50th anniversary of a Steinmeyer organ

[andijah]

Almost 5 years ago, I posted some pictures of a 2-manual Steinmeyer organ - the first organ I ever played.
Here it is: https://organforum.com/forums/forum/...ge2#post442584

Keyboard is C - g''', pedal C - f, couplers II/I, I/P, II/P.
Great (Main):
Quintade 16'
Prinzipal 8'
Spillpfeife 8'
Oktave 4'
Rauschharfe 4' + 2 2/3'
Waldflte 2'
Mixtur 5 f 2'
Trompete 8'
Tremulant

Swell:
Holzgedeckt 8'
Rohrflte 4'
Prinzipal 2'
Terznone 1 3/5' + 8/9'
Sifflte 1 1/3'
Scharf 5fach
Tremulant

Pedal:
Subbass 16'
Offenbass 8'
Pommer 4'
Mixtur 4 f. 2'
Fagott 16'

And I also said this:

Yes, I should go back for a recital, now that I'm a bit older and actually know how to play :->

Well, last Saturday, I played a solo recital for the 50th anniversary of the organ - it was built in 1970 and the idea of the recital was to present a variety of styles, covering 5 centuries of organ music. Some might argue that this is a bit too much, but I have some experience with programmes like this and we also have a moderator who gives information on the pieces during the concert.
People's comments were positive throughout and we had a wonderful time.

Will post the list of pieces I played as additional comment - don't know how many characters I can post in one go.

[andijah]

Johann Pachelbel (1653 - 1706)
Chorale „Herr Gott dich loben alle wir“ (P.183)
Toccata g minor (P.467)

Christoph Wolfgang Druckenmüller (1687 - 1741)
Concerto in G: Allegro - Adagio - Allegro

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714 - 1788)
Fugue d minor (Wq 119/2, H99)

Anna Bon di Venezia (c.1740 - ?)
Sonata C major: Allegro - Andante - Minuetto con Variazione

Christian Heinrich Rinck (1770 - 1846)
Choral and variations „Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten“

Théophile Stern (1803 - 1886)
Offertoire in C major

Clara Schumann (1819 - 1896)
Prelude and Fugue in B flat major op. 16 No. 2

Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (1839 - 1901)
Canzonetta (from op. 156)

Ethel Smyth (1858 - 1944)
Choral “O Gott du frommer Gott”
Canon on „O Gott du frommer Gott“

Mel Bonis (1858 - 1937)
Communion op. 153

Will Macfarlane (1870 - 1945)
Reverie

Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937)
Communion

Matilde Capuis (1913 - 2017)
Preludio

Jeanne Joulain (1920 - 2010)
In Memoriam

Barbara Heller (*1936)
Mainacht

Carlotta Ferrari (*1975)
Fuga su un tema di Clara Schumann

[andijah]

I don't think she played hammond organs. It's the Ethel Smyth who wrote the famous "march of the women", went to jail because of her involvement in the women's rights movement and had to stop composing due to hearing problems. In 1934 she was profoundly deaf - even if she had played one of the first Hammonds, she wouldn't have enjoyed this, I guess.

[myorgan]

Interesting, Andrea. The one I reference is an American of African descent (I believe), and she is incredibly talented! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvCis_JktXI

Michael

[andijah]

That's one of the good things about this forum, we can always learn something new.
We have Ethel Smyth: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Smyth
and Ethel Smith: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_...%28organist%29
Most probably not related ;-)
And there's another women's rights activist who's not a musician: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_M._Smith

[andijah]

As you can see, we didn't merely celebrate the 50th "birthday" of the organ, but also Rinck's 250th birthday, Macfarlane's and Vierne's 150th birthday and Joulain's 100th birthday :-)

After the recital, we met for a glass of bubbly and a chat and the pastor invited me to come back and play another recital.

[Dutchy]

This is very nice, especially the woman composers who are seldom heard of. Thanks for sharing!

[andijah]

Thanks for the feedback Dutchy :-)

[JeffW]

What a marvelous program, Andrea!

As I've come back to organ and organ music after a three-plus decade detour, whenever I get back to performing regularly, I'm going program recitals much like yours...there's just too much good music few have played and fewer have heard.

Kudos on the 50th anniversary recital!!

[voet]

Andijah, your programs are always so thoughtful and interesting. You manage to find gems of lesser known works and by composers who deserve wider recognition. Thanks for sharing this.

[andijah]

Thanks for your kind words, JeffW and voet :-)

[andijah]

Last weekend I had the chance to visit the Steinmeyer organ again and I made some videos. Not very professional, just using my old Sony smartphone, but I thought I'd share some of those recordings to give you an idea of the organ's sound.
Playing Ethel Smyth's "O Gott du frommer Gott" and forgetting about that one note that always gets stuck: https://vimeo.com/446387657
A bit of sight-reading with an Adagio by Nicolaus Bruhns: https://vimeo.com/446389836
And a piece written in 2019 by Carlotta Ferrari, "Fuga su un tema di Clara Schumann": https://vimeo.com/446397670

[Larrytow]

Andrea, congratulations on doing a fine anniversary program ! Watched the videos, and love your playing. You put a lot of thought and time into planning that I am sure. It goes to show how different music selections are in different countries - here people would not like hearing unknown pieces like that. You must have more musically sophisticated attendees there.

The 100th anniversary celebration I was in the process of putting together ( discussed last year here ) got canceled for this year due to Covid, and postponed till whenever. By the time it happens, the organ might be 102+ years old.

[andijah]

You must have more musically sophisticated attendees there.

Hm, I wouldn't know about that. But it certainly helps that we do these types of recital with a moderator who introduces the pieces. Without any introduction, it might be more difficult.

[myorgan]

...we do these types of recital with a moderator who introduces the pieces. Without any introduction, it might be more difficult.

Absolutely, a great idea, Andrea. It helps the average audience member listen more intelligently-no matter what they came in with. My wife hates it when I introduce pieces, but the audience loves it.

Michael