Album insights
For my composition inspired by the 300th anniversary of Henry Purcell's passing, I wanted to pay tribute to this master of the past whom I deeply admire. Purcell's creative attributes resonated with me; his music is inventive, melodically captivating, and filled with distinctive motifs. It exudes joy, drawn from folkloric influences like Scotch and Irish tunes, as well as deep religious themes. The richness and originality of his harmonies, including septimal parallels at times, coupled with lively rhythms featuring triplets and dotted rhythms, inspired my work.
Drawing from Purcell's music, I incorporated three themes into my composition, "Hommage." Most prominently, the "Dance of the Furies" from the opera Dido and Aeneas, where I found the echo moments suitable for the organ manuals. Additionally, I subtly introduced the theme of the "Triumphant Dance" from the same opera, played in the 4-foot pedal with regular quarter notes to underpin the musical narrative. His renowned "Trumpet Tune" is intricately woven within my creation, emerging in specific sections of my own theme to honor his musical legacy.
My main focus was to capture the sparkling atmosphere of Henry Purcell's music using contemporary language. The suggestions for registration aim to convey the tonal palette envisioned for various passages, varying based on the organ's capabilities. Metronome numbers provided are flexible, taking into account the acoustic characteristics of the space.
These compositions, commissioned by Bärenreiter Verlag, meld church and concert music demands. The ten brief pieces, created for the meeting in Bremen 1994, are concise, formally dense works intended for diverse performance settings without exceeding three pages in length. I crafted them to emphasize striking themes, melodic and rhythmic contrasts, and vibrant textures.
The "Kleine Choralpartita" was composed in response to requests for church musicians' repertoire. Structured as variations for liturgical use, the cycle intertwines communion and postlude themes while accommodating concert performances. The contrasting variations ensure a coherent and satisfying musical journey.
Initially crafted as interludes for the Missa cum populo, the two Versetti organ pieces can be incorporated into concert programs despite their liturgical origins. The first piece, structured around the gregorian antiphon 'Pueri hebraeorum,' exudes a vibrant, processional mood evident in its rhythmic punctuations and lively character. The second piece, based on the hymn "Adoro te devote," offers a meditative and restrained exploration, which can be performed with more tonal richness in concert settings.
The festive preludes for organ, inspired by the visit of Pope John Paul II to Prague, celebrate the grand entrances of high dignitaries into church spaces. Similarly, "Mutations for One or Two Organs" expresses the shifting dynamics between two contrasting organ voices, each representing distinct musical styles within church compositions. The interplay of full-bodied grand organ tones against chamber music-like Baroque timbres accentuates the stylistic juxtapositions, further enriched in performances by the sound balance of paired instruments.
There are two possible versions of the "Mutationes" cycle. In the solo player version, the first movement is repeated at the end to frame the cycle, simulating a smaller Baroque organ for even-numbered movements without dual organ access. For the two-player format on two organs, solo alternations culminate in a shared finale, requiring harmonious registration to balance both instruments' sounds effectively, achieving a harmonious blend symbolizing the cycle's focal point.