Prélude from Trois Pièces, Op. 29, Gabriel Pierné (1863-1937)
Suite du 2e ton, Michel Corette (1707-1795)
Plein jeu
Trio pour les Flûtes
Grand jeu avec le Tonnerre
Six Fugues on B-A-C-H, Op. 60, Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
Fugue No. 4
Sonata I in F Minor, Op. 65, No. 1, Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
IV. Allegro assai vivace
Choral No. 2 in B Minor, FWV 39, César Franck (1822-1890)
Douze Pièces Pour Orgue, Théodore Dubois (1837-1924)
IX. Marche des Rois Mages
Noël X: Grand Jeu et Duo, Op. 2, Louis-Claude Daquin (1694-1772)
Toccata in D Minor, Op. 108, No. 1, Albert Renaud (1855-1924)
Program Notes
The Bedient organ here at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist provides us with a sonic trip to the organ lofts of 19th-century Paris. Built in the style of the instruments created by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, this organ allows us to experience the music of Franck and his contemporaries in a manner very similar to how their works would have originally been played. This organ is perfect for French Romantic music and, as a beautiful instrument is capable of playing a wide variety of music beautifully, the program will venture outside of that era as well.
César Franck was a leading figure among Parisian musicians of the 19th century and taught three other composers on the program: Pierné, Dubois, and Renaud. His Three Chorals for Organ, written in the year of his death, are large-scale works in which he takes a symphonic approach to the organ, exploring the dynamic contrasts and orchestral tones made possible by the new Cavaillé-Coll organs of his time. These works bear the title “Choral” not because they are based on pre-existing hymn melodies, as we find in choral preludes throughout the organ repertoire, but because of the hymn-like qualities of their freely composed themes. Choral No. 2, my personal favorite of the three, was poetically described by organist Dame Gillian Weir as “a giant passacaglia, suggesting the tolling of a great bell as it moves from somber genesis through an avalanche of sound to its peaceful end.”
As 18th and 19th-century French organists explored the tonal expression made possible through developments in organ building, one theme they embraced was that of representing the natural world through sound. Corette’s Grand jeu avec le Tonnerre is an example of a particular compositional technique that fascinated musicians and listeners alike: creating the sound of thunder. The storm scene genre arose from the practice of the organist playing interludes in response to the singing of the Te Deum text, “We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge”. Thunder sound effects were achieved by playing a dissonant collection of the lowest pipes on the organ. Cavaillé-Coll would even develop a device, one of the Pédale de combinaison, to aid in the execution of this special effect.
Théodore Dubois, in his Marche des Rois Mages (March of the Magi Kings), answers the question, “What would a star sound like?”. To Dubois, the sound would be high, clear, penetrating, and persistent. The organ can pull off this effect perfectly with the help of another special device (i.e., a pencil) to hold down a key playing some of the smallest pipes in the instrument. The “star” comes and goes throughout the piece as the Magi dutifully march toward the manger, following its shining guidance, losing sight of it from time to time, but ultimately coming to rest at their destination. Our “Christmas in May” celebration continues with Daquin’s Noël X.
Perhaps one of the most-loved gifts to come from the Parisian organ loft is the French Toccata, full of brilliant passage work and fiery figuration. We find both of these elements well-represented in Renaud’s Toccata in D Minor, as well as a soaring contrasting theme and refreshing harmonic twists.
Biography of Thomas Russell
Thomas A. Russell serves as Organist and Assistant Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. As a recitalist, he seeks to enrich listeners through engaging performances of both traditional and lesser-known repertoire, a calling that has taken him throughout the United States, France, and Poland in solo and collaborative performances, including recurrent performances in the First Friday series at First Presbyterian.
He is committed to the important work of training the next generation of organists, an endeavor he currently pursues in First Presbyterian’s Organ Scholars program. He holds Master's and Bachelor's degrees in organ performance from the Yale School of Music and the Institute of Sacred Music and the University of South Carolina School of Music, where his primary teachers were Thomas Murray and Dr. William H. Bates.
A native of Greenville, SC, he now resides in Blythewood, SC, with his wife Julie and their three children on Withywindle Farm.