Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Carlotta Ferrari (b. 1975) — Sonata di gravitazione (2025) for organ
Carson Cooman, organ
0:00 | 1. Introduzione — Allegro vivo
4:40 | 2. Adagio
8:13 | 3. Rondò
The title of Sonata di gravitazione (2025) refers to “gravitational harmony” as developed by the Italian composer and theorist Roberto Lupi (1908–1971) and explicated in his 1946 treatise “Armonia di gravitazione.” Lupi’s theory is based on devising a “halo” (his term for the pitches derived from the harmonic series of a starting pitch) of one note and relating it to halos of other notes that share tones. In this way, a system of musical harmonies emerge that all gravitate more or less around one note. He likened this to the attractions among planets: a gravitational world, a universe of sounds and harmonies based on the principle of harmonics.
Despite the use of the unusual harmonic system, the sonata is a largely traditionally-structured work with connections (as in all of Ferrari’s pieces titled “sonata”) to Beethoven. After a short mysterious introduction, the first movement is a typical sonata-allegro movement although with a shorter development section largely based on an ornament introduced in the first theme. The second theme introduces the reed and is more solemn in character; then comes the short development, and then the two themes again with the second theme properly in the halo of C instead of F, followed by a quick coda. The second movement is a tribute to Beethoven’s mood and is written in the A-B-A' form. The last movement is a rather traditional rondo, beginning with the conventional sense of unity and agreement.
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 eight all-Ferrari organ CDs: four recorded by Carson Cooman (2014/16/18), three by Peter Clark (2015/16/18), and one by Luca Massaglia (2021). She served as chair of music composition at Hebei Normal University in Shijiazhuang and professor of music composition at the European School of Economics in Florence, Italy.
Carlotta Ferrari (b. 1975) — Sonata di gravitazione (2025) for organ
Carson Cooman, organ
0:00 | 1. Introduzione — Allegro vivo
4:40 | 2. Adagio
8:13 | 3. Rondò
The title of Sonata di gravitazione (2025) refers to “gravitational harmony” as developed by the Italian composer and theorist Roberto Lupi (1908–1971) and explicated in his 1946 treatise “Armonia di gravitazione.” Lupi’s theory is based on devising a “halo” (his term for the pitches derived from the harmonic series of a starting pitch) of one note and relating it to halos of other notes that share tones. In this way, a system of musical harmonies emerge that all gravitate more or less around one note. He likened this to the attractions among planets: a gravitational world, a universe of sounds and harmonies based on the principle of harmonics.
Despite the use of the unusual harmonic system, the sonata is a largely traditionally-structured work with connections (as in all of Ferrari’s pieces titled “sonata”) to Beethoven. After a short mysterious introduction, the first movement is a typical sonata-allegro movement although with a shorter development section largely based on an ornament introduced in the first theme. The second theme introduces the reed and is more solemn in character; then comes the short development, and then the two themes again with the second theme properly in the halo of C instead of F, followed by a quick coda. The second movement is a tribute to Beethoven’s mood and is written in the A-B-A' form. The last movement is a rather traditional rondo, beginning with the conventional sense of unity and agreement.
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 eight all-Ferrari organ CDs: four recorded by Carson Cooman (2014/16/18), three by Peter Clark (2015/16/18), and one by Luca Massaglia (2021). She served as chair of music composition at Hebei Normal University in Shijiazhuang and professor of music composition at the European School of Economics in Florence, Italy.
