Three Kyrie-Gloria masses by the nineteenth-century Gozitan composers Vincenzo Bondì (1798-1871), Giorgio Mercieca (1826-92) and Giuseppe Farrugia (1852-1925) : a historical-analytical study and critical edition

Abstract

The aim of this research is to provide a historical and analytical study of three Masses by three nineteenth-century composers from Gozo : Vincenzo Bondì (1798-1871), Giorgio Mercieca (1826-92) and Giuseppe Farrugia (1852-1925). This study starts with a concise biography of the composers’ lives, outlining their contribution to the Gozitan musical heritage. It is followed by a study of Church music in Malta and Gozo during the nineteenth century, which deals with the foundations laid by these composers and the musical repertoires they left. An overview of the ‘Cappella musicale’ of the Gozo Cathedral throughout the nineteenth century is given, with special emphasis on contemporary music issues. An analytical study of the compositional techniques found in the three ‘Kyrie-Gloria’ Masses is presented in the following chapter. Form, structure, themes, harmony, orchestration, word-painting, etc., are all dealt with in detail. A comparative analysis of the three works from a stylistic perspective serves as the basis for the next chapter. Stylistic differences and developments are brought out, with special attention being given to the various compositional techniques adopted by the three composers individually. A critical edition of the three Masses, comprising a General Preface, a computer transcription of the works, Critical Notes and a Critical Commentary, is given in chapter six, volume II.