Information
Composer: John Stanley
- Voluntaries, Op. 6 Nos. 1–10
- Voluntaries, Op. 5 Nos. 1–10
- Voluntaries, Op. 7 Nos. 1–10
Pietro Delle Chiaie, organ
Date: 2025
Label: Brilliant Classics
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John Stanley (1712–1786), a blind English composer, organist, and violinist, was a musical prodigy who held esteemed positions at All Hallows, the Temple Church, and the Chapel Royal. A student of Maurice Greene, he succeeded William Boyce as Master of the King’s Band of Musicians. Stanley’s most renowned works are his Organ Voluntaries, Op. 5–7 (1748–1754), composed for Anglican services. These pieces blend late Baroque elegance with emerging Classical elements, often featuring multi-movement structures with lyrical openings, energetic fugues, and vivid trumpet tunes. He creatively exploited the organ’s tonal palette, specifying colorful solo stops like trumpet, cornet, and flute.
Pietro Delle Chiaie is an accomplished Italian musician with diplomas in piano, organ, and organ composition from the Santa Cecilia Conservatoire under Luigi Cheleghin. He refined his skills through further studies with noted professors including Olivier Latry and Jean B. Christensen. He has performed widely across Europe—Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK—earning acclaim for his artistry and technique. Specializing in harpsichord and organ, he is a regular performer with the Cappella Musicale Enrico Stuart ensemble and has recorded extensively. Since 1991, he has served as the permanent organist and Kapellmeister at San Pietro Apostolo Basilica in Frascati, Rome.
