Domenico Bellando (1868-1922)

Domenico Bellando (Genoa 1868 - Genoa 1922) spent all his life in the capital of Liguria. He learnt music with Ottonelli and was named, at the age of 17, organist of the cathedral, position he kept untill 1909. He composed several religious works, piano and organ pieces published in Italy, France, Belgium and England.

Bellando belonged to the young school of Italian organists supporting the reform of religious music initiated in Milan in 1877 by Ass. di Santa Cecilia, of which a proeminent member was the Genoan P.C. Remondini (1829-1893). Remondini insisted during more than 20 years for the Conservatory of Genoa to establish a real organ class with access to a modern instrument with a large pedalboard allowing to play Bach's pieces and those from German and French contemporary composers. This class did not appear until 1904 and D. Bellando was named its teacher after a contest.

His works are written for the specifically build intrument by D. Tagliafico (1906): two manuals, swell box, 11 stops without division, 30-note pedalboard and pneumatic action.

Source: Michelle Bernard: Biographical notes from the edition of Elevazione Per Organo


2008-01-30, Christian Mondrup, Werner Icking Music Archive

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