commentary to opus 44 | |
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Alleluia for organ op. 44 (1972)
First
performance: May 2, 1972, Oldenburg, St. Lamberti Duration: 7 Minutes Publisher: N. Simrock Hamburg-London (Boosey & Hawkes) ISMN M-2211-1806-6
The
Alleluia, op. 44, came into being on Easter Monday, 1972 in Salzburg.
The Gregorian Easter Alleluia - quasi as mode - is present in every bar. Bertold Hummel
In his
Alleluia (1972), notes are clustered into drops of sound, serving
also as background chords for flourishes from the Gregorian chant, short sections
are formed with ostinatos and rapid, wide-ranging running passages over the whole
keyboard. Between, beneath and above, the cantus firmus, often in chords, is heard.
A piece for cathedral organs. Victor
Lukas (in "Orgelmusikführer" Reclam, Stuttgart,
1963)
Larry D. Crummer: The Solo Organ Works by Bertold Hummel, Dissertation 1983 Press Mainpost, 19th
May, 1976 As a successful close, crossing the bridge to contemporary composition, Weinberger presented Hummel's "Alleluia" (1972). Starting from the Gregorian Alleluia, an independent, multi-layered world of sound is created. It consists of different complexes of motifs, all of which are related to the original theme, revealing it in manifold and otherwise concealed perspectives. Happily, there is no hint of concessions, in the sense of superficial platitudes, to the purely conventional listener.
www.lucidculture.wordpress.com , 26, January 2010 She
closed with a showstopper, Bertold Hummel’s Alleluja. Messiaen-esque in its
rapt, awestruck, somewhat horrified intensity, it’s a partita featuring a
neat little flute passage over atmospheric pedals midway through, as well as a
theme that borders on the macabre with its severe tonal clusters and recurs with
a portentous triumph at the end. With its breathless staccato contrasting with
big sustained block chords, it’s not easy to play, and Lee nailed it.
See also: Fantasia gregoriana op. 65 |