Sharon Ruth Veitch: Graduate Recital, Eastern Carolina University School...

(Part I) Organist: Sharon Ruth Veitch. Time: 5PM. Date: 24 April 2016. Place: St. Paul's Episcopal Church,  Greenville, NC. This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Certificate of Advanced Performance Studies (CAPS) from Eastern Carolina University School of Music.

Program

Choral No 3 in A minor                                                 César Franck
              (1822-1890)

Deux Chorals pour Orgue (1935)                               Jehan Alain
                                                                                         (1911-1940)

1. Choral Dorien
2. Choral Phrygien

Fugue sur le thème du Carillon des heures de la Cathédrale de Soissons                                                                  Maurice Duruflé  
                                                                                         (1902-1986)

Program Notes for Organ Recital of Sharon Veitch
5:00 PM, Sunday, April 24, 2016, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Greenville, NC

Choral No. 3 in A minor

César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck (1822-1890), born in Belgium, was a composer, organist and music teacher.  In Paris, he was the organist at Notre Dame de Lorette and St. Jean-St. Francois.  In 1858, he became the organist at Sainte-Clotilde until his death.

 Many of his works utilize “cyclic-form” where a central motive creates unity throughout several movements. The beginning motif in Choral No. 3 in A minor is a flurry of notes that can be heard several times throughout the work.  Following this, the choral theme can be heard in long notes intermixed with relaxing cadences.  In the Adagio, the upper voice in the right hand carry the melody followed by another section in which the left hand presents the melody.  Following the Adagio, there is a commencement of the introductory theme with an intensity building in texture, dynamics, conflict and resolution.

Deux Chorals pour Orgue (1935) (Dorien – Phrygien)
  
 Jehan Alain (1911-1940) came from the western suburbs of Paris from a family of musicians and was an organist and composer.  He had a very short career beginning in 1929 and ending with outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.  He was killed in action.  He was a composer of organ works, vocal works, chamber music and piano compositions.  Alain was influenced not only by other composers such as Debussy and Messiaen but also other music – baroque and jazz, dance, the Far East.

 The Deux Chorals (Dorien – Phrygien) are from a collection of music both ancient and modern.  As the title suggest, the ancient Dorien and Phrygien modes are employed in these chorals.  They are slow, methodical and somewhat mystical as is heard in works of Messiaen.

Fugue sur le thème du Carillon des heures de la Cathédrale de Soissons

Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986), from Louviers, France was an organist, church musician, composer, recitalist, Conservatoire professor, and orchestral musician.  He was influential in promoting the use of hymns and congregational singing in the church. 

Duruflé dedicated the Fugue sur le thème du Carillon des Heures de la Cathédrale de Soissons, to Canon Henri Doyen, organist of the Cathedral at Soissons.  The theme of the carillon used at the Cathedral at Soissons is a descending eight-note pattern.  Duruflé presents this theme happily and joyfully and then uses inversion, augmentation and stretto while creating a texture of a toccata and ending the fugue in three chords that are connected by one note.

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