria Rosaria Legnini.
The pieces by Giuseppe Corsi da Celano were premiered.