This thesis aims to understand the pieces Hannah Lee performed at the graduation recital in Kim Young Ui Hall, Ewha Womans University, on the 11th of June 2015. The recital program arranged five pieces in the order of time period, starting from the Ba...
This thesis aims to understand the pieces Hannah Lee performed at the graduation recital in Kim Young Ui Hall, Ewha Womans University, on the 11th of June 2015. The recital program arranged five pieces in the order of time period, starting from the Baroque period and extending to the Renaissance period and the modern period: Chaconne d minor by Johann Pachelbel, Concerto in d minor, BWV 596 by Johann Sebastian Bach, Sonata No. 2 in c minor, Op. 65 by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, the second movement Choral, third movement Scherzo, fifth movement Final from Symphony Op. 20, No. 2 by Louis Vierne and Toccata Op.104 by Joseph Jongen.
Johann Pachelbel is a composer from the Baroque period and he was active with his career in the southern and central regions of Germany. His Chaconne d minor repeats its theme melody, composed of eight measures, in the pedal while playing sixteen free variations in the hand keyboard. This piece is played at non-legato, starting with a soft flute tone and increasing in volume with the addition of mutation tone, high pitch tone and reed tone one after another.
Johann Sebastian Bach arranged Concerto Grosso in d minor, Op.3, No.11 by Antonio Vivaldi(1678-1741) into an organ piece. Concerto in d minor, BWV 596, arranged by Bach, has four movements and a fast-slow-fast structure. Throughout the first movement of this piece, an immitation figure recurs in the hand keyboard and the long tone repeats in the pedal keyboard. The second movement has a fugue structure. The third movement uses a siciliano structure with a solo melody and accompaniment. Furthermore, the fourth movement demonstrates a ritornello structure by using the keyboards in different manners in Rückpositiv and Oberwerk. Overall, this piece follows the non-legato playing technique of the Baroque period. In the first movement, its tone combination adheres to the composer‘s directions on the scores and the second movement combines its tones on the basis of the plenum sound. The third movement presents its solo melody with sesquialtera tone and tremulant. In the last movement, on the basis of the plenum sound, the two keyboards have a different volume, and this helps demonstrate a ritornello structure.
Sonata No. 2 in c minor is written by a leading composer of the German romantic organ music Felix Mendelssohn and it has four movements. Each movement was composed in a different time period. For that reason, each of them has its own distinct atmosphere and leaves a unique musical impression. This piece has three distinct characteristics. First, this piece combines contrapuntal factors with romantic elements of its melody and accopaniment. Second, this piece shows Mendelssohn’s own unique music notation, which uses four staffs in the pedal. Third, he left records of the metronome number in every movement to help keep the correct tempo. This piece exemplifies tone shift on the basis of a legato playing style from the age of Romanticism. In every movement of this piece, its tone combination adheres to the dynamics specified by the composer.
The well-known composer of the French symphony Louis Vierne wrote Symphony Op. 20, No.2 in the first period of his life. This piece makes use of a circulatory structure, in which two themes from the first movement recur in the other movements. This piece has five movements, three of which were played in this graduating recital. The second movement is characterized by the contrast between a slow and soft part and the passionate Agitato. Three main melodies flow throughout the third movement and they develop in a light and fast manner. The fifth movement has a sonata-allegro structure and each part has a different tempo specified by the composer. The tone combination of each movement follows the directions given by the composer. The final movement follows a terrace dynamic structure from the age of Romanticism and its tone combination has four development stages.
The Belgian contemporary composer Joseph Jongen‘s Toccata Op.104 has both a modern harmony and an interesting rhythm. Technically fast alternations of the straight harmony in the hand keyboard and its Arpeggio motif flowing in the work together make the pedal theme even more distinguished. For the melody in the pedal, Posaune 16', and Trompete 8' from the reed series are added or deleted according to the directions on the scores, and it makes the theme melody heard well.
This thesis has explored each piece in depth, looking at the life of the composer, its musical characteristics, its playing styles and finally its tone combinations. This helps appreciate the develpment stages of organ music over the time periods.