The music of Bach becomes much more understandable through an examination of the composers who work before him. An examination of the music of the pre-Bach composers proves it to be amazingly fresh and vital, and it was in this field that Back sought inspiration.

This essay is a musicological, analytical, and performance practice investigation of Variazioni e Toccata sopra “Aurora lucis rutilat,” op. 52 by Alberto Ginastera. Commissioned by and written for the Twin Cities Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, this piece was premiered during the National Convention of the AGO on June 18th, 1980 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by the renowned American organist and pedagogue Marilyn Mason. Mason championed the composition for years on the concert platform, but the composition suffered neglect both by performers and scholars alike. Today, there exists not a single comprehensive study on this work, and only two recordings available. This essay seeks to clarify the composition by addressing 1) the relation between manuscript sources, the correspondence between composer and performer during and after the compositional process, recordings, and 2) by analyzing the form of the piece, by investigating its melodic relationship to the Gregorian tune, as well as by providing an examination of the text and its connection to medieval sources. I will devote a chapter to Ginastera’s biographical background, a review of the current scholarship, as well as a chapter devoted to the analysis of each single variation, thematic placement, and an overview of the harmonic relationship of endings.

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Although Willan is first and foremost a musician of the church, it is obvious that he has not cloistered himself in the organ and choir loft, as it were. As a composer he has written significantly in many fields, and as a teacher he has had a major influence in shaping the musical thought of a boundless number of Canadian musicians. As a musician of the church he has kept alive the great English traditions and made his own laudable and abundant contributions to church music practices. One of the first Canadian musicians of wide eminence, he has set an example worthy of the attention of younger Canadians who will contribute to the musical development of the nation.

The primary purpose of this study is to provide a transcription for solo organ of Virgil Thomson's Symphony on a Hymn Tune. The study is two-fold: first, to explore the early life and career of Thomson with a focused view on how his organ and composition studies influenced the composition of Symphony on a Hymn Tune; and second, to present an original transcription of the work in a performing score for solo organ. In addition to the final score, the study provides an analytical overview along with a description of methodology used to create the transcription, and a discussion of issues encountered by the performing organist in playing the transcription. Discussions encompass organ registration, tempi, manual suggestions, articulation, phrase markings, and dynamic expression. Musical examples both from the author's transcription and Virgil Thomson's organ works are included as necessary. Two appendices are included. Appendix 1 presents the specifications for the Aeolian Skinner organ of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, on which the transcription was originally performed. Appendix 2 itemizes the registration lists used for the original performance of the organ transcription.

Please read the abstract in the section, 00front, of this document / Dissertation (M Mus (Performing Art))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Music / MMus / unrestricted

Afrika Hymnus I, the first large-scale work for solo organ by the eminent South African composer Stefans Grové, has proved to be one of his most outstanding and successful works, with three commercially-available recordings by prominent organists and frequent performances both in South Africa and abroad. Yet the work has received relatively little academic attention, with existing discussions mostly being aimed at identifying indigenous African elements that might be found in the work. The present study provides a more in-depth examination of the work’s content, by investigating it according to the phenomena of musical style, with the objective of contributing towards a better understanding of Grové’s distinctive style. To this end, each movement is discussed separately, with a focus on the following topics: structure, melodic content, vertical aspects, rhythm, texture, and registration (the last aspect being unique to organ music). The discussion yields prominent stylistic traits, such as the use of short motifs and their derivatives, specific intervals being accorded great significance, the use of non-diatonic scale formations, recurring chord structures, a reliance on an underlying additive rhythmic framework, a rich diversity of textures ranging from simple to multi-layered and inventive, and a distinctive and evocative application of registration. A brief discussion of the solo organ works that predate Afrika Hymnus I shows that evidence of some of these features can already be found in those works. The study also shows how Afrika Hymnus I achieves cohesion, both within the complex multipart structures of the outer movements and as a whole. The discussion includes rich descriptions of the prominent musical features, complemented by numerous music examples. / Dissertation (MMus)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Music / MMus / Unrestricted

The following study deals with the structural elements of the six Mendelssohn Organ Sonatas, opus 65. The problem excludes stylistic considerations. The Mendelssohn organ works are the greatest that appeared from the time of J. S. Bach until the nineteenth century. The Sonatas "have long been accepted as 'classics' of the instrument." Of them Mendelssohn himself wrote in a letter to his publisher, "I attach much importance to these Sonatas." They have no formal predecessor and no formal counterpart in subsequent organ literature. Their structures are hybrid, contrasting, unique, and unconventional; yet, to the writer's knowledge, there is no material available which presents a thorough, scientific formal analysis. It is hoped that the following study will fill this need.

Mit der Wiederentdeckung der Musik Johann Sebastian Bachs im 19. Jahrhundert kamen Klaviertranskriptionen von dessen Kompositionen, insbesondere seiner Orgelwerke, in Mode. Dementsprechend stammen aus dieser Zeit die wohl bekanntesten Beiträge zum Genre (z.B. von Busoni, Reger, Liszt, Stradal), aber auch im 20. Jahrhundert, zu Zeiten der historischen Aufführungspraxis, nähern sich Komponistinnen und Pianistinnen bis heute den Werken Bachs durch Klaviertranskriptionen an (z.B. Kempff, Kurtág, Kabalewsky, Bartók). Das Spektrum der Klaviertranskriptionen reicht von einer reinen Übertragung des Notentextes auf die spieltechnischen Möglichkeiten des Konzertflügels, über Bearbeitungen, die versuchen den Orgelklang so authentisch wie möglich auf dem Klavier zu imitieren, bis hin zur freien ›Nachdichtung‹. Die vorliegenden Analysen untersuchen, inwiefern die Bearbeiter die Werke Bachs an ihre eigenen, dem Zeitgeist entsprechenden Klangvorstellungen anpassten und wie weit die Bearbeitungen somit als Zeugnisse der Interpretations- und Rezeptionsgeschichte, aber auch der individuellen Klangvorstellung der Komponisten angesehen werden können. / With the rediscovery of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music in the nineteenth century, piano transcriptions of his compositions, especially his organ works, became fashionable. Accordingly, the most well-known contributions to the genre originate from this period (e.g., Busoni, Reger, Liszt, Stradal). But also in the twentieth century, in times of historical performance practice, composers and pianists continued to approach Bach’s works through piano transcriptions (e.g., Kempff, Kurtág, Kabalewsky, Bartók). The spectrum of piano transcriptions ranges all the way from a mere transfer of the organ score onto the concert piano’s technical possibilities to arrangements that attempt to imitate the organ sound as authentically as possible on the piano to free adaption. The following analyses examine to what extent the arrangers adapted Bach’s works to their own concept of sound corresponding to the zeitgeist and to what extent the arrangements can thus be regarded as testimonies to the history of interpretation and reception as well as the composers’ individual sound conceptions.

One of the most important ways to understand Olivier Messiaen’s musical language is through the lens of the theological ideas that many of his works convey. He considers expressing his Christian faith to be the primary purpose in his music. Through his idiosyncratic technique, Messiaen gives power and life to his religious music that he combines with his interest in literature, musical analysis, poetic imagery and symbolism, his love for theatre, and his compositional and organ abilities. The abundant studies of Messiaen’s works deal with the intricacies of his musical language, yet most of these studies barely discuss his theological ideas. Nevertheless, technical analysis of his music poses immense challenges, especially in the domains of melody and harmony. Although my approach is unconventional and do not follow any existing system, I base my technical and theological analyses mainly from Messiaen's technique, his commentaries and his references to the Scriptures. The “Combat de la mort et de la vie” is the heart of Les Corps glorieux in both technical and theological aspects. It is an intricate musical artwork where Messiaen demonstrates his melodic and harmonic developments using his idiosyncratic language, and through symbolism portrays the most complex of all drama according to Christian theology—the story of Jesus Christ's Passion and Resurrection. My research can relate directly to a more informed and convincing performance of the work, and can contribute a different perspective to the study, understanding, and appreciation of Messiaen's theologically inspired works.