Francesco Bellotta (1834-1907) 
music for solo harp 
first world recordings

Gelsomina Naclerio, harpist and academic of Santa Cecilia, in her book "Memories and studies on the harp" (Naples 1894), in the final chapter on the most important composers of all times for the harp, talks about Francesco Bellotta, dedicating only to him an entire paragraph: "We would have many beautiful compositions for harp, if misfortune had not struck poor Bellotta from Palermo who went mad. Very few compositions of his remain, of a simple, confident style, and of a particular and brilliant genius."

During the nineteenth century Naples was a very important cultural and musical center: the composer and harpist Francesco Bellotta got trained within the great Neapolitan school of Harp, in turn giving life to the harp school of the Palermo Conservatory, of which his student and nephew Giuseppe Vitrano was the first teacher.
In 2022 I came across one of his scores by chance, remaining deeply touched by the beauty, compositional quality and originality of his music. I therefore started an intense research with the precious collaboration of the libraries of the Conservatories of Genoa, Milan, Pesaro, Bologna, Potenza and Verona, which I gratefully thank, thus bringing together all the scores for solo harp currently available by this great musician.

In Francesco Bellotta's music, starting from fantasies on opera themes up to original compositions of great strength and imaginative imagination, the harp sings and virtuosity is accompanied by a great emotional and expressive charge: these are true gems that I had the fortune to rediscover.

Emanuela Battigelli
 

special thanks for the translation to Simone Dubrovic

The CD can be ordered using the contact form of this website
 

Artesuono ART229
Recorded by Stefano Amerio and Alessio Marocco
Mixed and mastered by Stefano Amerio
Artesuono Recording Studios, Cavalicco (Udine) – Italy
April / September 2023