Giulio Mercati - Louis Vierne and Camille Saint-Sa�ns: Harmonium vs Organ

Camille Saint-Sa�ns was 17 years of age when he composed his first printed work, the Trois Morceaux, which blends charming melodic creativity with a spiritual character. Louis Vierne�s 24 Pi�ces en style libre are unquestionably some of this composer�s most successful and popular works. Divided into two collections, these pieces are impressive for their great expressive quality, being evocative of places and people known to Vierne, alluding to musical forms both antique and impressionistic, and ranging in mood from the fiery to the serene. A versatile musician, Giulio Mercati is a sought-after and highly regarded international concert performer: as a soloist of organ and harpsichord, he has appeared in over twenty countries of the world, in some of the most prestigious concert halls and cathedrals, from the Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic to New York�s St. Patrick Cathedral. Mercati is moreover active as a continuo and keyboard player in renowned ensembles, such as, among others, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, and has collaborated with conductors such as Alain Lombard, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Juraj Val?uha, Alexander Vedernikov, Heinz Holliger, Hubert Soudant, Howard Griffiths, Markus Poschner, Timothy Brock, and many others. He founded and conducts the 'San Bernardo' vocal group and has been the artistic director of various prestigious artistic events, some of which he created, in Italy, Switzerland and Spain. He is co-founder and director of the Curso de m�sica lit�rgica del Corpus Christi of Lugo (Spain). He has recorded for RTSI, Bottega Discantica and Tactus.