St Alphege Church, Solihull
Wednesday 23rdApril at 1.10pm
A Recital of Music for Organ,
Jonathan Cunliffe,
Church of Little Venice, London
Programme
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) / Kyrie, Gottheiliger Geist, BWV 671LiebsterJesu, wirsindhier, BWV 731
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897) / Two chorale preludes on Herzlich tut michverlangen, Opus 122
César Franck (1822–1890) / Pastorale in E major, Opus 19
Maurice Duruflé (1902–1986) / Prélude from Suite, Opus 5
Oskar Lindberg (1887–1955) / GammalfäbodpsalmfrånDalarna (Old Pastoral Hymn from Dalarna)
Jehan Alain (1911–1940) / Litanies, JA 119
Programme Notes
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Kyrie, Gottheiliger Geist, BWV 671is a chorale prelude taken from Bach’sClavierübung, Part III. The chorale preludes in this collection cover texts from both the Lutheran Mass and Luther’s own catechism. This is a setting of the Kyrie from the mass, composed in a rich, five-part texture. The piece is notable for its coda in which Bach experiments with some dissonant chordal progressions which, for their time, would have been quite daring.
LiebsterJesu,wirsindhier, BWV 731
Bach wrote six chorale preludes for organ on LiebsterJesu,wirsindhier(Dearest Jesus, we are here) and BWV 731 has become the most popular. It is a soothing and subdued chorale which captures the gentle spirit of the chorale’s text.
Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
Herzlich tut michverlangen (No. 9 and No. 10), Opus 122
Brahms used to play the organ at St. Michael’s church in Hamburg, where he is buried. The Lutheran chorales he would have encountered there probably encouraged Brahms to emulate the compositions of Bach and his predecessors in his own organ music. Brahms’ Eleven Chorales, opus 122, were his last compositions and were published posthumously. The two presented here are contrasting settings of the Passion chorale, Herzlich tut michverlangen. The first is contrapuntal with the chorale melody woven into a thick texture which contains some unexpected harmonic and melodic progressions. The second presents the chorale melody in long notes in the pedal while the manuals provide a continual, drawn-out semi-quaver figure with a pulsing quaver bass, perhaps suggests the beating of a heart.
César Franck (1822–1890)
Pastorale in E major, Opus 19
Franck was a great admirer of the organs of Cavaillé-Coll and once commented ‘My new organ? It’s an orchestra!’ The Pastorale in E major is dedicated to Cavaillé-Coll and comes from the Six Pièceswhich Franck wrote in order to experiment with the different orchestral sonorities offered by the new Cavaillé-Coll instrument in St. Clotilde, Paris. Franz Liszt described Franck’s compositional output as having a ‘place beside the masterpieces of Sebastian Bach’, while Charles Tournemire, who was one of Franck’s pupils, described the Pastorale as ‘a charming piece’ in which ‘there are no transitional sections. Exposition of a calm theme – development – and a return to the theme.Nothing simpler’. The serene, pastoral-like opening is centred on two melodies – one a rhythmic sequence on the Swell Hautbois and the other a chorale-like, chordal theme. The more anguished and anxiety-ridden middle section is built on staccato chords and calls for the TrompetteHarmonique. The third and final section of the piece reflects on the themes of the opening: the chorale melody and rhythmic motif on the Hautbois are combined before a bell-like figure appears towards the end.
Maurice Duruflé (1902–1986)
PréludefromSuite pour Orgue, Opus 5
Widely regarded as one of the most self-critical of all modern composers, Maurice Duruflé published only a handful of works in his lifetime although he is now considered to be one of the most important and successful organ composers of the twentieth century. After studying with both Tournemire and Vierne, Duruflé went on to become Professor of Harmony at the Paris Conservatoire whilst holding the organist post at the church of St. Etienne-du-Mont in Paris.
This Prélude comes from Duruflé’sSuite pour Orgueand is dedicated to his composition teacher Paul Dukas. The Prélude is in two sections: the first builds on a sombre, lamenting theme which is presented towards the beginning of the piece and is then joined by a rhythmic figure which together build dynamically to a blazing tutti with some crashing chords and fast manual passagework; the second section is quieter, slower and reflects on the opening thematic material through arecitative-type melody. The final page repeats the piece’s mournful opening theme in sombre tones using an E flat minor pedal point.
Oskar Lindberg (1887–1955)
Gammal fäbodpsalm från Dalarna
The Swedish title of this piece means Old Pastoral Hymn from Dalarna, which is a province in the middle of Sweden. The folk melody on which the piece is based is famous throughout Sweden and has been transcribed for many different instruments. This arrangement for organ is by the composer Oskar Lindberg, who had strong family ties with the region of Dalarna. Several of his ancestors were folk violinists and his interest and appreciation for Swedish folk music can be heard in much of his music. This piece is often played at church services, particularly at funeral services, owing to its mournful yet beautiful melodic line.
Jehan Alain (1911–1940)
Litanies, JA 119
Litanies is Alain’s best-known work and the epigraph on the title page reflects the nature of the piece: ‘When the Christian soul in distress can no longer find any new words to implore the mercy of God, it repeats the same invocation over and over again in a blind faith. The limits of reason are reached. Faith alone continues upward.’ The Litanies theme is presented at the beginning of the piece and is then repeated in different keys and registers throughout the work. The continual repetition of the thematic ostinato reflects the responsorial invocations of a congregation at prayer, hence the piece’s title. Alain succeeds in producing a hypnotic rhythmic effect which drives the piece forward to a climactic conclusion. At this point the performer must overcome the challenge of the theme’s appearance in three-note chords where it seems some artistic licence must prevail. In the words of Alain: ‘Don’t worry about the rapid chords in the left hand near the end. At the right speed that passage is unplayable…it’s really better to “botch” it a bit than play at a speed which would deform my Litanies.’
Jonathan Cunliffe
Jonathan Cunliffe was born in Cambridge and took his first organ lessons at St. Mary's Church, Saffron Walden. He went on to study at the Birmingham Conservatoire from where he graduated with a BMus (Hons), an MMus and the John Campbell Keyboard Prize. During his time in Birmingham, Jonathan held organ scholarships at St. Alban's, Highgate; Symphony Hall; St. Philip's Cathedral and Bilton Grange Preparatory School, Rugby.
Jonathan has taken part in masterclasses in France, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Switzerland as well as the Oundle International Organ Festival in Cambridge. He has given recitals around the UK and Sweden and has also accompanied choral music in Notre Dame, St. Sulpice and St. Eustache in Paris.
Jonathan works as a Music Editor for ABRSM Publishing (the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) and is also Director of Music in the Parish of Little Venice serving the churches of St. Mary's, Paddington Green and St. Saviour's, Warwick Avenue. In 2011, Jonathan co-founded the concert series Chamber Music in Little Venice.
Recitals at St Alphege Church
Lunchtime recitals are held each second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 1.10pm by kind permission of the wardens and clergy of this church. They feature visiting recitalists and our own music staff.
Wednesday 14th May, 1.10pm – Lunchtime Recital – Hieronymus Trio
Sunday 18th May, 4pm – Choristers’ Recital
Wednesday 28th May, 1.10pm – Organ Recital – Darren Hogg,
St Leonard's, Frankley
Wednesday 11th June – Lunchtime Recital – Apollo Baroque Consort
Thursday 19th June – Noye’sFludde
Wednesday 25th June – Organ Recital – Judith Pendrous, St Mary’s Priory, Abergavenny
Saturday 29th June – Choral Concert
Wednesday 9th July – Lunchtime Recital – Vyne String Quartet
Wednesday 23rd July – Organ Recital – Paul Carr, St Paul's, Birmingham
We thank you for your attendance today. There will be a retiring collection at the end of this recital to assist with the music making in this church, and the upkeep of the organ. Please do give as generously as you can.