February 21, 2016

Father Abraham had many sons

The Lord brought Abram outside and said, "Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be [NRSV, Genesis 15:5]."
Christ Church Cathedral Choir Notes
Second Sunday of Lent
Click to go immediately to:
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The organ voluntaries for the 10am Choral Eucharist this coming 2nd Sunday of Lent are the work of Paul Hindemith.


Paul Hindemith aged 28
Click to read about Paul Hindemith and his compositions for the organ.
Paul Hindemith, Kammermusik nr. 7 op 46, 2 , concerto for organ and chamber orchestra
1) Nicht zu schnell 2) Sehr langsam und ganz ruhig 3) (Nicht bezeichnet),
performance by Albert de Klerk, organ, and the Concerto Amsterdam [YouTube]
Paul Hindemith, Sonata per organo n.1 (1937)
performance by Peter Hurford on the 1978 Rieger organ of Ratzeberg Cathedral [musicMe] or [YouTube: Part I: Mäßig schnell - Lebhaft; Part II: Sehr langsam - Phantasie, frei - Ruhig bewegt]
performance by Elisabeth Ullmann at the Flentrop organ, Brucknerhaus, Linz, Austria [musicMe]
Paul Hindemith, Sonata per organo n.2 (1937)
performance by Peter Hurford on the 1978 Rieger organ of Ratzeberg Cathedral: I. Lebhaft; II. Ruhig bewegt; III. Fuge. Mäßig bewegt, heiter [YouTube] or [MusicMe]
performance by Elisabeth Ullmann at the Flentrop organ, Brucknerhaus, Linz, Austria [musicMe]
Paul Hindemith, Sonata per organo n.3 "über alter Volkslieder" (1940)
performance by Peter Hurford on the 1978 Rieger organ of Ratzeberg Cathedral: I. "Ach Gott, wem soll ich's klagen" - Langsam; II. "Wach auf, mein Hort;"
III. "So wünsch ich dir" [YouTube] or [musicMe]
performance by Elisabeth Ullmann at the Flentrop organ, Brucknerhaus, Linz, Austria [musicMe]
Paul Hindemith, Concerto for organ and orchestra (1962)
performance by Martin Haselböck, organ, and the Vienna Symphony directed by Raphael Frühbeck de Burgos [YouTube: Part I: I. Crescendo - Moderato Maestoso; II. Allegro assai;Part II: III. Canzonetta in triads and two Ritornelli - Moderato; Part III: IV. Fantasy on "Veni Creator Spiritus"

Performance by Anton Heiler, organ; and the ORF Symphonieorchester, Milan Horvat conducting [musicMe]
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The music of Orlande de Lassus is featured at the Choral Eucharists this coming Sunday.


Orlande de Lassus
(1532 - 1594)
                                                               
Click to read about de Lassus at length in Wikipedia.
Complete discs of de Lassus music for free online listening are available from musicMe.  Click on the appropriate title.
Lassus: Magnum opus musicum by the Choeur de chambre de Namur and La Fenice, Jean Tubery conducting.
Lassus : Biographie musicale, vol. 1. Années de jeunesse by Ludus Modalis, Bruno Boterf conducting.
Lassus: Missa ad imitationem moduli vinum bonum & magnificat super aurora lucis rutilat by the Choeur de chambre de Namur, the Ricercar Consort, La Fenice; Peter Phillips conducting.
Lassus: Chansons by Delphine Collot and the Ricercar Consort, Philippe Pierlot conducting.
Bonjour mon coeur by the Capilla flamenca
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Rogier van der Weyden, Christ on the Cross with Mary and John, Monasterio de San Lorenzo, El Escorial, c.1460
Click to go to Orlande de Lassus, Stabat Mater, performed by The Hilliard Ensemble, Paul Hilliard conducting.  Recorded at the Priority Church of St Mary & St Blaise, Boxgrove, West-Sussex, in September 1983.
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Sir Anthony van Dyke, Penitent Apostle Peter, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, 1617-18
Performance with text by the Ensemble Vocal  Europeen, Philippe Herreweghe  conducting. [YouTube]
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The Biblothèque nationale du Québec [Montréal] has an excellent recording of the Missa Bell’Amfitrit’Altera that may be borrowed.
Orlande de Lassus' Missa Bell'Amfitrit'Altera is a Parody Mass based on a lost madrigal about "another beautiful Amphitrite," a sea-nymph.
Lassus spent most of his adult life in Munich as maestro di cappella at the court of the dukes of Bavaria.  James O'Donnell, erstwhile director of the Westminster Cathedral Choir, with the assistance of Jeremy West's, His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, in the recording of Festal Sacred Music of Bavaria has recreated a Mass for a martyr-bishop as it might have been performed in Augsburg cathedral around the year 1600.  The readings and prayers are omitted but the music is there with Lassus' Mass setting, the Missa Bell'Amfitrit'Altera filled out with prelude, postlude, propers and instrumental canzoni by Hans Leo Hassler and Christian Erbach.               
Lassus' Mass, usually sung today a cappella, is here embellished with instruments, the "sagbutts & cornetts"which act as a second choir.  The organ music is provided by Timothy Roberts, Iain Simcock, and Iris Schollhorn.
Click here for the Hyperion Records website (scroll down for notes).
Click here for the complete, detailed liner notes.
Click here to check whether the recording is currently on the shelf  at the Bibliothèque nationale to be borrowed.
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McGill University Noon-Hour Organ Recital Series The Wolff organ of Redpath Hall - Fridays at 12:30 pm - Admission Free
Friday, February 19, at 12:30: Michael Dierks programme
Friday, February 26, at 12:30: John Grew programme