Episodes: 2005

Some instruments of recent vintage in venues near and far.

A glimpse into America’s organbuilding past, exemplified by the work of a dozen builders found in and around New Haven.

The passionate and powerful Sixth Organ Symphony by Charles-Marie Widor in two versions, for organ solo and with orchestra. Widor’s arrangement of the outer movements of his popular Sixth Organ Symphony [solo] was his first major essay for organ and orchestra. He went on to create two additional, totally original organ and orchestra compositions later in life. It was prepared for a London concert in 1882, later played by Charles Courboin in Antwerp in 1900, and presented again by Courboin, with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Stokowski, at the Wanamaker Store in 1919. The Bowden/McKinley performance in Indiana was only the second American outing for this score since that Philadelphia premiere.

American composers Frank Ferko and Stephen Paulus confirm the influence of a medieval mystic, Hildegard of Bingen, upon their contemporary art. Hildegard believed music to be the highest form of human activity, a mirror of the celestial resonance of angel choirs and the harmony of the heavenly spheres. Why shouldn’t composers today be inspired by her example?

A colorful collection both from and inspired by the pipe organ’s earliest known repertoire.

Music from four centuries in which a single ‘good idea’ generates multiple perspectives on a theme.

Recital recordings from the Lahti Organ Festival, one of Scandinavia’s foremost summer organ celebrations.

The idea of the pipe organ may be old, but those who are excited about playing it certainly are not!

whether in their themes or styles, American organists have always gone their own, independent way.

John Longhurst, Clay Christiansen and Richard Elliott demonstrate the famous Mormon Tabernacle organ, plus new instruments at the LDS Conference Center and at Brigham Young University-Idaho.

A marvelous miscellany of colorful compositions which share little beyond their common format name.

A 50th anniversary celebration of the ongoing activities of the American Theatre Organ Society. Theatre organs, invented to provide accompaniment to ‘silent films’ in the early days of the 20th century, found themselves unneeded in their original line of work by the mid 1930s. Yet their novel and engaging sounds continue to fascinate and entertain. Check next month’s A.T.O.S. National Convention, July 1-5, 2005 in Los Angeles, CA. Contact the Organ Historical Society Catalog for access to a large variety of theater organ recordings on compact disc.

Inspired fantasies based on the 16th century psalm-tune by Louis Bourgeois.

An organist’s perspective on a grand and glorious repertoire for the musical stage.

Today’s world culture is nothing new to the pipe organ, which has been importing and integrating international influences for centuries.

We go beyond the standard repertoire to explore several engaging and mostly little-known scores.

Hot to the touch, and hotter to hear, these compositions cover the keyboard with memorable sonic effects.

A four-century survey of organ music and a review of some resplendent recent recordings.