|
This question is much broader than simply playing organ compositions better during recital. It involves things like relationship of the organist to the listener, general musical education level of the listeners and their expectations, among other things.
Having this in mind, here are a few basic ideas which may help you to ensure that your recital will be appreciated by the audience. 1. Know your listener. What are his dreams, wants, desires, problems, fears? What keeps him awake at night? What is his worldview? How do you encounter him in a way that he trusts you? What are you trying to change in your listener? 2. Connect with your listeners through stories. Story-telling during the recital is a powerful tool which an organist should take advantage of. You can give interesting facts and details about the composer, the music, and the instrument which your audience can relate to. This way people can get much more out of your recital. 3. Choose a repertoire in a meaningful way. Remember that it's the listener that matters, not you. If you play average music for average people, there won't be much connection with your listeners. Instead, if you could program a remarkable recital with pieces that your listeners care deeply about, then you might be on to something. Remember the principle of variety - slow-fast, sad-joyful, loud-soft etc. Thematic recitals work splendidly in this case. 4. Keep in mind your instrument. Try not to play the music which doesn't work for your type of organ. Organ repertoire is vast and surely you can find an interesting program which suits your instrument well. 5. Develop your relationship with listeners beyond your recital. Start a blog, write a newsletter, create a video lecture or two, collect emails through a hand-out during the recital, interact with your fans through social media. These things really help you connect and lead your fan base. A final note: less is more. In case of doubt, always program less music than you want. It's better to leave the listeners wanting for more than to be annoying and overwhelming. What things do you use to keep your audience engaged during your recitals? Share your thoughts in comments.
Comments
Are you wondering what kind of organ music selections are suitable for Bachelor's organ degree recital? In this article, I will give you a list of pieces by Buxtehude, Bach, Handel, Vierne, Langlais, and Franck.
1. Praeludium in C, BuxWV 137 by Dieterich Buxtehude. One of the most famous of all of Buxtehude's organ works will serve well for the opening of your recital. This is a perfect example of multi-movement North German Baroque Stylus Phantasticus writing. This work is also known as Prelude, Fugue, and Chaconne in C major. 2. Chorale Prelude "Komm heiliger Geist, Herre Gott", BuxWV 199 by Buxtehude. This is an ornamented chorale prelude - a perfect example of Buxtehude's style. This piece will make a good contrast with the preceding and following pieces. 3. Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541 by Johann Sebastian Bach. A joyful prelude with elements of Ritornello form. You will find a complex Stretto section towards the end of the fugue. 4. Chorale Prelude "Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland", BWV 659 by Bach. A very famous chorale prelude from the collection of Great 18 Chorales (Leipzig Chorale Preludes). Slow tempo and fascinating ornamented chorale melody in the right hand part. 5. Trio Sonata No. 1 in E flat Major, BWV 525 by Bach. This is the easiest of all of 6 trio sonatas by this composer. However, the organists will still encounter many technical challenges which have to be overcome at the Bachelor's degree recital. 6. Organ Concerto Op. 4, No. 5 in F Major, HWV 293 by George Frederic Handel. This is the shortest of 6 most famous organ concertos by Handel. It consists of four contrasting movements: Larghetto, Allegro, Alla Siciliana, and Presto. 7. Allegretto, Op. 1 by Louis Vierne. A rarely performed early work of Vierne of moderate difficulty. Nice ABA form with charming oboe melody in the right hand. 8. Meditation from the Suite Medievale by Jean Langlais. Very colorful French style modal writing. Slow tempo makes it a wonderful preparation for what is coming next in your program. 9. Chorale No. 3 by Cesar Franck. This is perhaps the most famous and the easiest of all of 3 chorales of Franck. A perfect closing piece for your recital - very dramatic work with a beautiful slow middle section. Take any or all of the above pieces and start practicing for your recital today. The compositions from this list constitute a recital of approximately 1 hour of duration which is an optimum length for organ recital. They provide a welcome variety in character, mood, tempo, mode, keys, and registration for positive listener experience. 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 free Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to learn to play any organ composition at sight fluently and without mistakes while working only 15 minutes a day, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. Are you wondering what kind of organ music selections are suitable for Bachelor's organ degree recital? In this article, I will give you a list of pieces by Buxtehude, Bach, Handel, Vierne, Langlais, and Franck.
1. Praeludium in C, BuxWV 137 by Dieterich Buxtehude. One of the most famous of all of Buxtehude's organ works will serve well for the opening of your recital. This is a perfect example of multi-movement North German Baroque Stylus Phantasticus writing. This work is also known as Prelude, Fugue, and Chaconne in C major. 2. Chorale Prelude "Komm heiliger Geist, Herre Gott", BuxWV 199 by Buxtehude. This is an ornamented chorale prelude - a perfect example of Buxtehude's style. This piece will make a good contrast with the preceding and following pieces. 3. Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 541 by Johann Sebastian Bach. A joyful prelude with elements of Ritornello form. You will find a complex Stretto section towards the end of the fugue. 4. Chorale Prelude "Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland", BWV 659 by Bach. A very famous chorale prelude from the collection of Great 18 Chorales (Leipzig Chorale Preludes). Slow tempo and fascinating ornamented chorale melody in the right hand part. 5. Trio Sonata No. 1 in E flat Major, BWV 525 by Bach. This is the easiest of all of 6 trio sonatas by this composer. However, the organists will still encounter many technical challenges which have to be overcome at the Bachelor's degree recital. 6. Organ Concerto Op. 4, No. 5 in F Major, HWV 293 by George Frideric Handel. This is the shortest of 6 most famous organ concertos by Handel. It consists of four contrasting movements: Larghetto, Allegro, Alla Siciliana, and Presto. 7. Allegretto, Op. 1 by Louis Vierne. A rarely performed early work of Vierne of moderate difficulty. Nice ABA form with charming oboe melody in the right hand. 8. Meditation from the Suite Medievale by Jean Langlais. Very colorful French style modal writing. Slow tempo makes it a wonderful preparation for what is coming next in your program. 9. Chorale No. 3 by Cesar Franck. This is perhaps the most famous and the easiest of all of 3 chorales of Franck. A perfect closing piece for your recital - very dramatic work with a beautiful slow middle section. Take any or all of the above pieces and start practicing for your recital today. The compositions from this list constitute a recital of approximately 1 hour of duration which is an optimum length for organ recital. They provide a welcome variety in character, mood, tempo, mode, keys, and registration for positive listener experience. 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 free Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to learn to play any organ composition at sight fluently and without mistakes while working only 15 minutes a day, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. Have you ever thought what successful concert organists have in common? They all think outside the box. They try to be different than their competitors which makes them unique. In this article, I will show you how thinking outside the box in programing organ recitals can help you to achieve success as a concert organist.
If you want to become successful in giving organ recitals, try to be different from the majority of organists. Think of what can you do differently than anybody else in the organ world? Think of your listeners. If there are many organ concerts in your area, you should be thinking of what will propel your audience choose your concert instead of others. In other words, why they would go to your recital? You should think about the program of your concert very carefully and try to make it unique. You see, the majority of organists play organ recitals which consist of a mixture of pieces from various historical periods and national schools of organ composition. Although this approach works perfectly fine when programming organ recitals, it will not necessarily make your recital unique. Consequently, the listeners might not be drawn to your recital because they will think of it as one of many others and not something extraordinary which shouldn't be missed. Possible solutions to this issue might be giving your recital a unique title, programming it around a specific and colorful theme, including informative and/or entertaining verbal presentations and explanations about organ pieces and composers in your program, and even thinking about the involvement of members of the audience. Use the above tips and think outside the box in your preparation for your organ recital today. With time, this approach will put you in a situation when you can become a leader in your field and you will be considered as an expert by others. Consequently, being an expert will give you success you deserve as a concert organist. 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 FREE Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to learn to play any organ composition at sight fluently and without mistakes while working only 15 minutes a day, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. Have you been to an organ recital which lasted too long or too short? I have. For organists the question of timing is really important because if they play a recital which is too short, the listeners will be disappointed and if it's too lengthy - they will be bored and want to leave. If you are wondering what is the optimum length of an organ recital, read this article.
I have found that the optimum duration of a recital without intermission should be around 60 minutes (with stop changes). However, the ideal length of a recital depends on other factors, such as how cold it is in the room. If the recital is during winter time and the church is not heated, it is probably better to make it shorter than usual, perhaps 30-45 minutes. Otherwise, people might catch cold during your playing. If the building is heated all year round, you can make the length of a recital as usual - around 60 minutes. In cases when the program consists of long cycles, such as Clavierubung III, the Art of the Fugue, 18 Great Chorale preludes or other collections by Bach or other composers, you can plan for a longer duration. This is acceptable because people will expect it to be longer. If the recital is with intermission, each part could last around 40-45 minutes (encores not including). This is usually the case in large concert halls. The length of the recital does not matter so much in cases where the organist is of world class caliber. Then the listeners would not want him or her to stop playing anyway. In such cases, one or more encores is normal. Generally speaking, it is better that listeners would want for more music than to become bored. In other words, if your program is just a little under 60 minutes (around 50-55 minutes) it is OK. There is no need to try to squeeze in an extra piece or two if the program is ideally balanced. In addition, you have to remember that people who are going to attend your recital, might be frequent concert-goers and they might be used to the normal recital format of 60 minutes. I usually plan around 50 minutes of pure music. That leaves me around 10 minutes for registration changes between the pieces. One more thing is important to remember here. If you plan on talking during the recital, try to calculate the time of your presentations so that recital would not last too long. The bottom line is this: your listener's time is as precious as yours - don't make your recitals too lengthy. 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 FREE Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to learn to play any organ composition at sight fluently and without mistakes while working only 15 minutes a day, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. Although advanced level organists usually have much concert experience,
sometimes it is a challenge to find suitable organ repertoire for a recital. Recital pieces should have a balance between fast and slow, loud and soft, joyful and sad music. In this article, I will share with you an example of some of the most exciting and famous pieces from the repertoire which you can use to program you next organ recital. 1) Prelude and Fugue in E flat Major, BWV 552 by Johann Sebastian Bach. An excellent opening for your recital. This is one of the most significant Preludes and Fugues Bach ever wrote. The prelude is in an advanced Ritornello form (following the Italian Concerto tradition) and the fugue is a superb example of Bach's complex structure of the fugue with 3 subjects. 2) Chorale prelude on "Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele", BWV 654 by Bach. Sweet and gentle chorale prelude, one of the most beloved Bach's compositions for many organists. Felix Mendelssohn was also fond of it. The beauty of the piece consists of highly ornamented chorale tune placed in the soprano voice with solo registration and slow rhythms in the style of Sarabanda. 3) Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 65 by Felix Mendelssohn. This famous sonata consists of two parts - the majestic and dramatic Con motto maestoso and gentle and slow Andante tranquillo. The 1st movement is based on Luther's chorale "Aus tiefer Noth schrei Ich zu Dir". The opening part in choral texture of this movement is repeated at the end. There is a double fugue on the above chorale tune in the middle of this movement. 4) Chorale No. 3 in A minor by Cesar Franck. This is one of the most famous and the last composition by Franck. It is a perfect example of the French symphonic writing - chromatic harmonies, dramatic textures and sweet melodies will be appreciated by every listener of your recital. 5) Andante sostenuto from the "Symphonie Gothique", Op. 70 by Charles-Marie Widor. This is one of the most beloved pieces by Widor. Slow tempo, gentle melodic lines, a fantastic accompaniment (in double sixths) and absolutely adorable harmonies make this piece a nice contrast with the previous composition on this list. 6) "Dieu parmi nous" from "Nativite du Seigneur" (Meditation No. 9) by Olivier Messiaen. This is one of the most popular pieces of this composer and a perfect choice to end your recital. It has everything you need to excite the listeners: complicated rhythms, spicy and colorful French modes and bright registrations. Encore (optional): Toccata from the 5th Symphony by Widor. This toccata requires no introduction. Play it if your recital goes well, of course, and if your audience demands an encore. The length of this program is around 60 minutes which is an optimum timing for an organ recital. Use the above list of these exciting organ compositions for your upcoming recitals. Get the sheet music and start practicing for it today. 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 FREE Organ Practice Guide. Or if you really want to develop unbeatable sight-reading skills, check out my systematic master course in Organ Sight-Reading. Organists who have intermediate level skills and want to play a recital have more options than beginners. This is because their technical abilities are somewhat more developed and naturally there is a wider variety of organ repertoire from which to choose. However, intermediate level organists still have to consider the instrument and the audience and create a program which has a nice variety of contrasts and unity. In this article, I will provide an example of organ recital program with the most famous organ works for intermediate level organists.
1) Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 by J.S.Bach. This will be a spectacular opening of your recital. If you don't want to play the most popular organ piece ever written, try the majestic Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 546 by J.S.Bach or the Praeludium in C Major, BuxWV 137 by D.Buxtehude. 2) "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme," BWV 645 by J.S.Bach. This is one of the most beloved organ chorales by this composer. Written in a trio texture with the tune or the cantus firmus in the left hand. 3) "Von Gott will Ich nicht lassen," BWV 658 by J.S.Bach. A nice chorale prelude from the Leipzig collection. Character is soft and gentle. 4) Fugue in G Major, BWV 577 ("the Gigue") by J.S.Bach. This is a virtuosic fugue with the rhythms of the fast and hopping Baroque dance - a joyful gigue. Although the tempo is very fast, the pedal is largely straightforward and could be played using the alternate toe technique. 5) "Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier," BWV 730 by J.S.Bach. A sweet chorale prelude with the chorale tune in the soprano. 6) "Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier," BWV 731 by J.S.Bach. An alternate version of the above chorale with the highly ornamented tune presented in the soprano. 7) Fugue in G minor, BWV 578 ("Little") by J.S.Bach. Although this fugue is often called "Little", we should not underestimate its artistic quality. This is a classic and very well-known example of Bach's fugal writing. 8) Finale from Sonata No. 6 in D Minor, Op. 65 by F.Mendelssohn. A gentle closing movement of the D minor sonata. The intermediate level organist could also play the Fugue from this work. However, the first movement - the variations on the chorale "Vater unser im Himmelreich" will probably be a bit too advanced for this level. 9) "Les Bergers" from "Le Nativite du Seigneur" by O.Messiaen. A slow and meditative piece by one of the most famous composers of the 20th century. This is a great way to get to know the fantastic world of Messiaen's modes. 10) "Suite Gothique", Op. 25 by J.Boellmann. An excellent very well-known major work to conclude your recital. It is written in four parts. Perhaps the two most famous are the sweet and gentle "Priere a Notre Dame" (3rd movement) and the dark and virtuosic Toccata (the last movement). You can use the pieces from the above list as it is or you can modify it according to your preference. Note that the program presented above is about 1 hour of duration (with registration changes) which is an optimum length for an organ recital. Get the sheet music and start practicing for your upcoming recital today. By the way, do you want to learn to play the King of Instruments - the pipe organ? If so, download my FREE video guide "How to Master Any Organ Composition" in which I will show you my EXACT steps, techniques, and methods that I use to practice, learn and master any piece of organ music: http://www.organduo.lt/organ-tutorial.html Are you in preparatory stages for an organ recital? Do you have some ideas but are not sure what are the best ways to program it? If you want to achieve success with your playing, there are 3 things to keep in mind here. In this article, I will explain each of them one by one which will help you to make the best decision.
1) Instrument. This is perhaps the most important point to keep in mind and many people fail to give it some serious thinking. Because every organ is different and no instruments are alike, consider the technical capabilities of it. Ask some questions, like what is the ideal musical style, historical period, technical and registration limitations for your organ etc. 2) Audience. Once you have decided over the above point, think of your listeners in planning the recital. Give them something interesting, unexpected, and original in the theme of the event. It is really vital to the success of your recital that the program should be engaging and have a balance between a unity and contrast. A unity could mean that there should be an overall general recital theme or idea, like liturgical occasion, one composer, one style, one historical period, one country etc. Although you can play a mixed program where all the pieces are chosen by accident, it is much easier to publicize the recital, if the above point is kept in mind. People will feel more interested in coming to your recital if you give them something unique, original, and special. A contrast in your program might mean that you should give the listeners the ability to relax by programing pieces in loud-soft-loud-soft manner. Also, keep in mind the balance between the compositions in major and minor modes. 3) Performer. You must think also about yourself as the performer. Ask yourself, if the pieces you have chosen are not too difficult for you at the moment. Or perhaps you can play them one by one but when you put them in a row, they are too exhausting to play. A good idea is also to have some contrast between fast-slow-fast-slow compositions. Additionally, not the least important is that the pieces should be interesting to you personally. Try to keep the above points in mind when you prepare for an organ recital. The more balance between the instrument, audience, and performer your program has, the more success you will achieve. What are your thoughts on this important subject? Do you have some organ recital experiences that you want to share? Or perhaps you learned some lessons along the way? I am curious to know. By the way, do you want to learn to play the King of Instruments - the pipe organ? If so, download my FREE video guide: "How to Master Any Organ Composition" in which I will show you my EXACT steps, techniques, and methods that I use to practice, learn and master any piece of organ music. |
 DON'T MISS A THING! FREE UPDATES BY EMAIL.
 Photo by Edgaras Kurauskas
Authors
Drs. Vidas Pinkevicius and Ausra Motuzaite-Pinkeviciene Organists of Vilnius University , creators of Secrets of Organ Playing. Our Hauptwerk Setup:
Categories
All
Archives
October 2022
|
RSS Feed