Stairway to Heaven

Last May I had a busy organistic Saturday in Paris. In the afternoon Suzanne Chaisemartin gave a recital at St. Paul-St. Louis. It was remarkable to hear one of Marcel Dupré's last students and an octogenarian, no less, play so well. Pierre Cogen sat across the aisle- this made it no less exciting!

From Le Marais I hopped on Line 1 and made my way to La Madeleine. I met François-Henri Houbart, the titular organist. We mounted the tribune and he played Dupré for the Mass of anticipation- that is, his teacher's teacher (Mme. Chaisemartin, being his teacher.)

After Sortie, the angsty and powerful "Amen" toccata from "Vêpres de la Vierge- 15 Pieces," (complete with the chamades!) M. Houbart, the sacristan, and I all simultaneously declared our hunger and set off across the plaza for dinner.

We were joined by a colleague of M. Houbart, M. Frédéric Blanc, titular organist of Notre-Dame d'Auteuil in the 16eme. I immediately recognized his name because he was giving the afternoon recital at Notre Dame de Paris the very next afternoon. M. Blanc invited me to visit Auteuil on Monday when the the recital would be behind him (understandably so- it was phenomenal, especially the improvisation).

To make a long story somewhat shorter, M. Blanc was the last student and disciple of Mme. Marie Madeleine Duruflé-Chevalier. For a number of reasons M. Blanc inherited the Duruflé couple's personal effects and apartment. Today he heads the Duruflé Association http://www.france-orgue.fr/durufle/ and is a dedicated ambassador of their legacy.

Unknown to me at that time, he asked, "would you like to see where M. Duruflé lived?" I said "Yes! You know where this is?" He grinned, "I live there."

6, place du Panthéon is about 8 stories and a typically Parisian building. There are many luxurious apartments and a beautiful lobby- but this is not our entrance. Through a small and unassuming passageway one approaches the stairs traversed thousands of times by one of the 20th century's musical masters.

Maurice Duruflé became titular organist of St. Etienne du Mont in 1929. Looking for a place to live he found this apartment across the square. A wealthy butcher's wife from Les Halles owned the building and her aspiring artist son occupied the small studio residence on top. When things went south he left and Mme., the landlady, offered it fairly cheaply on account of its size. M. Duruflé moved in and stayed nearly his entire life.

For respect of his privacy I do not have photos of the interior. This is alright because the best part belongs to everyone. The view, at the level of the towers of Notre Dame, allows one to panoramically survey the enormous and breathtaking entirety of the city. At night it is most stunning. In this place, one can understand how Requiem came to life, how the Messe cum Jubilo was born, the Quatre Motets- not to mention the organ works. The surreal surroundings drove Duruflé's already demanding standards of himself to such exclusive heights that his few extant works near perfection.

The first time I heard Duruflé I was bewitched with it- with its undulating rhythmic propulsion, its seemingly timeless metrical ambiguity, its refined post-impressionistic color, its nostalgic modal harmony, its religious passion. M. Blanc grabbed an old score of Andante et Scherzo, Op. 8 and we listened to a recording. My eyes followed the dancing notes, intermingled with pencil markings. In the upper right corner of the cover the owner's name was penciled like many scores. Needless to say, this one was different!

Absolutely everything danced. In a word, it was heavenly.

POEA- Emphasis on the 'A'

Pipe Organ Encounter Advanced. This was only the most recent inspiring event of my musical summer.

Some years ago the American Guild of Organists began camps for kids interested in the organ. Aptly named "Pipe Organ Encounters," (POE) they were wildly successful. However, problems developed. Many of the same students attended multiple times and, to put it mildly, were not exactly beginners anymore!

Thus, the AGO created the accelerated version. The Lincoln, Nebraska Chapter won the bid to host this first ever POEA and it was off to the races on 6 July.

Disarmingly talented high school students sent in audition recordings and ultimately 18 were selected to attend the week-long intensive. An all-star faculty was on hand to give private lessons and master classes... James David Christie, George Ritchie, Pamela Ruiter-Feensta, and Todd Wilson to name a few. The faculty recitals were quite a treat!

Volunteering bits of time in my scattered schedule to supervise, drive, etc., I tagged along on visits to some exciting instruments and events. Known for his outstanding craftsmanship and fidelity to significant historical trends in organ building, Gene Bedient gave tours of his shop and a lecture on tuning systems/temperaments. http://www.bedientorgan.com/

We spent one afternoon in Omaha, Nebraska visiting the Pasi organ of St. Cecilia's Cathedral. This instrument and space deserves an entire post of its own! After basking in its luxurious sounds and the outstanding scholarship and wisdom of Dr. George Ritchie in his masterclass, we spent the evening with a residential Kimball Theatre Organ that will blow your socks off.

Joel Martinson, a Dallas-based composer of organ and choral literature, gave a useful talk about trends in the musical profession regarding employment, composition, etc. The lesson here: self-publish if you can make it! The big houses are struggling to keep up and will drag you into their vortex if you sign your soul (or your rights) over in the end. It's bad news all around: Production costs are increasing; The internet makes things instantly available; They're taxed on their inventories (which are massive!); etc. And Mr. Martinson knows...he's in with Oxford University Press, Concordia, Morningstar, and Selah to name a few. http://www.joelmartinson.com/

Only two things went wrong, as far as I can tell: Paul Jacobs of Julliard had to drop out at the last second and the water didn't work in the dorms the first morning. The local paper, the Lincoln Journal Star, had a nice, if not rather hidden (back of the Saturday Religion section), article on the camp: http://journalstar.com/articles/2008/07/12/living/religion/doc4877d93cba41f294169917.txt

The absolute apexes of the week, however, were the student recitals at its conclusion. On Friday the 18 participants showcased pieces they had polished throughout the week in two recitals- the first on a new Reuter at First Presbyterian in Lincoln (see picture above) and the second on a fine Bedient at St. Paul United Methodist. As I was listening I often thought, "I can handle some of this stuff..." But then I kept remembering that these performers are 5 or 6 years younger than I! And regardless of age or training much of the music is just downright tricky...for anyone- Duruflé, Calvin Hampton, Reger, Langlais, major Bach preludes and fugues, one memorized JSB Trio Sonata movement, and much more!

As the students departed for home and other organ camps around the US, it dawned on me that they will be at the absolute forefront of our profession in forthcoming years. Their zeal, talent, and dedication stands to rocket them into the spotlight!

So...they gear up for more high school, and then, soon enough Julliard, Curtis, Oberlin, or Indiana. Me? Practice, practice, practice!

Shameless Propaganda

Well...after this gaping silence my two month hiatus must end. Now comes the time to resume writing! School is hiding somewhere in August and this summer has positively been an "Organ Spectacular."

A couple important facts:

1. The American Guild of Organists (AGO) has designated this next year as the "International Year of the Organ." The commemoration officially began at the National Convention which took place 22-26 June in Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota. The celebration will last until next summer. Countless people have arranged and engaged great scads of publicity, energy, and money to ensure that this instrument has high visibility in forthcoming months.

2. The organ is the greatest instrument- (besides the human voice)! Regardless of personal taste, it is simply impossible to disavow the magnitude of its greatness. Even those who don't like the thing can acknowledge its remarkable and unique status... as Stravinsky griped: "the monster never breathes!" Indeed, it is a breathless wind instrument.

As a keyboard instrument it covers more dynamic range than any other. With regard to timbre it is only matched by the orchestra- which is in itself many instruments. As far as power is concerned it can even swallow the orchestra if it wants. How about the greatest marriage of science and art ever? One can only marvel at the centuries of painstaking developments- a trio of fine artisan craftsmanship, the exquisite laws of physics, and the ceaseless driving quest for beauty. Given its complexity and considering when it arrived on the scene (as we know it) a few centuries ago we might even say that this is one of the greatest technological achievements ever. (If no one believes this then he/she ought to spend a little time inside an organ case)!

And repertoire? It has more music written for it than any other single instrument... spanning nearly 700 years of Western culture, reflecting its history accordingly in a rich diversity of styles. And, in the last century this icon of the West began to incorporate influences from around the world. If economic globalization was a recent phenomenon stemming from our instant communication mechanisms then musical "globalization," we might say, began in the progressive musical minds of people like Debussy, Charles Ives, Messiaen, and Duruflé- years ago. Bewitched by wonderful sounds from new places and ancient times composers such as these concocted compelling and delectable musical sounds that changed our world- and much for of it for the organ.

I must confess that only a few short months ago I was feeling rather phlegmatic about all this. However, a few things have ignited the fire. Namely: a fantastic European organ tour, the AGO National Convention last month, and the first ever Pipe Organ Encounter Advanced this last week. It was at this POEA that, as a part time volunteer, I had the unique privilege of meeting and interacting with some of the most prodigious young organists in the US. If I worried before I certainly now have no doubt that the organ has splendid future in store.

I am transfixed by the exceptional talent and zeal of all these other young organists. Hope abounds when I know that the organ captivates people with its depth and breadth- its timelessness. Whether inspired to play saccharine devotional music that would make the most pious person weep- or flashy Demessieux Etudes- or Calvin Hampton dances- or the golden Bach standards, there is room for almost everything and everyone at the organ bench. Considering all this I feel quite comfortable suggesting that many people would heartily echo Mozart's famous words spoken in October, 1777: "In my eyes and ears the organ is the king of instruments."

(Highlights and reflections on my travels and encounters are forthcoming).