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Subject:
From:
George Horwath <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Pipe Organs and Related Topics <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 11 Mar 1993 08:01:11 CST
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David Higgs presented a recital at Northwestern University's
Alice Millar Chapel on the evening of March 5. The chapel has
an early 1960s Aeo. Skinner, 4 manuals, 100+ ranks, as I recall
(wasn't able to dig up an exact spec - I've got it at home,
somewhere). The instrument has been modified in some ways,
since Higgs commented that he had to learn how to use a Mac
because that's what the organ uses to load/store piston
settings. :)
 
The chapel has great acoustics. The instrument is mellow and
doesn't grate on the ears :)
 
Quite a few Chicago area organ notables were there including,
of course, NU organ prof Wolfgang Rubsam. Unfortunately, the
total number in the audience was only about 120.
 
NB: For the theater organ buffs out there, Prof. Rubsam accomp.
the silent movie "Phantom of the Opera" on this organ with his
own improvisation (last year). The result was stupendous! It
was really great. Never would have expected it, and from a
university organ prof, no less.........  ;^)
 
Anyway, here's David Higgs' program:
 
Apparatus Musico - Organistious: Toccata Prima
    G. Muffat (1653-1704)
 
Variations on "Mein Junges Leben hat ein End"
    J. Sweelinck (1562-1621)
 
Sonata No. 5 in C Major BWV 529    JSB
 
Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 65
    F. Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
 
    - intermission -
 
Pastorale and Toccata (1991)
    David Conte (b. 1955)
 
Fanatsmagorie (1935)
Deux Danses a Agni Yavishta
    J. Alain (1911-1940)
 
Five Dances
  1. Primatives
  2. At the Ballet
  5. Everyone Dance
    Calvin Hampton (1938-1984)
 
Encore - a Mozart thing (I forget which one)
 
I'm no expert, but David Higgs really seemed to know what he's
doing. Technique was great. As far as communicating, he did
very well, but expecially so in Felix's Sonata. I mean, it was
almost like David came up from behind and tapped me on the
shoulder - ;^)
 
----------------------------------------------
 
On Sunday, March 7, Saint Luke's church in Chicago, presented
Cantata BWV 127, Herr Jesu Christ, wahr Mensch und Gott by JSB
as part of an evening prayer service. This particular St. Luke's
(there are many in Chicago) is the one where Dr. Paul Manz
presides as cantor. For the service, Dr. Manz was at the organ
and, for the cantata, at the harpsichord.
 
As far as organ goes, the treat was the prelude to the service.
Manz played two settings on "Herzlich tut mich verlangen" from
the 11 chorale preludes by Brahms, and then Manz improvised
on "Herzlich tut...". It was quite beautiful and moving.
 
The situation of the organ is rather interesting (I don't know
builder or stop list). The nave is narrow and not very long,
but very high for the size of the church. The main organ is
against the back wall of the church - I guess you could
say in the narthex, because the gallery where the console is
does not go all the way to the back wall - its more like a
bridge. That is, on one side you can look down into the nave
and on the other side you can look down into the narthex. (The
church was built around 1960.) As a result, the main organ
is kind of buried from the point of view of the nave. To provide
better support up front, an exposed division was provided near
the chancel. The combined effect is quite good.
 
-George

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