That eighteenth-century England produced no composer of the calibre of Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven cannot be denied: however, in the past this fact has led to an unjust dismissal of English music of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. More recently there has been an awakening of interest in the music of this era. It was a time of intense musical activity in England, but native musicians were coerced, by public taste and fashion, into subservience to foreign performers and composers. This enforced inferior status was not totally unproductive, however, since it brought both professional musicians and the public face to face with new developments from abroad; some indigenous composers deliberately shunned foreign influences, some largely were left untouched by them because of their seclusion in the conservatism of the Church, while others embraced the new style. The life of one musician, who lived and worked in London, is surveyed in the contexts of life and music in the metropolis. William Russell lived at a time of change: it was the end of a musical era when what we term Baroque influences were finally fading, when the Classical style--though established abroad--was not yet totally accepted in England, and yet it was a period of anticipation of the Romantic era. This study explores the answers to the question, 'Was Russell's music a prelude to the Romantic period, a postlude to the old style, or merely an interlude between the two?' Russell's principal works (the large-scale choral compositions and organ concerto--pieces which, traditionally, were performed together in the theatre) form the basis for this comprehensive investigation; study and performance scores are provided, illustrating that not all was dull and lifeless during that era. On the contrary, there was much indigenous productivity whose achievements were, and still are, commendable.

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There is an absence of critical writing on the organ music of Marcel Dupre (1886- 1971), despite its significance for the evolution of the organ and its music in the twentieth century. Fundamental to this thesis is an exploration of the historical context of this music and poietic analysis which attempts to reveal its stylistic features. That Dupre's organ music reflects contemporaneous influences from outside and beyond the organ loft has been hitherto unacknowledged and so there is an attempt to identify the more cosmopolitan influences exerted on his music by the wider artistic culture of his time. An overall aim within the study is to consider whether Dupre's stylistically diverse music, in its embodiment of both a nineteenthcentury linguistic conventionality and a more contemporary style in the twentieth, was in any sense stylistically paradoxical and indeed, whether the organ as instrumental resource played a role in this stylistic plurality. Dupre's self-confessed aim was to raise the organ's status in artistic terms and his music exemplifies important developments in both organ design and pedagogy over the course of the twentieth century. Thus, in light of the contextual and analytical investigations, an attempt is made to ascertain the extent to which Dupre influenced a succeeding generation and whether his pedagogical, playing and creative legacy holds important implications for musicians today. There is also an intent to address issues regarding the performance and recording of Dupre's works in esthesic terms, for it is hoped that the recordings forming an integral part of this thesis endorse, in their representation of analytical discovery in sonic form, certain thoughts and conclusions contained herein. Part 1 forms an appraisal of Dupre's musical and artistic milieu. After the Introduction in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 elucidates the stylistic antecedents of his music and Chapter 3 identifies a specifically organ-based aesthetic. Chapter 4 examines the pedagogical methods that reflected Dupre's high artistic purpose and which formed the backbone to his creative idiom. In Part 2, Chapter 5 elucidates an analytical method before Chapters 6,7,8 and 9 discuss the primary characteristics of his compositional language with musical examples drawn from across the oeuvre. Chapter 10 presents four Case-studies by examining in analytical detail, four of the six Symphonic works. These I have deemed to be of seminal importance for in them is the Dupre aesthetic arguably best exposed. In Part 3, chapter 11 engages with interpretative and esthesic matters in performance and recording before the interpretative issues in Dupre's works are considered in Chapter 12. Chapter 13 forms a Conclusion. Appendix A is a biographical timeline, Appendix B contains organ specifications referred to in Chapter 3 and Appendix C cites a lecture given by Dupre to Paris Conservatoire students in 1954. It is a document which expounds elegantly, and in Dupre's own words, the kernel of his artistry. Appendix D is a discography, Appendix E catalogues the complete Dupre oeuvre and Appendix F comprises miscellaneous and supporting documents.

This thesis charts new territory by examining the figure of the organist within Victorian culture and society. It examines the perception of the organist as a leader in musical life as well as the perceptions that revolved around them. Central to an understanding of the musical ‘figure’ is the role of the organist in pursuing a ‘higher’ course through their endeavours. Seeking a professional role equal to those equal of law and medicine their collective ethos continually strove for self-improvement and self-evaluation. The thesis is arranged in six chapters enveloped by three larger parts. Part I examines the role of the Victorian organist as a composer by focusing on the factors that influenced and inspired their numerous contributions to the sonata genre. The form of the sonata, coupled with the inclusion of a fugue in so many examples, highlights the deeper meaning placed on writing works that were seen as representing higher forms of composition. The Victorian organists aspired to write works that were not simply useful pieces for church or concert use but more significantly works that could be viewed as superior contributions to the great repertoire. It was a definitive role that elevated their profession to increasingly greater heights. Chapter I shows the influence of classical idioms from the 1850s onwards and the relationship of sonatas to the classical tradition. Chapter II looks at the influence of the Leipzig Conservatorium in the 1880s and the impact found on English students who undertook study there. Ultimately a lineage is traced through to Elgar and his seminal contribution to the literature in 1895. The concluding chapter of Part I centres on the aesthetical conditioning factors attached to the emergence of this new tradition and the greater reasoning behind the place of these works in the canon. Part II examines the perception of the organist as seen through literature by studies of Robert Browning and Thomas Hardy, respectively. Through Browning we see the image of a servant in communion with the Divine and in turn a musician set apart from the mainstream. Browning’s reading of the musician Abt Vogler opens the discussion to consider a musician of an earlier era viewed through a Victorian lens. The second chapter of Part II examines Hardy’s narrative of a young woman who plays the organ but runs afoul of ecclesiastical and societal expectation through her personal infidelities. It is a portrayal that cuts to the core of understanding the role of the woman organist in Victorian society. A deeper examination of the role of the woman in sacred and domestic contexts illuminates a provoking conclusion as a study of gendered perception. Part III is devoted to the work of England’s greatest concert organist of the nineteenth century, W. T. Best. Through a study of Best’s programming trends we can observe the role of the civic organist as a music director for the city of Liverpool in all but name. However, beyond the well-known aspects of bringing music to the masses, we can see how Best’s pursuit of higher ideals was manifest in programming that sought a superior ground between the promenade and the scholastic concert. Across six chapters we find musicians tempered by a spirit of idealism that came from within the profession. As their reach was great across the cultural landscape so too was their selective response to conditioning factors of the period. This is exemplified by not only compositional and programming trends but also their portrayal in literature and the relationship of their work to contemporary aesthetical considerations. As such a rich canvas is developed that helps define key areas of our understanding of the Victorian era whilst demonstrating the figure of the organist as a ‘worthy’ seeking a higher calling.

The claviorgan is an instrument that has long been neglected by Organologists, and considered a mere oddity in the history of stringed-keyboard instruments. However, the combination of strings and pipes in a single entity permeates musical history from the late-1400s through to present day in a variety of guises. The thesis will present a new nomenclature using the term claviorgan as an ‘umbrella term’ under which a variety of different combinations of stringed-keyboard and pipes will be considered and defined: this recognises that there are distinct trends in instrument building, and different probable uses for the various claviorgans. Through a series of case-studies of building-schools and epochs, the thesis will consider both the written evidence for combination instruments from published musical theory books and from other documentary evidence, as well as the evidence from the surviving instruments. It is not the intention to provide detailed organological studies of surviving instruments, as there are not enough examples from many of the building schools to make a reasonable comparison. However, these instruments will be considered in terms of their status, their owners, and in particular the balance between the elements. Little or no music has survived that was written specifically to exploit claviorgans, and the thesis examines the possible reasons for this lack of music in light of keyboard repertoire in general, and the lack of distinction between music for harpsichord and organ in the greater part of music history. The thesis also discusses the concept of solo music versus accompaniment and continuo, with a particular focus on the claviorgan as an instrument for ensemble performance as evidenced by contemporary descriptions of their use and by the status the instruments held. This discussion will be followed and complemented by an appendix of surviving instruments and references to combination instruments compiled by the author.

This research forms part of a performance practice degree and focuses on the performance of British organ music written in the period 1945 to 1970. This period was a turbulent time for all those with an interest in the pipe organ, whether they were performers, consultants, organ builders or listeners. The considerable change in the approach to the design, construction and voicing of pipe organs, influenced by the Organ Reform Movement (Orgelbewegung), resulted in strong feelings both for and against the neo-classic organ, and the consequent tensions tested the typical British reserve of many of those directly involved. The challenge for the performer of today is to understand the strengths and weaknesses of British organs in the period and to connect these instruments with the music written for them. The original contribution this research provides is to focus firstly on the organ's mechanisms, including key actions, registration aids and console design and, secondly, on the tonal designs of the organs of the period. Case studies of music are presented, featuring three composers for the organ in this period, Howells, Leighton and Whitlock, the findings of which inform the associated recital which features contrasting pieces from the period 1945 to 1970.

Die Komposition „ros pikata ros“ basiert auf einem Text des deutsch-rumänischen Schriftstellers Oskar Pastior (1927-2006) und ist seinem Werk „o du roher iasmin, 43 intonationen zu ‚harmonie du soir‘ von charles baudelaire“ entnommen. Der verwendete Ausschnitt ist das erste Anagramm des Buches über den Schriftstellernamen: baude laïre. Die Uraufführung von „ros pikata ros“ fand 2006 anlässlich der abgeschlossenen Restaurierung der Eule-Orgel in der Nikolaikirche zu Leipzig statt. Die Orgel spielte Reimund Böhmig.

Matthias Drude: In memoriam Johannes Biehle (2019) (Im Auftrag des Lausitzer Musiksommers) für 2 Orgeln Werkeinführung Johannes Biehle vereint in seiner Person Widersprüche des ersten Drittels des 20. Jahrhunderts. Er versteht sich im Orgelbau als Anhänger der pneumatischen Traktur, während die aufkommende Orgelbewegung sich für eine Wiederbelebung der barocken Orgeln mit ihrer mechanischen Traktur einsetzte. Seine Kirchenmusikanschauung ist durchaus romantisch geprägt. Während etwa Hugo Distler um 1930 die ausschließlich dienende, liturgische Funktion der Kirchenmusik betont, lesen wir 17 Jahre vorher bei Johannes Biehle: „Wenn die Kunst auch selbst nicht Religion ist, … so versetzt sie uns doch in die Atmosphäre der Religion. Sie hilft religiöse Gefühle in Bewegung bringen, vertieft und verklärt die Stimmungen, ja sie kann durch ihre erhabensten Offenbarungen unser innerstes Wesen so tief anregen, dass manche Menschen nur durch die Kunst dazu gelangen zu wissen, was Religion ist.“ (Johannes Biehle: Theorie des Kirchenbaues vom Standpunkte des Kirchenmusikers und des Redners mit einer Glockenkunde, Wittenberg 1913, S. 17) Allerdings zeigt Biehles Interesse an Liturgie, dass ihm ganz im Sinne der späteren kirchenmusikalische Erneuerungsbewegung um Hugo Distler eine enge Verbindung von Musik und Gottesdienst sehr wohl am Herzen lag. Zu den zukunftsweisenden Aspekten des Wirkens von Johannes Biehle zählen seine bahnbrechenden Arbeiten im Bereich des Kirchenbaus und der Raumakustik. Die Auftragskomposition „In memoriam Johannes Biehle“ möchte der Komplexität der Persönlichkeit gerecht werden. Romantisches findet sich neben Zeitgenössischem, musikalische Logik wird durchkreuzt von Unerwartetem, wodurch die Form weiträumiger und verschlungener wird als es die gedrängte Exposition vermuten lässt. Der Anfang der von Juli bis September 2019 entstandenen Komposition wird dem gestellten Thema gleich in zweifacher Hinsicht gerecht. Interessenschwerpunkte eines Akustikers: Raumklang und Nachhall werden in den Generalpausen zwischen den kurzen, lauten Akkorden erlebbar; die Nachhallzeit wird somit Teil der kompositorischen Idee. Die Außenstimmen der Akkorde werden durch den Tritonus B-e gebildet, erster und letzter Buchstabe des Nachnamens Biehle. Eine wichtige Rolle zum Beispiel in dem bereits nach wenigen Takten erklingenden Seitengedanken spielen auch die Töne „ais“ und „h“. Das „h“ ist Teil des Nach- und des Vornamens. Das „ais“ ist mit dem „b“ enharmonisch identisch. Zugleich enthält es drei weitere Buchstaben des Jubilars (Johannes Biehle). Im weiteren Verlauf erklingen mehrfach die musikalisch verwertbaren Tonbuchstaben des Nachnamens: B-E-H-E als Motiv. Mit dem Wechsel von B-Dur- und E-Dur-Akkorden schließt, wiederum auf Buchstaben des Nachnamens bezugnehmend, das etwa 13-minütige einsätzige Werk.

The thesis investigates Max Reger's Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme Op. 73, demonstrates the refinement of Reger's composition, and underlines his connection to the great performer Karl Straube. His musical language, dynamic markings and technical problems regarding the tempo, registration and acoustics will be examined by an actual performance in Canterbury Cathedral. Several issues such as cathedral acoustics, mechanical or pneumatic actions and choice of tempi have underpinned this study. Within each variation, the characteristics and techniques of Reger's compositions express his exceptional connection with the art of fugue and, of course, the use of variation technique in the rest of his organ works. The long Introduction falls into five clear sections and is, followed by the wistful mood and resignation of the Original Theme, where the great role of the third bar is often quoted in the course of the variations. Due to the all-pervading chromaticism Op. 73 gives the impression of being completely pantonal. Canterbury Cathedral organ's electro-pneumatic action and acoustics are close to the Leipzig Sauer instrument, and it seems well capable of meeting the challenges of control, polyphonic harmony, mystery and chromatic moods of Op. 73. Approaching the interpretation of Reger's highly demanding Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme Op. 73 through formal analysis and the complicated background of early twentieth century performance practice will be the final goal of the live performance.

Notre étude de la musique pour orgue en France à l’Âge classique se centre sur sa dimension signifiante, et tout particulièrement sur sa fonction représentative du sacré. Notre intérêt a pour origine un constat : à l’heure actuelle, les travaux les plus importants consacrés à ce répertoire négligent la question, alors que la genèse de cette école organistique coïncide avec l’un des moments historiques les plus remarquables de la spiritualité catholique française (en effet, le XVIIe siècle n’est pas seulement le « Grand Siècle des idées » mais aussi le « Grand Siècle des âmes »). Dans cette optique, et partant du principe que la musique religieuse peut se comprendre comme un produit esthético-théologique façonné en fonction des besoins symboliques et expressifs de la liturgie (au même titre que d’autres manifestations d’art sacré), ce travail cherche à mettre en lumière la manière dans laquelle, grâce à un ensemble de catégories esthétiques et de topiques musicaux dirigés par des principes rhétoriques, la musique des organistes français peut communiquer les notions fondamentales de la doctrine chrétienne. Pour ce faire, nous proposons un parcours en quatre parties, abordant successivement les contextes culturel et spirituel du XVIIe siècle en France, les éléments constitutifs de l’univers signifiant du répertoire, l’organisation stylistique du répertoire, et finalement, d’un point de vue herméneutique, l’œuvre de trois compositeurs majeurs de cette tradition musicale : Nicolas de Grigny, Jean-Adam Guilain et François Couperin. / This study of French organ music during the “Classical period” focuses on its signifying dimension, and particularly on its representative function in the liturgy. Our interest springs from an observation: the most important works devoted to this repertoire neglect the question, whereas the genesis of this organ school coincides with one of the most remarkable historical moments of Catholic spirituality. From this point of view, and assuming that sacred music can be understood as an aesthetic-theological product shaped according to the symbolic and expressive topics of the liturgy (in the same way as other manifestations of sacred art), our research seeks to demonstrate the way in which the music of French organists can communicate the fundamental notions of Christian doctrine through a set of aesthetic categories and musical topics directed by rhetorical principles. In this way, our work is divided into four parts, successively highlighting the cultural and spiritual contexts of the seventeenth century in France, the elements of the signifying universe of these music, the stylistic organization of the repertoire, and finally, from a hermeneutic point of view, the analysis of three major composers of this musical tradition: Nicolas de Grigny, Jean-Adam Guilain and François Couperin.