Friday May 5, 2006 SGN.org |
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Volume 34 Issue 18 |
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Saturday, Nov 21, 2009
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Twentieth century American organ music is alive and well |
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| Twentieth century American organ music is alive and well | ||
| by Rod Parke
SGN A&E Writer
What's it like to have your own private experience with a multi-million dollar organ, played by a world-renown organist? Well, that's nearly the experience I had Monday night at Benaroya Hall. In the second tier, there were only a half-dozen people; and I could see fewer than that in the orchestra seats (from where I sat). But that's what one expects these days, for concert organ recitals are not a popular item. The crowds who stayed away missed a recital that, after a rough start, delivered some special delights. Alan Morrison, a young, attractive man, introduced each number (after the first one) with an informal comment that often ended with something slightly humorous. Such was the case when he told us that, while composer Louis Vierne had collapsed onto the pedals and died during a recital, our present recitalist would try to avoid the same result! The program began with two pieces from the baroque period: Bach's "Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 547" and his transcription of a Vivaldi concerto for two violins, "Concerto in A minor, BWV 593." Morrison's passions clearly do not lie with Bach, for his playing here was perfunctory, too fast, and full of rough edges. Too often one had to reset one's internal metronome as the organist made an awkward transition, breaking the music's flow. When the Watjen Organ was inaugurated, Seattle audiences got to hear a number of excellent organists demonstrate what it could do. I was impressed at the time that a skilled player could make it sound almost baroque, choosing stops with appropriate "chiff" and timbre. Despite some effective registrations, there was no attempt this time to make the Watjen Organ sound in the least baroque. Morrison played all the notes, but the effect was less than satisfying. With a quick jump into the twentieth century and France, our recitalist entered more comfortable repertoire. Maurice Durufle's "Scherzo, Op. 2" was delightful and much more suited to Morrison's skills. The Widor "Andante sustenuto" from his 'Symphony No. 9,' however, revealed a critical flaw. Visiting organists have little time to learn the quirks of the Watjen Organ. Its builders explained to me that the instrument, being designed to play often with full orchestra, has a manual specifically made to play LOUD and cut through big orchestral sounds. They said organists make a mistake to use that manual much in solo recitals. I'm afraid Morrison made that mistake in this meditative piece by Widor. The solo voice in what otherwise was a quiet, contemplative work jumped out at us with double forte force! It destroyed the effect the organist had just told us the work was supposed to have. No such problems appeared in the rest of the evening. The first half finished in fine style with Louis Vierne's "Finale" from his 'Symphony No. 6.' In this virtuosic movement, Morrison displayed an awesome technique and a fine sense of how to make its complex textures effective. But the highlight came just after intermission. Harold Stover (b. 1946) wrote his masterful 'Mountain Music' with each movement based on a Shaker melody. He sought "to reconcile the disparate worlds of the classical organ and the country fiddle." The result was a fascinating Copelandesque work with beautiful exploitation of the organ's huge palette of sounds without ever violating a clear respect for each tune's origins. The second movement, "Quick Dance," was a hoedown of joyous energies and melodic grace. "Mountain Music" brought the recital to a special height. Less exciting but nonetheless possessing some lovely sounds was Daniel Crozier's (b. 1965) "Cantelena." I am not a fan of the stops on most organs designed to sound like stringed instruments, but here Morrison made the Watjen's "strings" sound downright gorgeous, especially in the lower registers. The printed program ended with a true bit of virtuosity: Leo Sowerby's (1895-1968) "Pageant." These works has several cadenzas written for the pedals alone, as well as elaborate pedal work during the body of the piece. Morrison made it all seem easy and very impressive at the same time. Purely as a showpiece, it was fun. Even more fun was the encore. It too was a contemporary American piece, in the minimalist mode, which was ingenious and extremely humorous. I did not catch the name of the composer or the piece. Alan Morrison made a strong case in this recital for the vitality of American organ composition in the modern age. Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached at rod@sgn.org. |
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International Readers |
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