Organ - Advanced
SKU:
MN.12-121
Composed by
Joseph Willcox Jenkins.
Non Hymn-Based, Recital
Music. MorningStar Music
Publishers #12-121.
Published by MorningStar
Music Publishers
(MN.12-121).
UPC:
688670121210.
Confl
uence was commissioned by
the Organ Artist Series
of Pittsburgh in
celebration of its
twentieth anniversary in
1999. Christa Rakich gave
the premier at the
closing concert of the
season at Calvary
Episcopal Church by in
April of 1999. It has
been performed frequently
since that time. The
title was given to honor
the joining together or
confluence of the three
rivers of Pittsburgh: the
Allegheny, the
Monongalela, and the
Ohio. Confluence is a
curious hybrid related to
both the sonata and rondo
forms. It is of the ABABA
design with the final A
quite extended by
polyphonic games and a
very noisy and triumphant
epilogue. The first idea
is driving, rhythmic,
nervous and agitated. The
second is quiet, gentle
and pastoral, that slowly
moves in its mysterious
ways, closing with a
plaintive row of a dozen
different pitches. The
composer delights in the
challenge of making tone
rows as approachable and
sing-able as possible.
Both ideas make slightly
varied restatements. At
the end, fugal
exploitation of the first
idea is followed by that
row, entering with
stentorian grandeur in
full pedal, heralding the
triumphant close. This
row, like the month of
March is referred to
frequently as coming in
like a Iamb, going out
like a lion.
It has a march-time rhythm
