 |
      |
|
|
| Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), the great mystic of the organ, is remembered for his dissonances, bird-call patterns, and Hindu configurations which are entwined with images of the composer’s devout Catholicism. Born into a literary family, Messiaen studied at the Paris Con |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), the great mystic of the organ, is remembered for his dissonances, bird-call patterns, and Hindu configurations which are entwined with images of the composer’s devout Catholicism. Born into a literary family, Messiaen studied at the Paris Conservatoire from age 11 with Dukas and Dupré. A professor later at the Schola Cantorum and then the Conservatoire, Messiaen from 1931 until his death was organist at Sainte-Trinité, Paris. The 1935 cycle, La Nativité du Seigneur (“The Nativity of our Lord”) remains one of Messiaen’s most accessible works, especially for those not familiar with his oeuvre. The last of the nine meditations is the brilliant organ showpiece, Dieu parmi nous (“God Among Us”), which was inspired by the scriptural texts: “Words of faith of the Blessed Virgin and of the Holy Church: He that created me made my tabernacle to rest....The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us....My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God My Saviour.” (Ecclesiasticus XXIV; John I:14; Luke I:46-47).
Two sides of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) are represented by the Trio Sonata No. 3 in D Minor, BWV 527 and the Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541. While both works date from the early Leipzig years in the 1720’s, the Trio Sonata is in delicate 3-part counterpoint, while the G Major Prelude and Fugue is a more splashy vehicle.
The sonata is the earliest of the six Bach wrote (despite the numbering), and the unique andante opening movement is found in the variants of The Well-Tempered Clavier. The middle adagio e dolce in F major was transcribed by Bach and, transposed to C major, comprises the slow movement of the Concerto for Flute, Violin, Harpsichord, and Strings, BWV 1044. The spritely 3/8 vivace with much back-and-forth going on between the manuals and the pedal brings the work to a happy conclusion with hints of the opening theme being recalled in each of its three sections. Probably written as practice pieces for Bach’s son, Wilhelm Friedemann, the trio sonatas are not the usual children’s ditties. They require a solid, clean technique to display the elaborate counterpoint.
A popular recital piece, the G Major Prelude and Fugue, BWV 541 is one of two Bach wrote in this key and shows him in a joyous mood. The prelude is noted for its toccata-like arpeggios and the fugue for its dance-like rhythm which builds in intensity to the final entry of the fugue in stretto.
Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) and Marcel Dupré (1886-1971), his pupil and successor at Saint-Sulpice, Paris, in 1934, composed a vast repertoire of organ literature largely inspired by the great organs of Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. The ten organ symphonies (or suites) of Widor comprise a whole school of Romantic organ composition by themselves. Exploiting every color of the organ, they displayed the beautiful flutes and strings of Cavaillé-Coll’s instruments as well as the powerful, fiery reeds. Not often heard in their entirety today, certain movements of these works remain ever-popular and, given an organ with the tonal resources adequate to do them justice, rarely fail to thrill an audience. Symphony No. 6 dates from about 1880. The opening allegro with its massive chords at the very first is a demanding tour de force for the organist and a supreme test of the versatility of the organ at hand! The themes are treated brilliantly, harmonically, and rhythmically in G minor and even in the remote key of F-sharp minor before the resounding climax in the original key.
Some years after the first eight symphonies, Widor composed the last two: No. 9 (“Gothique”) and No. 10 (“Romaine”). Both are architectural tone pictures of the magnificent French churches which received Widor’s dedications. Both have glorious Cavaillé-Coll organs. The “Gothique” was written in 1895 for the dedication of the rebuilt organ at Saint-Ouen at Rouen, an instrument famous for the many recordings made on it in the decades since. According to Marcel Dupré’s own notes for his recording at Saint-Sulpice, the “Andante sostenuto suggests the calm interior of the nave and creates an atmosphere of prayer.”
In the fall of 1993 Alan Morrison succeeded Jon Spong at Philadelphia’s First Baptist Church. Spong (b. 1933) has had a major career as organ recitalist, teacher, and is well known as the accompanist to baritone Sherrill Milnes for over 25 years. With Mr. Milnes’s retirement from the opera stage to concentrate on recital work, Jon Spong will now focus primarily on touring with this famed singer. Even those brought up in the many Protestant traditions with their gospel hymns would probably give a blank stare to the name of the hymn tune “Showalter”. Virtually all would recognize Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. Jon Spong’s note in the published score states: “The words for the hymn, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, were written in 1887 by the Rev. Elisha A. Hoffman (1839-1929). The tune which is associated with that text, known in certain newer hymnals as Showalter and in various older collections as Leaning on Jesus, was composed in 1887 by Anthony J. Showalter (1858-1924).” These eight short and witty variations cleverly and playfully exploit the tune and show off many of the color stops on the organ. The work is dedicated to Robert M. Speed.
In 1919 the Managing Director of Rolls-Royce, Claude Johnson, heard Dupré improvising at Notre-Dame in Paris when deputizing for the ill Louis Vierne. Johnson wrote to Dupré requesting pieces he heard at Vespers that day, offering 1500 francs and publication by Novello. Thus the Vêpres du Commun, Op. 18 resulted which Dupré played at his London debut on December 9, 1920, at the Albert Hall before an audience of 9000 including the Prince of Wales. The plainsong which inspired the verses was sung by the Choir of the Gregorian Association.
The first of the six Magnificats in the set, My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord, of course has its textural origins in Luke I:46, the same verse that also inspired Messiaen in Dieu parmi nous. Dupré won the Premiere Grand Prix de Rome in 1914, but World War I prevented his travelling to Italy to take up residence at the Villa Medici which was the French Institute in Rome. In the summer of that year Dupré composed the three preludes and fugues of his Opus 7, the B major being the first and perhaps the most difficult. A glittering showpiece, this prelude and fugue is dedicated “A la mémoire de RENÉ VIERNE Organiste de Notre-Dame-des-Champs.Mort pour la France”.
(c) 1993 William Marsh
Alan Morrison
Alan Morrison, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, began his musical training at the age of four, studying piano with Robert Harvey, and at age seven continued piano studies with Sarah L. Martin, a prominent teacher and recitalist in Atlanta. Mr. Morrison began organ studies with Mrs. Martin and was later accepted as a full-scholarship organ student of the eminent organist/teacher John Weaver at the world-renowned conservatory, The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he earned the Bachelor of Music degree in 1991. In 1993, Mr. Morrison received the Master of Music degree in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music from Curtis, studying with Dr. Vladimir Sokoloff and Susan Starr.
In 1991, Mr. Morrison was First Prize winner in the prestigious Tenth National Organ Playing Competition in memory of Ruth and Clarence Mader which was held in Pasadena, California. He also won First Prize in the Arthur Poister National Organ Playing Competition in Syracuse, New York, where he had taken Second Prize the year before. He was also First Prize winner in the Graduate Division of The Atlanta Music Club Competition. In 1989, he was a finalist in the National Organ Playing Competition of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and won the Atlanta Chapter of the American Guild of Organists Organ Playing Competition.
Most recently, Mr. Morrison played the world premiere of Dan Locklair’s Voyage: A Fantasy for Organ at the National AGO Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.
Active as a recitalist, Mr. Morrison has played in many cities across the United States and Italy earning enthusiastic press reviews. His debut recording has received equal praise. The American Organist labeled him “a fully formed virtuoso”. Mr. Morrison has been featured on Pipedreams, National Public Radio, and numerous stations across the United States. He has just completed his third CD recording of organ masterworks for the ACA Digital label. This CD is Mr. Morrison’s Direct-to-Tape Recordings debut.
Mr. Morrison was recently appointed Director of Music of Philadelphia’s historic First Baptist Church.
Ursinus College and the Heefner Memorial Organ
Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA, is a four year, independent liberal arts college of about 1200 men and women and is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Its 125th anniversary falls in 1994. Just 30 miles from Philadelphia, the College’s educational program, its musical program under John French, who holds the Heefner Chair of Music, and a major concert series enrich the region’s cultural offerings.
In 1986 Mrs. Lydia V. Heefner of Perkasie, PA, gave the Austin organ in memory of her husband, Russell E. Heefner. The 62-rank instrument has three manuals, 3,593 pipes, and 77 stops in four divisions. The Trompette en Chamade punctuates the commanding case situated in the central arch. This organ is among the first built by Austin Organs Inc. of Hartford, CT, to include an electronic memory system with its multi-level capture system having been designed by Solid-State Logic. The three electronicpedal stops of 32' pitch were designed by Walker Technical Services of Zionsville, PA.
Bomberger Hall which houses the instrument was built in 1891 in honor of Ursinus’s founder, Dr. J.H.A. Bomberger, the College’s first president. The handsome rectangular auditorium with its period woodwork provides an intimate and favorable acoustical setting for the organ, which has been played by major recitalists since its installation and which often serves in an accompanying role for choral and instrumental programs. The organ as voiced and the room make a nearly perfect marriage of sound and ambiance. For this recording, the microphones were placed in the rear gallery opposite the case, a favored location to sit for performances.
Credits
Direct-to-Tape Recordings is appreciative of the assistance of Richard P. Richter, President of Ursinus College; William F. Heefner, President of The Board of Trustees; and Mr. John French, Music Department Chairman and holder of the Heefner Chair of Music for their assistance in making this recording possible. Our thanks go also to Sally Widman, Director of Communications at Ursinus for minimizing potential noise during the recording sessions by scheduling maintenance work appropriately. Brantley A. Duddy, curator of the organ, prepared and tuned the instrument especially for this recording.
Producer and engineer: Bob Sellman
Artist and repertoire coordinator: William Marsh
Cover photograph: Tom Crane
Organ: Austin Organs Incorporated (1986)
Direct-to-Tape Recordings
A catalog of Direct-to-Tape Recordings is available at our website:
www.dtrmusic.com
email: sales@dtrmusic.com
Direct-to-Tape Recording Company
14 Station Avenue
Haddon Heights, NJ 08035-1456 |
|
|
|
|
|
Facebook
Twitter
Contact Artist
Add to Profile
Add to station