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In case you haven't seen my organ composition "Veni Creator Spiritus" (2010), I would like to share it with you so you can download, print, practice, learn, and perform for free.
It's an optimistic piece, suitable to be performed either during organ recitals or at the end of church services as a postlude. It's based on the famous gregorian chant "Veni Creator Spiritus" which is sung for the feast of Pentecost. I have taken the form of the work (but not the style) from Prelude in E flat major, BWV 552 of J.S.Bach (A B A C A B C A) and added introduction and a Coda. The style, however, is mildly modern and might remind of modal French 20th century writing. It's not too easy to play (I would say it's an intermediate level piece) but quite compact and colorful in terms of modes. I have included my own registration suggestions but you are free to adapt to the instrument you have available. Although you can play it on a single manual organ, at least two manuals should be better. The clear structure and rests make it relatively easy to change registration without the help of an assistant even on a tracker organ which does not have combination pistons. That was my intent, actually, because I regularly play a 3 manual mechanical action organ at Vilnius University St. John's church and manipulating the stops is quite a workout for one person there (especially if it's the organist who's doing the work). If you like it and think it's worth sharing please email, forward or otherwise share it with other organists who might find it useful. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my video Organ Practice Guide. Here is my organ composition "Veni Creator Spiritus" (2010) for you to download, print, practice, learn, and perform for free. On that page you will also find a video to watch so that you can become more familiar with the music.
I recorded this video during a live concert on the organ at Vilnius University St. John's church on May 26, 2012. It is composed using a modal system and it's form is A B A C A B C A with introduction and a Coda. The modes are somewhat influenced by the French 20th century techniques. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my video Organ Practice Guide. Yesterday I wrote about the structure of the Prelude in E minor, BWV 555/1. Today let's analyze the fugue. Our main objectives here are to discover the tonal plan, subject entries and to know in which voice they appear.
By the way, you can watch this video while analyzing this fugue. This will help you to understand it's structure even better. The subject of this fugue is built from an ascending pentachord (5 scale degrees) with chromatic notes inserted between the 3rd, 4th and 5th scale degrees in 3/4 meter. This arrangement is very common in the Baroque music. The fugue begins with the subject in the soprano (E minor, tonic) after which follows an answer in the alto (B minor, dominant, measure 8). In measure 16, the subject enters in the tenor (E minor, tonic) and the answer in the bass (B minor, dominant, measure 20). The cadential hemiola in measures 26-27 concludes the exposition. The episode connecting exposition with the elements of counter-exposition in measures 28-31 is based on the chromatic ascending line of the subject. Here tenor and alto voices move in canon. Full subject entries don't appear after exposition. The composer seems to like to develop only the ascending or descending chromatic line. It starts in measure 32 where the subject material enters in the bass (E minor, tonic). Then from measure 38 follows 3 descending chromatic lines (subject in inversion). First in the bass (E minor, tonic), then twice in the soprano (measures 45 and 48). In measures 54 and 58, there are ascending subjects in the bass part (A minor, subdominant and E minor, tonic). The fugue concludes with a hemiola and a meter change (to 3/2) at the end. If you would like to learn this piece with stylistically correct fingering and pedaling, check out my practice score with complete fingering and pedaling for easy practice of this colorful work which creates ideal articulation - articulate legato - almost without thinking. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my video Organ Practice Guide. Prelude and Fugue in E minor, BWV 555 from the notorious cycle of 8 Short Preludes and Fugues is the 3rd piece in this collection. Although its authorship remains uncertain, Johann Ludwig Krebs, one of the greatest students of J.S.Bach is one of the possible authors. We can safely call it a work from the Bach circle.
The prelude is exemplary because of its natural voice-leading, making it a model for creating preludes strictly out of sequences, suspensions, and simple modulations. It seems to be constructed out of just one musical idea because we don't see any contrasting musical material, as in BWV 554 or BWV 556, for example. Therefore, the form of this piece is a period. It starts with the phrase in the Tonic key (E minor, measures 1-4) and has a commonly-seen Frygian tetrachord in the bass (E-D-C-B, measure 4). In measures 6-9, the musical material moves to the relative major key (G major) and creates a perfect authentic cadence in this key (measure 9). The next important modulation happens in measure 14 (B minor, the Dominant key). In measures 15-21, we can see 3 instances of sequences - No. 1 - descending (constructed out of V6 - and it's resolution, i), No. 2 - descending (chains of seventh-chords), and No. 3 - ascending (V6-i). Just before the final cadence at the second half of measure 23, we can see a very colorful F first inversion chord, which in relationship to the home key of E minor is a Neapolitan sixth chord (a major sixth chord built on the lowered 2nd scale degree). Despite its short length (25 measures only), this prelude can give much trouble for organists with modest organ skills because of several reasons: complex 4-part (at times 5-part) writing, syncopations and suspensions, and active pedal part. However, slow tempo makes it accessible to organists with basic organ playing abilities and beautiful harmonies give much pleasure throughout the learning process. If you would like to learn this piece with stylistically correct fingering and pedaling, check out my practice score with complete fingering and pedaling for easy practice of this colorful work which creates ideal articulation - articulate legato - almost without thinking. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my video Organ Practice Guide. Did you know that in the majority of tonal music (composed in a variety of keys) you can find excerpts of scales, arpeggios, and chords? In other words, these technical exercises are present in every page of tonal organ music, if we just look deep and hard enough?
This means that scales, arpeggios, and chords can help you grow as an organist as well because a) they will help you develop your music theory skills, b) they will help you develop finger dexterity and independence, c) they will facilitate the learning process of real organ compositions. If you would like to practice organ scales, arpeggios, and chords, here is what I suggest you do: Take a pair of two keys with the same number of accidentals (C major and A minor) and spend with them 1 week. Then the next week practice scales with 1 sharp (G major and E minor). Then the next week - with 1 flat (F major and D minor), 2 sharps (D major and B minor), 2 flats (B flat major and G minor), 3 sharps (A major and F sharp minor), 3 flats (E flat major and C minor), 4 sharps (E major and C sharp minor), 4 flats (A flat major and F minor), 5 sharps (B major and G sharp minor) or 7 flats (C flat major and A flat minor), 5 flats (D flat major and B flat minor) or 7 sharps (C sharp major and A sharp minor), 6 sharps (F sharp major and D sharp minor) or 6 flats (G flat major and E flat minor). Some people feel they need to review the fingering of the other scales on the same week. I wouldn't worry about them because: a) the fingering of one scale often reinforces many other scales b) you will go back to the beginning after these 12 weeks. That would be a time for review. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my video Organ Practice Guide. Have you come across Schirmer's student edition of Mendelssohn's Organ Works, Op. 37/65 edited by Samuel P. Warren? This is a good edition with fingering and pedaling written in (in most cases). However, a lot of times people feel confused about the way pedaling is written.
From the way the pedaling is indicated it might seem that the strange pedaling indications does not involve signs U (heel). Instead, the toes are indicated v (left) or ^ (right), and the heels: ̺ (left), ̪ (right). Every sign is positioned BELOW the notes. This might happen in some editions. If you are not aware of this difference, then it might even seem like some sort of early pedaling without heels is used. From this notation, it is certainly not very easy to decipher which foot (left or right) should play which note. That's the main difficulty, I think. But in reality it is nothing more than a different form of notating heels and simply means that the heel is used in such cases. By the way, there was a time when it was common to use "o" sign for heels. What to do if you are playing works of Mendelssohn or other composers from such editions? Is it practical nowadays when we all are used to modern pedaling signs? What I have found from my own practice is that it takes more time to adjust to these pedaling signs but it certainly could be done. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my video Organ Practice Guide. When we practice sight-reading, we sometimes encounter difficulties with the change in texture in treble and bass notes. That's a normal feeling.
You see, if the musical composition goes for a while in one texture or mode, we are getting used to that texture or mode. After practicing for some time, it becomes less difficult to play. But when the texture changes we have some problems again because at the time of change we have to get accustomed to the change. And sometimes where the clefs change is also a difficult place. The time issue with the systematic method is not a big deal - it only takes about 15 minutes a day of regular sight-reading practice to begin to see some tremendous changes in your skills. But you have to be very methodical about that - increase the difficulty level just one step at a time and practice in ascending numbers of accidentals etc. After you perfect your sight-reading skills, it's fascinating how much faster the entire learning process of new music becomes. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my video Organ Practice Guide. Many organists have heard the story that Cromwell times were famous for being bad for organs in England. For 50 years they banned and destroyed organs all over the country.
In Lithuania, we also had some sad episodes for this instrument. The Czar regime in the 19th century banned organs at Unitarian churches in Lithuania which were converted to Orthodoxy. The soviet times were bad for us of course (including for organs). The only good thing perhaps is that in those days the historical organs were largely untouched and many of them are still in more or less historical condition. However, this also means that the majority is also in an urgent need of quality restoration. By the way, if you would like to know more about the history of organ building in Lithuania, here is my English translation of the overview Rimantas Gučas did for his book "Lietuvos vargonai" (Lithuanian Organs). By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my video Organ Practice Guide. A virtual organ is a computer software sampler, specifically designed for modeling pipe organs through the use of MIDI. It works in this way:
Specialists choose a pipe organ of their choice (usually of a true historical value). They come and record with a special equipment every single pipe of every single stop on that organ. The pipes of the compound stops, such as mixtures or cornets have to be recorded all together, of course. Besides recording the separate pipe sounds they also record the acoustical environment of that space along with the temperament of that organ, of course. This process takes many hours to complete because they record everything one by one. Pipes of individual stops which are not in tune can be adjusted later on the computer. The compound stops have to be in tune during the recording session itself. Then they process everything digitally and create a sample organ which can be played on any keyboard where is MIDI: synthesizer keyboards, electronic organs, even on pipe organs with MIDI capabilities. The virtual organ program requires a computer with a connection to a MIDI keyboard (or several keyboards and a pedalboard). So from a comfort of your home you can produce sounds, similar to your target model pipe organ. Registration changes are done with the mouse on the computer. The sound, of course, depends on your speakers. You can go one step further and even have 360 degrees picture of the cathedral or a church on the computer where the actual organ is located. It's kind of fun. However, the actual feel and touch of the keyboards will not be the same as on these pipe organs (in most cases anyway). That's one areas were real mechanical action organs are unique. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my video Organ Practice Guide. Sometimes I get a question from people who are looking for advice on finding the right organ for home practice.
If you are looking for a pipe organ, find a used or a new small pipe organ with only 1-2 stops. They usually fit into a standard room. If you are looking for an electronic organ (without pipes), then consider Allen, Johannus, and Rodgers among many others. They take even less space than the pipe organ. I had this dilemma after my studies in the US whether to buy an electronic organ with lots of stops or a pipe organ with 2 stops. I chose a real pipe organ with 2 stops on two manuals and pedals (from a local Lithuanian organ builder). But that's my personal choice. Other people might feel different about it. But there is something about the mechanical organ touch and the real sound (like the ones Gene Bedient builds for home practice practice) which digital organs can't reproduce yet. Perhaps the new ones are getting better but they are more expensive. But if you have a tight budget, electronic organs might be less expensive. Then there are virtual organs (Hauptwerk) which are doing interesting things, too. You can play with the sound sets of real organs from around the world (famous cathedrals, historical organs) and pretend you are playing a famous Silbermann or Cavaille-Coll organ, among many other options they have available. If we take money out of the question, then I guess the deciding factor for many people will be the idea itself: pipe organ vs electronic organ vs virtual organ. By the way, do you want to learn my special powerful techniques which help me to master any piece of organ music up to 10 times faster? If so, download my video Organ Practice Guide. |
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 Photo by Edgaras Kurauskas
Authors
Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing. 
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