So, it's been a long time since I have posted to this thread - I had quite a bit of activity early on, then with lots of other things in my life I have slowed my participation a bit. Now that I have a little more time on my hands, I'll post some links here and in my "unusual finds" thread (that is, if you all are still interested!)
So now I'm sharing my latest project, the Symphonie pour orgue of David DeBoor Canfield. The composer writes this of the work:
When I was a graduate composition major in the mid 1970s at Indiana University, I would visit my parents in Fort Lauderdale and on each visit, I would obtain the keys to the Rufatti organ from Diane and go and either improvise, or work on a number of different organ pieces. The first of these was The Garden of Gethsemane, a 10-minute work for organ, string orchestra and 2 horns. It was premiered back in the 1970s by Diane with my father conducting an ensemble of musicians drawn from the members of Coral Ridge. My next project was the afore-mentioned symphony, which eventually wound up with the title of
Symphonie pour orgue en re mineur Les cieux racontent la gloire de Dieu. All of the French (a language I do not speak) was precipitated by the style of the piece, which was deliberately written in the 19th-early 20th-century French romantic tradition of Vierne or Widor. At that time, I was particularly into that musical language (but only for my organ music!) Thus, the work that youll receive is neither typical of my present style nor even of my musical style back in those days. Nevertheless, I feel that it was the most mature and significant work I had written up until that time: It was composed between 1975 and 1978, when I was 25-28 years of age. The long period of its composition (very unusual for me) was occasioned only because I would work on the piece only when I was visiting back home with access to the CRPC organ.
It is cast in four movements marked, Prélude, Scherzo, Sicilienne and Final, and it is about 22 minutes in duration. One of the motives of the work is an ascending d minor arpeggio in the pedal, so that consequently, the keys of the movements form this same arpeggio (d minor, f minor, a minor d minor/major). With the help of Diane Bish, I registrated the piece, the registrations coming from the ranks (pun intended!) of the Rufatti organ.
- Prélude
- Scherzo
- Sicilienne
- Final
David and I are going over proofs, I will be distributing this piece for him on my site! I hope you enjoy the music.
Best,
- G
