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Hope United Methodist Church Marshalltown, Iowa

Organ Recital

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Carl R. Gravander, Jr.
Organist

Prélude sur l’Introït de l’Épiphanie XXXXXXXXXX Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)

Maurice Duruflé is considered one of the most distinguished French organists and composers of the 20th century. As a composer he was his own most severe critic, constantly revising and rejecting in an effort to make each work as perfect as possible. As would be expected, his few compositions exhibit an extremely high standard of craftsmanship, along with an unerring sense of color and emotional variety. The Prelude to the Introit of the Epiphany is based on plainsong and dates from the early 1960's.

Prelude and Fugue in A minor (BWV 543) XXXXXXXXXX Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

J. S. Bach is probably the most revered musician of all time. Though he lived over two centuries ago, his music is still unsurpassed. Working with the forms which he inherited from his predecessors, he brought to a culmination the ideals of the Baroque era.

The final version of the Prelude and Fugue in A minor was completed while Bach was at Cöthen. The Prelude is rather freely constructed, making use of arpeggiated chords, pedal point, and dialogue between pedal and manual. As in a toccata, it has an air of improvisation.

The Fugue subject is rather long and uses a sequential pattern. It is truly instrumental writing, of a disjunct character. The Fugue concludes with a pedal solo derived from the subject, followed by a toccata-like figure in the manual.

Choral No. 3 in A minor XXXXXXXXXXCésar Franck (1822-1890)

Although Franck was born in Belgium, he is generally regarded as a French composer, since most of his life was spent in Paris. He was organist at Sainte-Clotilde in Paris from 1858 until his death and was also Professor of organ at the Paris Conservatoire from 1872. With Franck, there begins the symphonic style of writing for the organ, brought about mainly by the instruments of Cavaille-Coll.

To the general public, he is probably best known for his Symphony in D minor, however the Chorals written in 1890, were his last and best works. These Chorals are nothing like those of German composers, being in reality fantasias on original themes. Of the three, the one in A minor is the simplest in construction, being in three main sections. The first is an alternation between the free fantasy material and statements of the choral. The second is a free, flowing melody first in the soprano and later in the tenor. In the third section, the opening fantasy returns and is finally used in conjunction with the choral melody.

Intermission

In Mystery and Wonder (The Casavant Diptych)XXXXXXXXXXDan Locklair (b. 1949)
XXXXX1. Aria XX God moves in a mysterious way...
XXXXX2. Toccata XX ...His wonders to perform...

In Mystery and Wonder was commissioned by the Casavant Frères organ company of Quebec, Canada, in honor of their 125th anniversary in 2004. Symbolism, as the basis for all musical materials, abounds in both movements and especially in the use of “C” and “F” note codes for “Casavant Frères” (as well as in the unplanned “mystery” that yielded 125 measures of music in the first movement!) Since one of the main melodic ideas from the first movement appears in the second movement, the composition is cyclic. The subtitle of each movement comes from the 18th century English hymn by William Cowper, God Moves in a Mysterious Way. – Dan Locklair

Chartres (Noël Varié)XXXXXXXXXX Richard Purvis (1913-1994)

Theme
XXXXXVariation 1 (Quasi Carillon)
XXXXXVariation 2 (Cantabile)
XXXXXVariation 3 (Grand Choeur)

Richard Purvis was Organist-Choirmaster at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Chartres, based on an old 15th century French melody, is appropriate for the season of Epiphany and explores the many colors of the organ. The following text by Cecil Frances Alexander is set to this tune in the 1940 Episcopal Hymnal:
Saw you never, in the twilight, When the sun had left the skies,
Up in heav’n the clear stars shining Through the gloom, like silver eyes?
So of old the wise men, watching, Saw a little stranger star,
And they knew the King was given, and they followed it from far.

Pièces de Fantaisie (Op. 53 & 54) XXXXXXXXXXLouis Vierne (1870-1937)
XXXXXCarillon de Westminster
XXXXXImpromptu
XXXXXClair de lune
XXXXXToccata

Vierne, a student of Franck and Widor, was organist at Notre Dame de Paris from 1900 until his death. Though he was born blind, he underwent an operation which gave him partial sight.

The 24 Pièces de Fantaisie, written in four suites between 1925 and 1927, are representative of the age of the concert organist. One of the earliest definitions of “fantasy” is found in the Renaissance where it describes as instrumental composition whose form and invention spring “solely from the fantasy and skill of the author who created it.” They are well-developed character pieces in contrast to more formal sonatas and symphonies.

Carl Gravander, virtuoso organist, harpsichordist, pianist, and carillonneur, began his musical career at the age of nine on the trumpet. After one month of lessons, his instructor said that he had the potential of a concert artist. Carl began playing the organ at the age of ten and held his first permanent church position at fourteen. A church organist for over forty years, Carl has been full-time Organist of Plymouth Congregational Church in Des Moines, Iowa since 1992 and is College Organist at Simpson College. Carl also plays the carillon at St. Paul’s Cathedral and serves as accompanist for the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble. Prior to this, he was Organist at First United Methodist Church in Clearwater for over ten years.

Carl's formal musical education was at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, where he majored in organ performance. He holds both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees, graduating Magna cum Laude and With Distinction. Among his teachers are Robert Carwithen and Eugene Roan on organ, Dr. Mark Brombaugh on harpsichord and Dr. Linda Pointer on carillon.

An active concert organist, Carl has performed recitals in such places as: the First Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Philadelphia, the Church of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Thomas Church, New York City. Also a nationally recognized carillonneur, he has played carillon recitals at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Baylor University in Waco, Texas, the University of California, Berkeley and Bok Tower in Lake Wales, Florida. As an accompanist, he has performed in England, France, Germany, Austria and Australia.

Carl was a featured recitalist at the 1992 Congress of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America & the 2011 Region VI American Guild of Organists Convention. Prize winner in many competitions, Carl won his first award at the age of ten on the trumpet and a piano scholarship while in high school. In 1984, he was winner of the second prize at the University of Michigan's International Organ Performance Competition.

The Second Saturday Arts Festival is sponsored by Hope UM Church. Admission is free. Refreshments will be served following the program. A donation basket will be available with proceeds focused toward the newly installed pipe organ.

Photo enclosed:

Contacts:
John Devlin, 641-479-2211
Hope United Methodist Church 641-752-5104

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