McGill Summer Organ Academy :: German Romantic

The 200th anniversary of Mendelssohn’s birth offers us an opportunity to explore the genesis of the great Sonatas, Opus 65 and Three Preludes and Fugues, Opus 37 in addition, some of his earlier written works. Mendelssohn’s organ oeuvre is a compilation of a creative process that began after 1822 when his counterpoint teacher, Friedrich Zelter, introduced him to the organ. The course will explore the composition of these works, how they were compiled and issues of performance practice such articulation, slurring practice and registration in relation to the important primary pedagogical sources of the early romantic period.

Repertoire List

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
1)    Sonatas, Opus 65
2)    Preludes and Fugues, Opus 37
3)    Allegro, Chorale and Fugue
Editions:
1) Novello: Complete Organ Works, edited by William Little
2) Breitkopf: Organ Works, edited by Christian Martin Schmidt

Week 2:

May 22, 2009 - Carole Terry's Week 2 course has been CANCELLED

The second week’s course will concentrate on several different composers of the various German organ schools who followed compositionally in the footsteps of Mendelssohn. Besides Mendelssohn, A.W. Bach, the great Berlin teacher, also taught August Ritter, writer of four sonatas, and Ludwig Thiele, known for his large- scale compositions. Töpfer, a representative of the Weimar circle wrote Sonata in d minor for three manuals which carries the aesthetics of Mendelssohn’s sonata into the realm of contrast through manual changes. These composers deserve attention in their own right as well as the main representative of the Munich school, Gabriel Rheinberger who was extremely prolific having written twenty organ sonatas and numerous small character pieces, trios. etc. We will also cover the writing style and performance practice of the three major organ collections of Robert Schumann, Opus 56, 58 and 60. What does piano voicing, technique and articulation tells us about the performance of the sketches, canons and fugues on the organ? Brahms chorale preludes, Opus 122 will be considered for their text painting and his preludes and fugues for their relationship to his symphonic works. Finally we will cover selected works of Max Reger, considered to be the pinnacle of 19th Century German organ composition with respect to form and their connection compositionally to the large romantic organs of the day. All composers’ works will be considered with respect to performance practice issues of articulation, slurring, registration and their relationship to the important 19th century pedagogical sources in Germany.

Repertoire List

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
1)    Studies for Pedal piano, Opus 56
2)    Sketches for Pedal piano, Opus 58
3)    Six Fugue on the name BACH, Opus 60

Editon: Henle edition

Johann Gottlob Töpfer (1791-1870)
1) Sonata in d minor for three manuals

Editon: Möseler Verlag, Ed. Wolfgang Stockmeier

Gabriel Rheinberger (1839-1901)
Organ Sonatas
Sonata No. 3 in G Major, Opus 88
Sonata No. 4 in a minor, Opus 98
Sonata No. 5 in F# Major, Opus 111
Sonata No. 7 in f minor, Opus 127
Sonata No. 8 in e minor, Opus 132
Sonata No. 11 in d minor, Opus 148
Sonata No. 13 in E flat Major, Opus 161

Editon: Carus Verlag, No.’s 1-11 Complete Works, Vol. 38, No.’s 12-20, Vol. 39

August Gottfried Ritter (1811-1885)
Sonata in a Minor, Opus 23, No. 3

Editon: Forberg, Ed. Martin Weyer

Sonata in A Major, Opus 31, No. 4

Editon: Leipzig: Peters, Ed. Anna Marlene Gurgel

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Complete Organ works of Johannes Brahms

Editon: Henle Edition, Ed. George Bozarth

Max Reger (1873-1916)
Chorale Fantasies
Ein feste Burg is unser Gott, opus 27
Wie Schön leucht’uns der Morgenstern, Opus 40, No. 1
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, Opus 52, No. 2
Hallelujah” Gott zu loben bleibe meine Seelenfreud, Opus 52, No. 3

Toccata and Fugue in d minor/D Major, Opus 59
Fantasie and Fugue in d minor, Opus 135b
Introduction and Passacaglia in d minor, WoO
Introduction and Passacaglia in f minor, Opus 63, No. 5 & 6

Smaller character-style pieces

Opus 59
Pastorale
Benedictus

Opus 65
Präludium
Scherzo

Editon: Breitfopf Edition, Edited by Klotz, Weyer, and Haselböck