Hidden gems and stocking fillers

[Contrabombarde 0]

I've come across several pieces recently, thanks in part to the large number of recordings on Youtube and 24/7 Organlive internet organ radio streaming, that I thought to myself, that's a beautiful discovery, why had I never heard it before? An additional criterion should be that the music is out of copyright, so I can legally search imspl and other sources for the score and learn it immediately. They are all fairly short and not particularly difficult to learn. Another incentive for me to try these new works is the completion of my Hauptwerk home organ since I can experience how they sound on instruments for which they were originally written, though that's another story!

 

Here's a few to start off with, can others help populate the list with gems?

 

Bohm Chorale prelude 12.2 Vater unser in Himmelreich

Brahms Choralvorspiel und Fuge O Traurigkeit, o Herzerleid

Lefèbure-Wely Meditaciones religiosas op 122 no 7, Andante (Choeur de Voix humaines) - exquisite, come back LW, all is forgiven after your Sortie!

Lemare Rêverie (OK, maybe not the greatest, but the first organ piece I can recall that's written in 5:4 time)

Parry Chorale Fantasia "O God our help in Ages Past" (any idea where to get the score?)

Zipoli All Elevazione I and II - magical, apparently the inspiration for Moricone's theme tune for "Gabriel's oboe" in the film "The Mission"

[Vox Humana 0]

I love the Brahms - absolutely wonderful. Am I the only one to find a distinct similarity between the style of the fugue and the first of the 11 chorale preludes?

 

Ditto the Zipoli pieces. I remember ClassicFM doing one of them to death a few years back in an arrangement for, I think, strings. They sound much better on the organ!

 

I'm a great fan of the Cinq Invocations by Henri Dallier. An individual voice with shades of Debussy. The final toccata is a bit of a pig though - I never did get around to learning that one. No.2 is very straightforward and can sound quite atmospheric with a good acoustic. http://imslp.org/wik...(Dallier,_Henri)

 

Charles Quef's Trois Pièces Op.44 are worth a look. In particular, the first is both easy and enchanting (though you do need a Great 16' Bourdon to achieve the proper effect).

http://imslp.org/wik..._(Quef,_Charles)

 

I rather like the Pastorale from Quef's Five Pieces op.32 too - there's just the faintest hint of the last movement of the Franck Violin sonata.

http://imslp.org/wiki/5_Pieces_for_Organ,_Op.32_(Quef,_Charles)

[S_L 0]

Parry Chorale Fantasia "O God our help in Ages Past" (any idea where to get the score?)

 

 

Perhaps ask Andrew Dewar, who has a recording of this, played on the organ of St. Martin's, Salisbury, on you-tube. I think you will find him at the American Cathedral, 23 Avenue Georges V, Paris 8

[Vox Humana 0]

Then there are Edouard Commette's 6 Pieces. The Scherzo is fairly well known (and on YouTube), but the Allegretto is fun too. I keep thinking I've heard it as the theme music for some TV series. If I haven't, I should have done.

[AJJ 0]

Commette's 12 Pieces for Organ have some interesting music too - there is a quite natty Toccata, Sur Le Lac is quiter and impressionistic and Marche Solenelle is quite 'solenelle' and sounds like early Widor - who taught Commette.

 

A

[S_L 0]

Commette's 12 Pieces for Organ have some interesting music too - there is a quite natty Toccata, Sur Le Lac is quiter and impressionistic and Marche Solenelle is quite 'solenelle' and sounds like early Widor - who taught Commette.

 

A

 

He was, as you surmised, a pupil of Widor and also of Victor Neuville. Commette came from Lyon and was organist of Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière in Lyon for over 50 years. At the bottom of the hill, down from the Cathedral, there is a square named after him. He died in 1967 and there are, around, some recordings made by him.

[AJJ 0]

Thanks - interesting info. - we will be in Lyon again next year so I'll keep an eye open.

 

A

[sprondel 0]

I love the Brahms - absolutely wonderful. Am I the only one to find a distinct similarity between the style of the fugue and the first of the 11 chorale preludes?

Leonardo Ciampa thinks that »O Traurigkeit« was intended to be part of the collection of organ chorales Brahms put together at the end of his life, being planned in two sets of seven each. He put together an interesting hypothesis about that here.

 

And yes, the »O Traurigkeit« pair is marvellous.

 

Best,

Friedrich

[sprondel 0]

… can others help populate the list with gems?

What about Guy-Ropartz’s

?

 

Best,

Friedrich

[Vox Humana 0]

Leonardo Ciampa thinks that »O Traurigkeit« was intended to be part of the collection of organ chorales Brahms put together at the end of his life, being planned in two sets of seven each. He put together an interesting hypothesis about that here.

 

And yes, the »O Traurigkeit« pair is marvellous.

 

Best,

Friedrich

 

Very interesting! Thank you, Friedrich.

[timothyguntrip 0]

Commette's 12 Pieces for Organ have some interesting music too - there is a quite natty Toccata, Sur Le Lac is quiter and impressionistic and Marche Solenelle is quite 'solenelle' and sounds like early Widor - who taught Commette.

 

A

 

Would you be able to tell me where I could get hold of these? I've only come across his Six Pieces before.

 

VA

[timothyguntrip 0]

Here's a few interesting pieces that I've found available online:

 

Gottfried Federlein: Scherzo-Pastorale - a jolly little piece which is not too tricky and would make a lighter filler item in recitals. You can hear it

.

 

Edouard Silas: Blenheim Fantasia

 

Alexandre Boely: Lots of fairly straightforward tuneful pieces in here.

 

M.E.Bossi: There's two volumes of some of his organ pieces. Some of them can be slightly cheesy, but I've a slight fondness for the Resignation...

 

Hopefully the above may fit the description of the kind of items you are looking for.

 

VA

[AJJ 0]

Would you be able to tell me where I could get hold of these? I've only come across his Six Pieces before.

 

VA

 

I have recordings only - via iTunes.

 

A

[Contrabombarde 0]

I just came across this piece by someone I'd never heard of and who has apparently never been discussed on this forum. I can't find any recordings listed other than this one either:

 

 

Hugo Kaun has four pieces of organ music listed on imslp though elsewhere I found references to other works. I thought this Abendstimmung was quite stunning, a bit Reger-esque with (it seems) every other chord a diminished seventh and every other note a double flat. Not too difficult, quite short and some dramatic sequences in the middle. Can anyone add anything about this composer?