«Fin dall’inizio la direzione di Alberto Turco si è rivelata nel suo carattere: solidamente professionale, volitiva e irruente. Il coro ne coglieva il senso trasformando l’energia del gesto direttoriale in una sonorità piena di tensione e colore. Questo dialogo non verbale ha permesso momenti di efficace intensità e di morbide distensioni quali gli imponenti brani del repertorio richiedevano sia dal coro che dalle soliste» (Concerto di Canto Gregoriano, interpretato dalla schola femminile In Dulci Jubilo nella chiesa di S. Pietro di Rosazzo (Udine), il 16 luglio 2008, Paolo Loos, in «Rivista Choralia», n. 53).

«Dalle doti vocali alla disinvolta sicurezza tecnica, dalla diversità ritmica alla precisione tematica, dalla bellezza del fraseggio alla convinta partecipazione» (Concerto della Nova Schola Gregoriana in occasione del convegno di Canto gregoriano in Arezzo, Notiziario Turistico, Arezzo, 1983, n. 87).

«L’interpretazione dà prova di un perfetto equilibrio fra il rispetto scrupoloso delle indicazioni semiologiche e quel minimo di libera interpretazione che permette alla monodia di schiudersi e illuminarsi senza dare l’impressione di una ricostruzione rigida» (Le monde de la musique, avril 1989).

«Giovanni Battista Fasolo (ca 1598 — ca 1680) est un contrapuntiste romain, auteur de variations pour clavier sur des thèmes grégoriens et parfois de danse. Si son invention n'attent pas le cimes d'un Frescobaldi, son Annuale 81645) forme un véritable art de la fugue «à l'italienne». Federico Del Sordo aborde avec probité et austérité ces savants ricercari et canzoni au clavecin et à l'orgue, sur les instruments historiques de Verone (Antegnati) et de Trevi (Montefalco). Une réalisation d'intérêt documentaire» (Brilliant Classics, 2 CD, ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩). Dennis Morrier — Diapason n° 668, Maggio 2018.

«[…] di ordine diverso è il CD con messe d'organo di Giovanni Salvatore (1620 ca.1688 circa). Federico Del Sordo esegue all''organo tre messe alternatim insieme alla Nova Schola Gregoriane (uomini) e In Dulci Jubilo (donne) dirette da Alberto Turco. Del Sordo inizia con una brebve Toccata Prima del Primo Tono. Le seguenti tre messe sono incredibilmente belle. Canto gregoriano che sembra acqua pura, cantanti armonicamente sintonizzati... oh è così bello quello che sentiamo: sarebbe limitato chiamarlo solo canto gregoriano! E il modo in cui il compositore ha scritto le alternanze con la voce e l'organo ci spinge a chiedere altri brani. Tanto la schola maschile quanto quella femminile vi porteranno in un riposo che è tanto necessaria per l'epoca in cui viviamo. «Celeste», è la parola perfetta per descrivere perfettamente ciò che in questo CD si può ascoltare». Ludwig Van Mechelen — Klassiek, 2016.

«Claudio MERULO (1533-1604), Organ-Alternatim Masses, Federico Del Sordo (organ), In Dulci Jubilo, Nova Schola Gregoriana/Alberto Turco, rec. Cathedral of Verona, November 2014 and January 2015, BRILLIANT CLASSICS 95145 [73.35 + 60.23]- Claudio Merulo is an interesting and significant Renaissance figure. In his lifetime, he was perhaps best known as a fine organist and an innovative composer. In 1557, having already been organist at the Old Cathedral of Brescia, he became organist at St. Mark’s Venice, where he remained until 1584. In 1587 he was appointed organist at Parma cathedral, where he is buried. His organ works are innovative often contrasting sections of contrapuntal writing with passagework. There is something very vocal about his organ pieces – he was a close student of madrigals. Works published in his lifetime were principally organ pieces. The masses on these discs are dominated by the organ. Short choral sections are interspersed with longer pieces for organ solo — this is no mere accompaniment. The schola sings largely in cantus firmus, that is, without polyphony. Think in terms of a modification of plainchant and you are close to the sound. This permits text to emerge clearly. An oddity is the use of tropes, for example in the Gloria of the Missa Virginis Mariae. This is an addition to the prescribed text of the liturgy and is historically interesting. The Council of Trent would forbid such additions, and Gregory XIII, in the revised Missal of 1577 upheld the ruling. That said, this mass seems to come from 1568, so we have an example here of practice at an important transitional point in liturgical history. Performances here are interesting, with a certain stark beauty. The acoustic of Verona Cathedral gives some depth. The organ is rather closely recorded, but one is very aware of the mechanism – the sound has an authenticity. The performances by Federico Del Sordo are thoughtful with some lively playing. The two choral groups, The Nova Schola Gregoriana (eight male singers) and In Dulci Jubilo (eight female singers) sing separately, each with understanding and precision. A slight oddity is some difference in pronunciation. In the opening of the Kyrie of the Missa Apostolorum, the men sing the Kyrie Eleison as ‘el-ay-ee-son’, while the women in the Missa Virginis Mariae prefer ‘el-eye-ee-son’. In both cases, diction is clear throughout. Both groups have appropriate reverence for the meaning of the text. Michael Wilkinson» (Musicweb, 2018).

«Afforded the rare luxury of an entirely Italian column, I’ve selected discs of music composed between 1568 and 1685, largely by rarely heard composers, beginning with Claudio Merulo, the most celebrated Italian organist of his age, whose Organ-Alternatim Masses have been stunningly realised in liturgical reconstructions and recorded by Federico Del Sordo on Verona Cathedral’s 16th-century instrument by Costanzo Antegnati, faithfully restored and full of tonal and mechanical character. This world premiere recording places two scholae, Nova Schola Gregoriana (men) and In Dulci Jubilo (women), in deep perspective with the organ excitingly close, and from Merulo’s celebratory organ abbellimenti to the legato of the Gregorian chant, this is a magnificent tribute». Rebecca Tevener — Agora classica 2017.

«The music on these two CDs is taken from the huge compendium of organ music for liturgical use, the Annuale by Giovanni Battista Fasolo, now thought to have been published before 1635 and so to have influenced a number of similar publications. Sometimes in alternatim with the women’s choir In Dulci Jubilo, Federico Del Sordo plays the splendid 1589 Antegnati organ in Verona Cathedral and the equally fine 1509 Montefalco organ at Trevi, which survived renovation in the 18th century to be restored in the 20th and is probably the oldest working organ in the world. Both instruments have a striking immediacy and pungency, partly due to their authentic tuning and their extreme age, but they are marvellously evocative in their accounts of Fasolo’s music. Full details of the registrations Father Turco uses are provided, which will be appreciated by organ fans, but these are CDs which will appeal beyond the limited world of organists. The music is tremendously evocative of the age in which it was produced, and by using these venerable instruments Federico Del Sordo brings it vividly to life. A few of the pieces are played on harpsichord as it is argued that during Lent this instrument may well have stood in for the organ, although curiously the harpsichord pieces are recorded in an altogether closer acoustic. In any case, the two historic organs remain the stars of these informative CDs». D. James Ross — Early Music Review 2020. Performance: ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ Recorded sound: ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ Booklet notes: ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ Overall presentation: ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ Total: ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

«L’opera per organo di Girolamo Cavazzoni, che possiamo considerare il più importante compositore per organo nei primi tre quarti del XVI secolo, è tramandata essenzialmente attraverso le stampe che comprendonoinni, Magnificat, ricercari e tre Messe [...]. Per questa restituzione dell’opera di Cavazzoni ci troviamo di fornte a due grandi esperti: Alberto Turco, no-tissimo studioso di canto gregoriano e direttore della Nova Schola Gregoriana, e Federico Del Sordo, che attraverso le sue incisioni delle Messe di Caludio Merulo e Giovanni Battista Fasolo ha approfondito la pratica dell’alternatim. Da ultimo, ma non meno importante, l’organo su cui sono stati eseguiti i pezzi è quello della Basilica di Santa Barbara a Mantova, strumento di cui proprio Cavazzoni seguì la costruzione. Federico Del Sordo considera la partitura non un modello intoccabile, ma qualcosa che deve essere arricchito dell’intervento dell’interprete: nel Ricercar primo, ad esempio, introduce numerose fioriture, ma anche note di passaggio “sfuggite” che coprono intervalli di terza e di quarta e rendono molto più vivo il decorso della musica; altrove, come nel Ricercar quarto, usa meno note di passaggio ma impiega figure che potremmo assimilare al trillo. Se facciamo il confronto con le esecuzioni di Sergio Vartolo (ma nache di molti altri interpreti di Girolamo Cavazzoni), ci accorgiamo della enorme differenza, perché il testo musicale viene lasciato lì alla sua nudità, mentre qui acquista, invece, una spiccata vivacità. Simile atteggiamento nei confronti della pagina scritta, anche se non così pronunciato, lo troviamo nelle tre Messe e nei Magnificat, la cui destinazione liturgica influenza l’esecuzione: il ricorso a figure tipo trillo, a cadenzine in chiusura del pezzo sono elementi costanti; la presenza della melodia di origine viene evidenziata da Del Sordo facendo spiccare le note attraverso piccoli stacchi. L’esecuzione ha un andamento serrato, a differenza di Vartolo che indugia all’interno delle frasi musicali [...]. Note di copertina dello stesso Del Sordo, che spiega come la ricostruzione dell’alternatim non sia così semplice, e prospetto dei registri dell’organo di Santa Barbara. Eccellente edizione». Gabriele Moroni, Musica 333, febbraio 2022. ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

«Keyboard music was an important genre in renaissance and early baroque Italy. Organists in particular enjoyed great prestige, and positions as organist in an important church or cathedral were in high demand.Only the best were considered. They were also often active as composers, writing pieces such as toccata, canzona and ricercar. Such works can usually be played both on the organ and on a stringed keyboard instrument (harpsichord, virginal, spinet). They were also often used in the liturgy. In addition, versetti suitable for the alternatim practice, such as Masses and Magnificats, were composed. These are the main part of the oeuvre of Girolamo Cavazzoni (c1525-after 1577) [1]. When and where he was born is not known exactly, and we don't know much about his career either. [...]. There is no evidence that he was in the service of the Gonzagas; all that is certain is that he oversaw the building of the organ in this cathedral in 1565/66. Federico Del Sordo recorded all of his organ works on this same organ, built by Graziadio Antegnati. They are included in two collections; the first was printed in 1543, the second, whose title page has been lost, probably appeared before 1549. They comprise four ricercars, two canzonas on French chansons (Josquin's Fault d'argent and Passereau's Il est bel et bon), twelve hymns, four Magnificats and three Masses. The last three categories are alternatim compositions; the plainchant is sung here by the Nova Schola Gregoriana, and the chants are taken from two sources from around 1600. Del Sordo explains how the alternatim practice was subject to certain rules that were not always followed. Among these rules was that the passage in the Creed concerning the Incarnation of Christ (et incarnatus est) was not to be played, but was always to be sung. The first verse of the Magnificat should also always be performed vocally. This has consequences for the relationship between the text and the organ verses. In addition to the collections mentioned, there are two ricercares that have been included in anthologies. One is played on the harpsichord, the other is intended for an instrumental ensemble, but can - as here - also be played on the organ. Federico Del Sordo is a specialist in the alternatim repertoire, and in early Italian keyboard music in general. His interpretations are excellent. [...]». Johan van Veen, Musica Dei donum, 2022.

In occasione dell’incontro ecumenico ad Atene fra le Chiese romana e ortodossa, con la partecipazione della Nova Schola Gregoriana e Schola Ortodossa, l’augurio: «Avec mes voeux les plus fervents pour l’effort commune vers l’unité des nos Eglises. [«Con i miei più fervidi auguri per lo sforzo comune verso l'unità delle nostre Chiese»].