Farewell Recital in honor of Fr. Garrett Ahlers
Performed live June 28, 2020 – 2:00 PM
Praeludium in g moll Vincent Lübeck (1654 - 1740)
Récit de Tierce en Taille Nicolas de Grigny (1672 - 1703)
Chorale prelude: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, Op. 4, 4 Moritz Brosig (1815 - 1887)
Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit, BWV 669 J. S. Bach (1685 - 17500
Christe, aller Welt Trost, BWV 670
Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist, BWV 671
Dr. Thomas Andrews, organ
INTERMISSION
24 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31 Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937)
19.Berceuse
Messe à l’usage des paroisses François Couperin (1668 - 1733)
I. Kyrie:Récit de Chromhorne
II. Gloria:
Leipzig Chorales J. S. Bach
An Wasserflüssen Babylon, BWV 653
24 Pièces de fantaisie, Opp. 51, 53-55 Louis Vierne
Suite 4: Carillon de Westminster, Op. 54
Fr. Garrett Ahlers, organ
Program Notes
Vincent Lübeck (1654-1740) was organist at the St. Cosmae et Damiani Kirche in Stade, Germany (1675-1702) and the St. Nikolai Kirche in Hamburg, Germany (1702-1740). During his time at St. Nikolai, Hamburg was well established in producing concerts and organists of the North German school, the most famous being Matthias Weckmann.
Little is known of Lübeck’s early life and musical education, but he was known for his extraordinary talent while working in Hamburg. His Praeludium in g mollis in typical North German style: Multi-sectional compositions that alternate improvisatory and virtuosic passages with complex contrapuntal ones such as fugues. Unique to Lübeck is his use of 5-part polyphony and double pedal, which is used in this G minor prelude.
Nicolas de Grigny (1672-1703) served as organist at St. Denis in Paris and was later organist at Reims cathedral. His only extant collection of music is his Premier livre d’orgue, which includes a French organ Mass. His beloved Récit de Tierce en Taille comes from the Gloria portion of this organ Mass. His music was so admired by Bach that he transcribed all of de Grigny’s organ music by hand.
Moritz Brosig (1815-1887) was Domkapellmeisterat the Breslau cathedral in what is now modern-day Wrocław, Poland. A master improviser, Brosig was a Catholic contemporary to the protestant Adolph Hesse. Brosig is unique in reviving the chorale prelude - a protestant musical tradition that went out of style after Bach’s death - in Germany while giving it his own Catholic interpretation. Aus tiefer Notincludes a solo chorale melody on the krummhorn with lilting accompaniment, and varies between soft and loud registrations
Johann Sebastian Bach’s (1685-1750) Clavierübung II Iis often referred to as the German organ Mass. It was composed in the 1730s while he worked in Leipzig, and is considered Bach's most significant and extensive work for organ, containing some of his most musically complex and technically demanding compositions for that instrument.
The three chorale preludes are pedalitersettings of the three verses of the Lutheran Kyrie and laden in Trinitarian references (3 movement structure, 3 note motifs are notable examples). In the first, the voice of God the Father is heard in a solo voice in the soprano line, above all other accompaniment. In the second movement, the voice of Christ is heard in the tenor line, among the accompaniment. In the third movement, the Holy Spirit is heard in the pedal line, beneath the accompaniment.
The Leipzig Chorales, also known as the Great Eighteen, were written during the final decade of Bach’s life while he was working in Leipzig. They hearken back to Bach’s time in Weimar, gradually perfecting his smaller chorale preludes into large-scale preludes. An Wasserflüssen Babylonis an ornamented chorale, where the melody becomes highly embellished and at times unrecognizable.
Francois Couperin (1668-1733) was a French Classic composer known for his keyboard works, including a treatise on how to play the harpsichord. His only organ music survives in one collection, titled Pièces d'orgue consistantes en deux messes. Selections from the Kyrie, Gloria, andOffertoire will be performed today. The Offertoire sur les grands jeuxis similar to the French overture form in its three sections: prelude, chromatic fugue, and gigue-like fugue. TheKyrieand Gloriawould have been performed in alternatimwith a schola chanting the other half of each couplet in Latin.
Louis Vierne (1870-1937) was organist at St. Sulpice in Paris, and studied organ with Charles-Marie Widor. He was a master improviser with a rich, romantically-inspired harmonic language. Remarkably, Vierne achieved his musical prowess while being blind since birth! He wrote six large organ symphonies as well as 24 Pieces en style libre(Berceuse) and 24 Pieces de fantaisie(Carillon de Westminster).
Vierne’s Berceuse(“lullaby”) is a quiet, calm work. It makes use of chordal planing and parallel 4ths/5ths throughout to potentially lull the composer to sleep!
The Carillon is a fantasia based on the famous Westminster chimes. Legend has it that Vierne’s friend Henry Willis hummed the tune to Vierne upon transcription, but may have heard it incorrectly, because at times the second quarter of the chimes is altered from the “official” Westminster chime tune.
Performed live June 28, 2020 – 2:00 PM
Praeludium in g moll Vincent Lübeck (1654 - 1740)
Récit de Tierce en Taille Nicolas de Grigny (1672 - 1703)
Chorale prelude: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, Op. 4, 4 Moritz Brosig (1815 - 1887)
Kyrie, Gott Vater in Ewigkeit, BWV 669 J. S. Bach (1685 - 17500
Christe, aller Welt Trost, BWV 670
Kyrie, Gott heiliger Geist, BWV 671
Dr. Thomas Andrews, organ
INTERMISSION
24 Pièces en style libre, Op. 31 Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937)
19.Berceuse
Messe à l’usage des paroisses François Couperin (1668 - 1733)
I. Kyrie:Récit de Chromhorne
II. Gloria:
- Benedicimus te – Petite Fugue sur le Chromhorne.
- Glorificamus te – Duo sur les Tierces
- Domine Deus, Rex Coelestis – Dialogue sur les jeux de Trompettes
- Domine Deus, Agnus Dei – Trio a deux dessus de Chromhorne
- Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe – Tierce en taille
- Quoniam tu Solus – Dialogue sur la Voix d’Humaine
Leipzig Chorales J. S. Bach
An Wasserflüssen Babylon, BWV 653
24 Pièces de fantaisie, Opp. 51, 53-55 Louis Vierne
Suite 4: Carillon de Westminster, Op. 54
Fr. Garrett Ahlers, organ
Program Notes
Vincent Lübeck (1654-1740) was organist at the St. Cosmae et Damiani Kirche in Stade, Germany (1675-1702) and the St. Nikolai Kirche in Hamburg, Germany (1702-1740). During his time at St. Nikolai, Hamburg was well established in producing concerts and organists of the North German school, the most famous being Matthias Weckmann.
Little is known of Lübeck’s early life and musical education, but he was known for his extraordinary talent while working in Hamburg. His Praeludium in g mollis in typical North German style: Multi-sectional compositions that alternate improvisatory and virtuosic passages with complex contrapuntal ones such as fugues. Unique to Lübeck is his use of 5-part polyphony and double pedal, which is used in this G minor prelude.
Nicolas de Grigny (1672-1703) served as organist at St. Denis in Paris and was later organist at Reims cathedral. His only extant collection of music is his Premier livre d’orgue, which includes a French organ Mass. His beloved Récit de Tierce en Taille comes from the Gloria portion of this organ Mass. His music was so admired by Bach that he transcribed all of de Grigny’s organ music by hand.
Moritz Brosig (1815-1887) was Domkapellmeisterat the Breslau cathedral in what is now modern-day Wrocław, Poland. A master improviser, Brosig was a Catholic contemporary to the protestant Adolph Hesse. Brosig is unique in reviving the chorale prelude - a protestant musical tradition that went out of style after Bach’s death - in Germany while giving it his own Catholic interpretation. Aus tiefer Notincludes a solo chorale melody on the krummhorn with lilting accompaniment, and varies between soft and loud registrations
Johann Sebastian Bach’s (1685-1750) Clavierübung II Iis often referred to as the German organ Mass. It was composed in the 1730s while he worked in Leipzig, and is considered Bach's most significant and extensive work for organ, containing some of his most musically complex and technically demanding compositions for that instrument.
The three chorale preludes are pedalitersettings of the three verses of the Lutheran Kyrie and laden in Trinitarian references (3 movement structure, 3 note motifs are notable examples). In the first, the voice of God the Father is heard in a solo voice in the soprano line, above all other accompaniment. In the second movement, the voice of Christ is heard in the tenor line, among the accompaniment. In the third movement, the Holy Spirit is heard in the pedal line, beneath the accompaniment.
The Leipzig Chorales, also known as the Great Eighteen, were written during the final decade of Bach’s life while he was working in Leipzig. They hearken back to Bach’s time in Weimar, gradually perfecting his smaller chorale preludes into large-scale preludes. An Wasserflüssen Babylonis an ornamented chorale, where the melody becomes highly embellished and at times unrecognizable.
Francois Couperin (1668-1733) was a French Classic composer known for his keyboard works, including a treatise on how to play the harpsichord. His only organ music survives in one collection, titled Pièces d'orgue consistantes en deux messes. Selections from the Kyrie, Gloria, andOffertoire will be performed today. The Offertoire sur les grands jeuxis similar to the French overture form in its three sections: prelude, chromatic fugue, and gigue-like fugue. TheKyrieand Gloriawould have been performed in alternatimwith a schola chanting the other half of each couplet in Latin.
Louis Vierne (1870-1937) was organist at St. Sulpice in Paris, and studied organ with Charles-Marie Widor. He was a master improviser with a rich, romantically-inspired harmonic language. Remarkably, Vierne achieved his musical prowess while being blind since birth! He wrote six large organ symphonies as well as 24 Pieces en style libre(Berceuse) and 24 Pieces de fantaisie(Carillon de Westminster).
Vierne’s Berceuse(“lullaby”) is a quiet, calm work. It makes use of chordal planing and parallel 4ths/5ths throughout to potentially lull the composer to sleep!
The Carillon is a fantasia based on the famous Westminster chimes. Legend has it that Vierne’s friend Henry Willis hummed the tune to Vierne upon transcription, but may have heard it incorrectly, because at times the second quarter of the chimes is altered from the “official” Westminster chime tune.