UPDATED 05/12/2008

MINI-CONCERT NO. 8   If you enjoy this concert, please donate by clicking on the button to the left! Vierne, Louis: Complainte, Op. 31, No. 3 Somewhat repetitive drone, as the title suggests. The Casavant Frères organ (opus 2871) at St. George's Memorial Anglican Church Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1966) - Samples by Ken Bales [2:59] Midi file available. MO Heron, Henry: Voluntary in G Unison passages surround concerto-like interludes. WellTemperament Young. Joseph Hart, Little Waldingfield, Suffolk, England, (1809) Samples by Lavendar Audio [2:3] HW2>3 Vierne, Louis: Canon, Op. 31, No. 6 Slightly oriental flavor introduced because of the prominent augmented 2nd interval. The Casavant Frères organ (opus 2871) at St. George's Memorial Anglican Church Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1966) - Samples by Ken Bales [2:26] Midi file available. MO Schumann, Robert: Fugue 1, Op. 60 The first of six fugues written on the name of Bach. This is marked "Langsam" ("slowly") and at Ms. 34 "Nach und nach schneller and stärker" (more and more rapid and loud) which does give quite an urgency to the next 25 measures. It would have been ludicrous to carry the accelerando to the very end, however. The Casavant Frères organ (opus 2871) at St. George's Memorial Anglican Church Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1966) - Samples by Ken Bales [5:49] MO Heron, Henry: Cornet Voluntary Two movements: [Slow] - SW Principal 4' coupled to GT Open Diapason 8'; and Allegro - SW Open Diapason 8' + Viol di Gamba 8' + Gedact 8' (B&T) + Octave 4'; GT Open Diapason 8' + Principal 4' + Twelfth 2-2/3' + Cremona 8'. For the first repeat the SW loses the Diapason and Viol, and the GT is just Stopped Diapason 8' (T&B) + Flute 4' + Twelfth 2-2/3'; subsequent repeats have the RH on the SW as suggested by the editor. WellTemperament-Werckmeister3. Joseph Hart, Little Waldingfield, Suffolk, England, (1809) Samples by Lavendar Audio [3:51] HW2>3 Reger, Max: O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig, Op. 67, No. 32 Chorale played without embellishment on the Orgue Mayor - Montre 8' + Flute 8' + 1st Octava 4' + Cornet, slippery syncopation on the Teclat d'Alt Flute 8' + Prestant 4' + Flute 2, an occasional dotted rhythm in the Pedal Flute 16' + Montre 8'. +2dB output volume, original tuning. Caimari organ - Palma, Mallorca (1702) - Samples by Jiri Zurek [1:29] (a=408 Hz) HW2>3 Vierne, Louis: Cortège, Op. 31, No. 2 Somewhat grotesque notions seem to haunt this funeral procession for foundation stops and reeds of all available pitches. The Casavant Frères organ (opus 2871) at St. George's Memorial Anglican Church Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1966) - Samples by Ken Bales [3:22] Midi file available. MO Stanley, John: Voluntary in G minor Two movements: Adagio (SW Open Diapason 8' + Gedact 8' (B&T) + Principal 4' + Mixture II coupled to GT Open Diapason 8' + Principal 4' + Fifteenth 2') and Andante (SW withdraw Open Diapason); Pedal Bourdon 16' ad lib (with GT-PD coupler for last Organ Point and ending), Joseph Hart, Little Waldingfield, Suffolk, England, (1809) Samples by Lavendar Audio [3:50] HW2>3 Travers, John: Cornet Voluntary Two sections: Slow (introduction) - SW Open Diapason 8 + Principal 4' coupled to GT Stopped Diapason 8' (B); and Allegro (cheerfully energetic two-voice texture) - LH on SW Diapason 8' + Gedact 8' (B) + Viol di Gamba 8' + Octave 4' + Mixture III; RH on GT Stopped Diapason 8' (B&T) +Flute 4' + Twelfth 2-2/3' + Fifteenth 2' + Cremona 8', all substituting for the Cornet. +6dB output volume, WellTemperament-Young. Joseph Hart, Little Waldingfield, Suffolk, England, (1809) Samples by Lavendar Audio [1:30] HW2>3 Gigout, Eugène: Scherzo in G minor No. 2 of 12 Pieces for Organ. Migrates through several keys and all the manuals, with a little fancy footwork and abrupt ending characteristic of this genre. -15dB output volume, Impulse reverberation added, original tuning. The Casavant Frères organ (opus 2871) at St. George's Memorial Anglican Church Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1966) - Samples by Ken Bales [5:38] HW2>3 Vierne, Louis: Rêverie, Op. 31, No. 10 Though similar in registration and technique to other meditative pieces in this collection, it is as unique as any heartbreak that could have caused it. The solo passages on the Great are particularly expressive, the relentless slowness evokes acceptance. The Casavant Frères organ (opus 2871) at St. George's Memorial Anglican Church Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1966) - Samples by Ken Bales [4:38] Midi file available. MO Schumann, Robert: Canon 5, Op. 56 This is the most pianistic of the Canons, and resembles a Scherzo. The original organ could never be made to sound this way, since the combinations were used rapidly to achieve the Sforzando effects asked for by the composer. The Casavant Frères organ (opus 2871) at St. George's Memorial Anglican Church Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1966) - Samples by Ken Bales [2:33] MO Hayes, Philip: Pastorale Organ solo from a concerto, which contrasts two manuals, but could also be played on one. Uses parallel thirds and sixths and organ points, as does the relatively more famous Bach Pastorale. SW Open Diapason 8' + Gedact 8 (B); GT Stopped Diapason 8' (B&T) + Flute 4'. WellTemperament-SeventhComma. Joseph Hart, Little Waldingfield, Suffolk, England, (1809) Samples by Lavendar Audio [2:19] HW2>3 Vierne, Louis: Choral, Op. 31, No. 16 A powerful motive alternating open fifths and thirds is sounded in increasingly lower regions of the manual reeds. This alternates with a sweeter, lilting section, and the expression pedal is utilized with great effect. The Casavant Frères organ (opus 2871) at St. George's Memorial Anglican Church Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1966) - Samples by Ken Bales [4:30] Midi file available. MO Franck, César: Chorale I Dedicated to Monsieur Eugène Gigout, this is the first of the monumental Trois Chorals written near the end of Franck's life. The Casavant Frères organ (opus 2871) at St. George's Memorial Anglican Church Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1966) - Samples by Ken Bales [13:54] MO