The Parish Church of St John the Apostle and Evangelist, Watford
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Postlude: Concerto in C major, BWV 595 – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Like many composers past and present, Bach enjoyed the art of transcription – allow music originally intended for certain instruments to be played on others. In this case, Bach has taken the first movement of an instrumental concerto written by Prince Johann Ernst of Weimar, who was the nephew of Bach’s employer at the Court. The original contrast between the tutti and solo instruments is maintained by Bach, who instructs the organist to rapidly switch keyboards throughout the concerto’s duration. The extent of these keyboard changes are quite unique for Bach – sixty changes in just eighty-one bars of music. Whilst a challenge for the organist, the effect is one of good humoured frivolity.
Postlude: Fanfare - Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988)
Kenneth Leighton was a very talented composer of music who found a very distinctive composition style which successfully marries contemporary rhythms and harmonies with traditional musical forms. Fanfare is exactly what its name implies – a brief, slightly pompous, triumphant shout. It is split into three short sections – the first introduces the strong fanfare theme, with the pedals adding rhythmic punctuation. A quieter middle section develops, with bell like figurations appearing in the treble. Finally, the fanfare motif returns, building up to a declamatory finish.
Our regular organist, Simon, is away this weekend.
Our regular organist, Simon, is away this weekend./p>
Postlude: Prelude and Fugue in D minor, Op.37 – Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Felix Mendelssohn was a talented composer who was extremely popular in the nineteenth century, but in the following century he was either ignored or derided. His music bridges the gap between the end of the Classical era, filled with the music of Bach, Mozart and their successors, and the start of the Romantic era, heralding the way of such names as Wagner and Mahler. He was an important figure within English music, visiting the country a number of times and reviving interest in Bach’s great organ works, which were at that time all but forgotten by the English.
The set of three Preludes and Fugues were written in the last decade of Mendelssohn’s short life. The third, in D minor, is an extremely powerful work. An imposing introduction features heavy chords interspersed with flamboyant fluorishes up and down the keyboard. The movement proper then begins, initially at a gentle pace (albeit with some quite energetic pedal writing) but an increase in tempo soon introduces a lilt to the music. Further acceleration sees the music develop into a full blooded toccata, eventually slowing to a grand conclusion.
The fugue which follows has its work cut out following such an exciting prelude – the theme is sedate, and through to its end the fugue retains a feel of solemn grandeur which contrasts with the fireworks of the prelude.
