SKU: HL.49045437

ISBN 9790001162715. UPC: 841886029088. 9.0x12.0x0.168 inches.

On the occasion of the quincentenary of Reformation Day in 2017, the composer Enjott Schneider thoroughly studied Martin Luther the individual and all his contradictions. The result is a brilliant, demanding organ symphony which is perfect for concerts on the subject of Reformation and Martin Luther.The composer describes the five movements of the symphony as follows:'1st movement:Wir glauben all an einen Gott with its quintuplet-like beginning is very Gregorian in style, outlining the range of Lutheran emotionalism between the Middle Ages and the modern era. The irrationality of faith ultimately has priority over any thought and evidence. At the beginning of the movement, sounds of knocking on wood remind of the nailing of the Ninety-Five Theses to the doors of churches in Wittenberg. The chorale melody sometimes hides with an almost rough medieval saltarello, referring to Luther's robustness and vitality with which he knew to carry away even common people.2nd movement:In 1530, the electoral prince of Saxony presented to Luther at Coburg Castle the golden signet ring with the Luther rose which became the symbol of his theology of grace. A white heart with black cross is fixed on a five-petalled rose. To him, white is the colour of angels and ghosts, black stands for the pain of crucification: The just shall live by faith, but by faith in the Crucified. But the fact that the rose and the heart are the dominating symbols shows how Catholic Marian piety remained an ingredient of Luther's spirituality throughout his life. In line with the dominant five-petal structure of the rose, this movement was composed, to a large extent, in accordance with the floating, lyrical rhythm in 5/8 time.3rd movement:The omnipresence of death and dying - from the plague and war to the never-ending dangers of daily life - was an essential part of the world view of that time. Fears ensued that might heighten into the grotesque, e.g. in the pictures of Hieronymus Bosch. The Danse macabre was a popular motif in those years. Luther's chorale Mitten wir im Leben sind / mit dem Tod umfangen from 1524 (Enchiridion from Erfurt) is based on the Gregorian chant Media vita in morte sumus created in France around 750 and, with its idea of transience, inspired a simplistic air.4th movement:The famous confession delivered at the Diet of Worms in 1521, I stand here and can say no more. God help me. Amen, are not Luther's words but the version later used as text for a pamphlet. However, it represents quite plainly the straightforwardness and inevitability of his mission. Musically, it was made into a perpetuum mobile, i.e. a dogged, ostinato and never-ending musical air.5th movement:The Mighty Fortress, on the other hand, is one of the great symbols of Martin Luther which, with its shining C major key, embodies the Protestant ideology and willful nature of the Reformation unlike any other song. Heinrich Heine called it the Marseille anthem of the Reformation, Friedrich Engels the Marseillaise of the Peasants' Wars. This disputability is not thought through to the end but rather interrupted: With a jubilant birdcall version of the melody, the finale shows a rather chamber-music-like side of the ideals of freedom of Christians.'.

SKU: SU.80101403

Symphony for Organ (2013) is cast as a dramatic progression from darkness into light. The first movement, Masque, is extremely violent and bleak. The title is used with a touch of irony--for this is not a masque of courtly diversion, but rather a furious struggle against the darkness, played out in a series of dramatic episodes following a Tudor-era formal design. The ending builds to a dramatic peak, and leaves us in shell-shocked silence. The second movement, Sarabande, begins quietly and mournfully, and gradually gains in fervency. A faster middle section is a spinning dance before the return of the opening music. In the coda, the light gradually approaches. The third movement, Chorale, evokes the colors of a new dawn. The music of the first movement's struggle gradually becomes washed in the blaze of morning. Instrumentation: Organ Duration: 21' Composed: 2013 Published by: Zimbel Press.

SKU: HL.49017043

ISBN 9790001151290. UPC: 841886010529. 9.0x12.0x0.209 inches.

This collection of eighteen choral arrangements of melodies from the Protestant hymnbook is meant to be used in services and little concerts. Rather varied with regard to the compositional approach of the individual arrangements, the collection, like a kind of informative selection, shows the different possibilities of how to deal delightfully with a tonal melody in post-modern pluralism. The stylistic patterns presented can be easily abstracted and transferred to other chorales for the purpose of improvisation.

SKU: SU.80101113

This work is an extensive fantasy on Abide With Me, in the style of 19th century composers. It is dramatic, highly expressive, and very powerful. Suitable for festival service or recital. The American Organist (Nov 2001) provides the following review of the work: ...a rather robust chorale prelude on Abide With Me that eschews sentimentality and casts this old warhorse of a hymn in a more positive light. It's a piece many organists might like to look into.
20 pages
Published by: Zimbel Press.

SKU: HL.48180296

UPC: 888680907563. 9.0x12.0x0.097 inches.

Marcel Lanquetuit (1894-1985) studied at the Paris Conservatoire before becoming the organist at the church of Saint-Godard in Rouen. As well as being a prominent organist of his time, Lanquetuit was a renowned composer, but chose to improvise rather than write. A few of his notated compositions remain, however, including the grand and mighty Toccata in D Major, published in 1927. Toccata in D Major is typical of the French style and is dedicated to Lanquetuit's first teacher, Albert Dupre. The incessant, staccato chords and memorable melody create a toccata for organ like no other, making for an essential addition to the advanced organist's repertoire.

SKU: PL.0618

* based on the chant, this work begins simply with flutes and mutations in duet * detailed registrations, appropriate for small or large instruments, as well as manual indications make the execution of this work very direct * registration indications and harmonic colors increase as the piece gradually builds * final section with octave chords and strong pedal foundation carries the piece to a dynamic climax * tempo slows by increments in the final measures, leading to the final modal cadence * a passionate instrumental expression of the text: printing the text of this hymn in a program or bulletin

Musically, this is a rather interesting piece with harmonic language that is more advanced than one might normally use in services, but here one can allways follow the hymn tune. The registration is highly colorful, using at 16' Quintaton played an octave higher, or substituting an 8' and 2 2/3'. As in the chorale preludes mentioned earlier, this work, too, creates a continuing crescendo to the end. Harmonically, this work makes use of some interesting ideas-mirroring short sections of the hymn tune as a motivic device, short canonic imitation, etc. Technically, it is fairly easy reading until about halfway, when close attention must be paid to accidentals. The last page will require some working of fingering in the right hand to maintain the legato sense of the phrase. - The Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians March 2006.

SKU: HL.14043776

UPC: 840126949186. 8.5x11.0x0.1 inches. English.

According to Muhly, this composition is an attempt to set the text of the Latin Mass using a completely different harmonic structure from his previous works. The rhythms and melodies can be seen as circular, rather than linear, becoming evident from both the Organ parts and the choir's initial phrases. As the piece progresses, the dynamic tempo enhances the interplay of all parts, all the while hinting at Stravinskian inspirations.

SKU: CA.2331150

ISBN 9790007301712. Latin.

Spoken during his final hours, the “seven words” have been taken as a profound insight into Jesus‘s final suffering on the cross. These words, or rather statements, have been set by numerous composers in different languages. Charles Gounod’s setting of The Seven Words of Christ on the Cross returns to the Latin text and explicitly recalls the music of Palestrina, but with an added nineteenth-century harmonic twist. The edition of this a cappella work comes with a piano reduction for rehearsal purposes. Score available separately - see item CA.2331100.