On April 11-12, the Redemptorist Father Paolo Saturno, the Redemptorist Oblate Antonio Saturno and Salvatore Esposito Ferraioli, guests of the programme “L’Arpeggio” by Luigi Picardi at the Italian Vatican Radio, talked about the Alphonsian-Redemptorist musical tradition with particular attention to the Passion repertoire and the compositional work of the Redemptorist Father Alfonso Vitale.
During the first episode, our guests not only retraced the musical tradition linked to the Passion songs but also recalled the Duetto fra l’Anima e Gesù Cristo by Saint Alphonsus M. de Liguori, a sacred chamber cantata for two voices, violin obbligato and basso continuo, which designates the holy founder, according to a happy expression of Father Paolo Saturno, “the only holy musician”. In addition to the Duetto, the following songs were performed: Gesù mio con dure ropes, Offesi te, mio Dio, O fieri flagelli, Figlio, deh torna o figlio, Teco vorrei, Signore, O fedeli, se figli voi siete, Stillatevi in pianto.
To listen to the episode, a podcast is available: https://www.vaticannews.va/it/podcast/radio-vaticana-musica/arpeggio/2022/04/l-arpeggio-11-04-2022.html
The second episode, 12 April, was entirely dedicated to the Cantata della Passione secondo sant’Alfonso M. de Liguori (Cantata of the Passion according to Saint Alphonsus M. de Liguori) elaborated for soloists, choir and orchestra by the Redemptorist composer Alfonso Vitale (1937 – 2018). The version presented on the radio is enriched by the reading by Father Paolo Saturno of the captions written by the Redemptorist Father Alfonso Amarante (1935 – 2021) that guide in a safe and effective way the listening of the Cantata, 37 minutes long.
The podcast of the second episode is available at: https://www.vaticannews.va/it/podcast/radio-vaticana-musica/arpeggio/2022/04/l-arpeggio-12-04-2022.html
To listen to the discographic production dedicated to the Alphonsian-Redemptorist musical tradition edited by the Redemptorist Fathers of Southern Italy, connect to the channel Youtube Musica Alfonsiana: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVSDyySZHbQgsTOvVuoNQfw
Salvatore Esposito Ferraioli
