Barthelemy Formentelly : the Biography and the Works 

(Updated : September, 2006)

New Works 

Dom Bedos  Great Organ in Rieti

  Restorations

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Bartolomeo Formentelli was born in  Courquetaine (France) , near Paris, from italian parents. He received first learning on church music and keyboard by Marcel Thomas, Meaux Cathedral Master.  Thomas (He was Italian origins , too) often discuss about Italian Organs clear sounds and interesting Plenums.  When Formentelli was 14 yers old, he decided to start a new adventure : learning the Organ Builder Art . Probably this happens from hidden relationship between Corquetaine (Ancient Couperin Feudo) and Brescia, (The city of Antegnati, great musical instruments builders family). After wooden working two years period, Formentelli learns Organ Builder Art on the Gonzales Greats Factory. He remains here for six years. After this period , he pass to Hartmann & Bourgarel Masters (Giura) , the latest owner of real french ancient art "du facteur L'orgue.." .  When he was only 20 years old, he restored the Dammarie Les Lys Organ. First concert was performed by Andre' Marchal. French Government gave to Formentelli  a gold medal for this work.After that, "copyng" the ancient invaders french people, guided from Carlo VIII , he went in Italy. He travel riding a motorbike.. genius normally likes  strong sensations.. Hearing Italian organs clear sound  , Formentelli decided to live in Italy and in 1964 he build it's actua factory in Veneto. On beatiful Valpolicella  Valley (World famous for quality wines , too) he has a artigin laboratory, in which, against market laws , reject any form of modern industry concepts and he works only by hand and ancient tools, directly keeped form ancient papers "dom Bedos : L'art du Facter l'orgue", Rubio and others texts. During first period, Formentelli's extreme conception caused some early  working problems in Italy ;  people was not able to play on ancient mechanical organs, and sounds was really clear and strong (and beatiful...). But Formentelli grat art and capacity had many acknoledgement abroad (see great Moucherel 5-keyboard impressive restoration in Albi, France).  So, today he is well known as "Master" of organ art and Formentelli masterpiece start to fill italian churches, now. So we finally can hear in italy great and impressive sounds, probably same sounds heared from '700 and '800 people...  On 1970 he just married in Portugal and became 3 times father.. the major of childrens, Michel , has great interest for organ builder art and he is becoming the next Master of this strong and ancent art. We are happy about this.. Now  Formentelli will be on for the future. 

 

MAIN NEW ORGAN BUILT FROM BARTHษLษMY FORMENTELLI

1968 – S.Maria Assunta Church -Merano - Great Mechanical Organ, Pure Italian Style, 4 keyboards
  1972 – Duomo di Cavarzere
1975 – Duomo S.Marco – Rovereto, Great 4-keyboard Italian Style Organ
  1971/75 -Conservatori di Parma, Piacenza, Padova
1982 –  St.Louis Curch, Grenoble – Francia
  1984 – Chiesa di Meymac, Corr่ze - Francia
1985 - Santa Galla  Church Modern Style Great Organ(Rome)
  1989 – Chiesa St. Fran็ois de Salles – Ginevra 
  1990 – Istituto Lemmens, Louvain - Belgio
  1990 – Chamber Organ for Prof. Scarpat - Brescia
  1992 – Positivo Italiano, Conservatorio di Losanna
  1993 – Chiesa S.Giovanni in Valle - Verona
  1993 – Chiesa de la Cit้, Perigueux - Francia
1995 – Chiesa di Stroppari - Vicenza
  1997 – Chiesa di Manigod, Haute-Savoie - France
  1998 – St.Laurent sur S่vre Church - France
  2000 – Convento di Mazille – France : Wooden Organ
2000 - The Jubilee Great Organ - S.M. Angeli, Roma

 
On this site 2004..2007 - Dom Bedos-Roubo Great Organ works in San Domenico, Rieti, Italy

PRINCIPALI RESTAURI

1964 – Organo fine 1500 di Claudio Merulo – Parma
1965 - Organo del 1700, Universitเ di Berkeley – California
1967 – Organo del 1600, Chiesa S.Francesca Romana – Ferrara
1967/91- Quattro organi del 1700 in Corsica
1969 - Organo del 1700, Chiesa S.Giacomo Maggiore – Bologna
1969 – Organo del 1700, Igreya da Pena, Lisbona – Portogallo
1972 – Organo del 1500/800, Duomo di Carpi – Modena
1973 – Organo del 1500/800, Chiesa S.Maria in Organo – Verona
1973 – Organo del 1700, Chiesa S.Nicol๒ dei Mendicoli – Venezia

1981 – Organo del 1732 "Moucherel", Cattedrale di Albi – Francia
1983 – Organo del 1770, Cattedrale di St.Pons – Francia

1984 – Organo del 1600, Cit้ de Carcassonne – Francia
1986 – Organo del 1600, Lanvellec, Bretagna – Francia
1988 – Organo del 1600/800, Basilica di Beaune – Francia
1989 – Organo del 1598 "Luca Blasi", S.Giovanni in Laterano
1990 – Organo del 1600, Josselin, Bretagna – Francia

1991 – Organo del 1725 "Moucherel", Mouzon – Francia
1992 – Organo fine 1500, Antegnati, Duomo di Verona
1992 – Organo del 1600, Ploujean, Bretagna – Francia
1992 – Organo del 1600, Cattedrale di Tarbes - Francia
1994 – Organo del 1673, Chiesa S.Giovanni Battista – Roma
1994 – Organo del 1700 "Tommaso de Martino", Duomo di Napoli
1994 – Organo del 1500 Breteuil – sur-Iton, Normandia – Francia
1995 – Organo del 1700 Oratorio SS. Pietro e Paolo – Genova
1995 – Organo del 1800 Santuario Madonna della Costa – San Remo
1996 – Organo del 1700 "F.lli Ricci", S.Giovanni Marignano – Rimini
1997 – 1600 "Adriano Fedeli" Organ, Dignano : the church was completely ruined during the 1998 eartquake, except for the organ; it remains over the only steady wall remained.  Formentelli & son Michel performed the "Organ Rescue" ; now the instrument is in Factory, waiting for better moment and to find a new church.
1999 – Organo  1800 "G. Callido", Lunano – Pesaro
1999 – Water Organ ,  Quirinale Palace – Rome

 

 2000 - Organo Sona del 1800  con mostra di 16'  con ancie verticali di mostra, Valeggio sul Mincio

2002 - Organo Andrea e Luigi Montesanti (1800) , S.M. Assunta di Castel d'Ario

2004 - Organo seicentesco di Gerard Brunel (1673) in Saint Vincent de Nay (FR)

2005 - Organo di Anonimo Veneto del 1700, Pieve di S.Eusebio in Angarano

 

2003-2006 - Organo Monumentale Josseline et Coquerel, 1542 / Lefebvre, 1738  (Caudebec en Caux, France)

FOTO  Caudebec1  - Caudebec2  - Caudebec3

2007 - Organo Vitani-Montesanti (1789) a due tastiere, Governolo (Mn)  ; una decina di registri, pressoch่ completi, sono provenienti dall'antico Organo Vitani da Pavia (1604). Consta di 2589 canne (1737 al primo Organo, 852 al secondo organo), due tastiere, 25 note al pedale, 58 registri reali, e ci viene restituito alla sua verosimile identitเ fonica, concepita dai Montesanti per la grande basilica Albertiana.

 
2008 - Gagliano Aterno (Abruzzi) ; A Beatiful XVIII century organ; it was restored by Tomaso Vayola on XIX century ; he added many reeds and stops. The organ was restored mantaining the Vayola stops; so you can see beatiful "en Chamade" reeds, a rare example for Italian hystorica organs. The organ was  restored by Michel and Barthelemy Formentelli.

Tigli Filippo No-flash photo, as reccomended by Barthelemy..

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