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These are the best of times, or sothey seem to those of us who relish thesonorous delight of a pipe organ in a con-cert hall setting. In recent months, twofine American orchestras have inaugurat-ed lavish and costly new instruments: theLos Angeles Philharmonic at its eye-catch-ing, Frank Gehry-designed, year-old WaltDisney Concert Hall; and the Mad-ison Symphony Orchestra, venturinga first season in its brand-new Over-ture Hall designed by Cesar Pelli,only blocks from the Wisconsincapitol. Johannes Klais of Bonn,Germany built the instrument forWisconsin, while behind Gehry’sovertly postmodern Disney façadestands an organ engineered and con-structed by the Glatter-Goëtz com-pany of Oewingen, Germany, withtonal design and voicing by LosAngeles native Manuel Rosales. Bothare marvelous.

These two orchestras join a signifi-cant list of other American orchestralassociations and concert halls now inpossession of recent or recently refur-bished pipe organs by noted buildersfrom Canada, Italy, England, and theUnited States: Dallas (Fisk), Seattle(Fisk), Jacksonville (Casavant/Quimby), Chicago (Moeller/Casa-vant), Boston (Aeolian-Skinner), andCleveland (E. M. Skinner/Schantz).Additional new instruments are in-process or planned for halls inPhiladelphia (Dobson/Rosales), Nash-ville (Schoenstein), Costa Mesa (Fisk),Atlanta (Dobson), and Miami (Man-der); while San Francisco (Ruffatti),

Washington, D.C. (Aeolian-Skinner), andMilwaukee (Aeolian-Skinner/Austin) weresomewhat ahead of the current surge ofactivity. After a long dry spell during whichtoo many new halls specifically omittedpipe organs, most of the best recent orches-tral performance facilities in the UnitedStates now, or soon will, match the capabil-

ities of their traditionally fully-equippedEuropean counterparts.

OK, we have the resources. How bestshould we use these marvelous, and expen-sive, gifts? You may think that the numberof relevant organ works is small. Thinkagain. Through recordings and broadcasts,perhaps even more than through live per-formances, I have become aware of a con-siderable repertoire for organ-with-orches-tra, not least being the three centuries oforgan concertos ranging from G.F. Handelto Calvin Hampton. There’s more than justone “organ symphony,” too. And the pipeorgan earns its place in the symphony’sspace because it is used in core symphonicrepertoire; who wouldn’t yearn for the surg-ing effect of that extra octave of bass thatonly the organ’s 32-foot pedal registers canimpart to a rich orchestral tapestry? Anyconductor who attempts the final climax inElgar’s Enigma Variations or Respighi’s Pines

of Rome without the obbligato organpresence does so at the risk of substi-tuting a mere standing ovation for aseason-ticket renewal.

Composers in a remarkably broadarray, from Berlioz forward, under-stood that the palette of orchestraltone color remains incomplete with-out the sometimes subtle, sometimesseismic impact of a pipe organ’s com-manding voice. Saint-Saëns’s Thirdwould be just another nice symphonywithout its crucial organ part. Perhapsless obviously, Mahler’s Eighth,Khachaturian’s Third, Henze’s Sixth,Ives’s Fourth, Vaughan Williams’sFirst and Seventh, and Liszt’s Danteand Faust symphonies would be seri-ously diminished if denied the contri-bution of a concert hall pipe organ totheir overall effect. The instrument isas indispensable in Respighi’s RomanFestivals or Church Windows as inJanácek’s Taras Bulba or GlagoliticMass. Master orchestrator RichardStrauss calls for pipe organ in Alsosprach Zarathustra, and also in hisAlpine Symphony, Joseph’s Legend, andeven the final scene of Salome. Darewe dispense with his organ-focusedFestival Prelude? Certainly not!

Remove the organ from Tchai-

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A Commanding VoicePipe organs are popping up in concert halls

nationwide. Now—what to play on them?

b y M i c h a e l B a r o n e

Disney Hall’s new organ makes a flamboyant visual impressionand a powerful aural one. It debuted in October with perform-ances of the Saint-Saëns “Organ” Symphony, Lou Harrison’sOrgan Concerto, Strauss’s Festival Prelude, and the world pre-miere of A Scotch Bestiary, a new work for organ and orchestra byJames MacMillan. Also planned for the inaugural season are theJongen Symphonie concertante and Copland’s First Symphony.

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kovsky’s Manfred, Bartók’s Bluebeard, orMahler’s “Resurrection” and you’ve got aflat soufflé. Holst’s Planets may ask for onlyone or two incandescent organ outbursts,but forget them and you might as well bescanning the heavens from your basement.Play the organ part on an electronic imita-tor and sophisticated audiences notice—and complain—thus the recent interest ininstalling authentic pipes. (Honesty is thebest policy.)

Franz Liszt may have been the first tooffer the pipe organ a new voice in secularsymphonic circles of the mid-19th century.

His Battle of the Huns (1857), one of theleast known of his dozen excellent and rev-olutionary orchestral tone poems, casts theorgan as a “Christian presence” amid a hea-then hoard. The organ enters with a quiet,chorale-like theme; but by the end, with allstops drawn, it has become an overwhelm-ing power, driving the score forward to athrilling, redemptive conclusion. Thisorgan part may not be technically chal-lenging, no stage for the virtuoso, yet itsinclusion is absolutely compulsory inLiszt’s powerful and provocative score.

King of InstrumentsBut perhaps I’ve gotten a bit ahead of ourstory by not first tracing the historic min-gling of organ tone with other instruments.This concert role for the organ began ten-tatively in the multi-choral works of 17th-century Venetian composers. In the 18thcentury, Vivaldi included organ partsamong his “concertos for diverse instru-ments,” and Bach introduced virtuosicorgan lines in several of the sinfonias open-ing his cantatas—movements he later recy-cled as keyboard concertos. But I thinkHandel deserves praise as the actual “inven-

tor” of the organ concerto, with his path-breaking works (sixteen of them) that fasci-nated audiences during the intervals of hisoratorio productions. Other Londonerssoon followed Handel’s lead, among themJohn Stanley (6), Philip Hayes (6), CharlesWesley (6), and James Hook (20). Two ofBach’s sons also wrote organ concertos:Johann Christian (6) and Carl PhilippEmanuel (2).

In France, Michel Corrette (6) andJean-François Tapray (6) found their ownway, while from later in the 18th century

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In Madison, Wisconsin, the stage of the just-finished Overture Hall is dominated by the pipes of its Klaisorgan; the instrument has a moveable chamber that can be rolled onstage as needed. Inaugurated inSeptember with the Saint-Saëns “Organ” Symphony, Madison’s new pipes will also be feature this monthin Jongen’s Symphonie Concertante; Janácek’s Taras Bulba and the Mahler Eighth, both with importantorgan parts, are scheduled in the spring.

Barone’s Top Ten List AWorks featuring the pipe organ thatevery orchestra maven should know

1. Joseph Jongen Symphonie concer-tante for Organ and Orchestra, Op. 812. Francis Poulenc Concerto in G minorfor Organ, Strings and Timpani3. Joseph Rheinberger Organ Concertos(No. 1 in F, Op. 137; No. 2 in g, Op. 177)4. Samuel Barber Toccata Festiva forOrgan and Orchestra, Op. 365. Alexandre Guilmant Symphony No. 1 inD minor for Organ and Orchestra,Op. 426. Aaron Copland Symphony No. 1 forOrgan and Orchestra7. Howard Hanson Concerto for Organ,Harp and Strings8. Paul Hindemith Kammermusik Con-certo No. 7 for organ and chamberorchestra, Op. 46, no. 29. Camille Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3in c, Op. 78,“Organ”10. Horatio Parker Concerto in E-flatfor Organ and Orchestra, Op. 55

Barone’s Top Ten List BA few masterworks you can beexcused for having missed (in alpha-betical order)

Enrico Bossi Concerto in A minor forOrgan, Strings, Horns and Timpani, Op.100Alfredo Casella Concerto Romano forOrgan and OrchestraMichael Colgrass Snow Walker (Con-certo for Organ and Orchestra)Marcel Dupré Symphony in G minorfor Organ and Orchestra, Op. 27Alexandre Guilmant Symphony No. 2in A for Organ and Orchestra, Op. 91Naji Hakim Concerto for Organ andOrchestra,“Seattle”Jacques Hétu Concerto for Organ andOrchestra, Op. 68Stephen Paulus Concerto for Organ,Strings and Percussion (1992)Joseph Schwantner September Canti-cle for Organ and Orchestra (2002)Malcolm Williamson Organ Concerto(1961) —M.B.

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come works by Haydn (5), FrantisekXaver Brixi (3), Karl Stamic (3), andJoseph Anton Auffman (3), plus theChurch Sonatas by Mozart (14) and acharming Pastorale by Gregor Werner.Neither Mozart nor Beethoven wroteorgan concertos, but Beethoven did voicehis specific appreciation of organists as themost capable of musicians, because oftheir improvisatory skills and multi-limbed virtuosity. And let us laud Mozartfor good taste; he called the pipe organ the“king of instruments.”

By the mid-19th century, pipe organscould match the denser texture and highervolume of the Romantic symphonicensemble, and thus the organ began toappear as a functional facet of the neworchestral texture. Liszt’s Battle really didstart something. In 1866, the new directorof the Brussels Conservatory, FrançoisJoseph Fétis, went “against his most con-firmed feelings” but nevertheless followedLiszt’s 1857 precedent. Fétis acceded to

the requests of his colleagues to write “asort of symphony” to inaugurate the insti-tution’s new concert room, with organ.His Fantaisie symphonique may be the pro-genitor of a new genre, for it gave theorgan more than a mere walk-on role.From the very first chord, the pipe organ isboisterously present throughout the work’sthirteen-minute duration, and matchesthe symphonic ensemble both in volumeand vigor.

After Fétis, the famed recitalist andteacher Alexandre Guilmant (who touredin the United States at the turn of the cen-

tury) also created several single-movementconcert pieces for organ and orchestra.Much more substantial are Guilmant’s twograndly extravagant “organ symphonies,”from 1879 and 1911, the first of them pre-dating Saint-Saëns’s Op. 78. Guilmant’spair are derived from or related to works healso published as organ-only solos (cover-ing his bets), in which guise he called them“sonatas.”

Guilmant’s colleague Charles-MarieWidor, famous for his ten “symphonies”for unaccompanied organ, also composed apair of large-scale symphonic pieces fororgan with orchestra, in 1894 and 1908,and combined movements from two of hissolo organ symphonies into an arrange-ment for organ plus orchestra. Hearing isbelieving: In 1927, Widor’s star pupil,Marcel Dupré, created his own OrganSymphony (as well as a major OrganConcerto); and his protegé Jeanne Demes-sieux wrote a fragrant Poème for organ andorchestra.

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By the mid-19th century, pipeorgans could match the densertexture and higher volume of theRomantic symphonic ensemble,and thus the organ began toappear as a functional facet of thenew orchestral texture.

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Numerous other composers in theFranco-Flemish pool continued thissweep of activity: Louis Coerne, EugeneGigout, Léon Boëllmann, and CharlesKoechlin; and later, Flor Peeters, JeanLanglais, Pierre Petit, and CharlesChaynes. Best of this bunch, though, arethe marvelous scores of Francis Poulencand Joseph Jongen. Poulenc’s Concertofor Organ, Strings and Timpani (1938),an irrefutable masterpiece, was createdwith the assistance of organist friendMaurice Duruflé. With equal partsGerman Baroque fantasy and French the-atre, it touches both heart and soul.Jongen’s lavish and beguiling Symphonieconcertante (1926) holds the prize forbreathtaking grandeur and bravura. Thisis a “Rachmaninoff concerto” for organ,by way of Ravel. Its title combines notionsof symphony and concerto; and manyother works for organ and orchestra,regardless of what they are called, strivefor a similar result.

In the New WorldIt may seem as though you need to be anorganist, or know one, to write imagina-tively for the instrument. Famous as ateacher of general music composition inMunich, Joseph Rheinberger was himself aprodigious organist who, in addition to 20sonatas, composed two marvelous concerti(1884, 1895) for his instrument—richlymelodic and very satisfying pieces, eventhrilling at times. Even his genial Suite forViolin, Cello, Organ and String Orchestra(1887), while mostly subdued in effect,includes a fiery finale.

Rheinberger’s American pupil, HoratioParker (also an esteemed teacher at Yale,where Charles Ives was a pupil) wrote butone organ concerto (1904), more thancomparable to his mentor’s, even adding adouble-pedal cadenza. Well before Parker,Charles Zeuner composed for his own usewhat are likely the first two American-made organ concertos (1830-31), andorganist and scholar Ebenezer Prout com-posed a similar offering; these two menseem to have had the bench to themselvesuntil Parker came along.

But since Parker, Americans—organistsand non-organists alike—have been quitefriendly to the notion of organ-with-orches-tra. Aaron Copland astonished everyone(particularly conductor Walter Damrosch)with his First Symphony (1924), very mucha symphonie concertante for organ, created asa debut vehicle for his teacher, Nadia Boul-anger. A capable pianist, Copland wroteintelligently and creatively for the organ, ina way that stretched the envelope. By com-

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Best of the Franco-Flemish bunchare Poulenc’s Concerto for Organ,Strings and Timpani—an irrefutablemasterpiece—and Joseph Jongen’slavish and beguiling Symphonie

concertante, a “Rachmaninoffconcerto” for organ.

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parison, the Pulitzer Prize winner LeoSowerby, a virtuoso organist and churchmusician who wrote two concertos (1938,1944), a Concert Piece (1951), and aMedieval Poem (1926) for organ andorchestra, seems rather doctrinaire. Hispieces, and those of quite a number of otherAmerican composers, including WalterPiston and Normand Lockwood, werechampioned by broadcast and recordingartist E. Power Biggs.

Samuel Barber, another sometime-organist, was commissioned to write hisbravura Toccata Festiva (1961) for the newAeolian-Skinner organ (since removed) atPhiladelphia’s Academy of Music. He, likeParker, enjoyed the visual excitement andtechnical challenge of a soloist playingwith two feet (and no hands). Try that,you violinists.

Ned Rorem’s life companion, JamesHolmes (an organist), provided some“insider knowledge” to the composer, but

when Rorem finally got around to writinghis Organ Concerto (1985), it was not forHolmes but rather on commission. (Onemust buy the groceries, after all.) EmmaLou Diemer, composer of two organ con-certos and a prolific creator in many gen-res, writes both for friends and on com-mission. She is a superb player, too.Stephen Paulus, now with three successfulorgan concertos to his credit (1992, 2002,2004), was inspired to learn about theinstrument by his businessman father,who was an avocational organist.

The American Guild of Organists com-missioned an appealing pair of concertworks for its national convention in Seattlein 2000. A perfect concert opener, RobertSirota’s In the fullness of time thoughtfullyexplores the notion of millennial revelation,with organ and orchestra in adroit balance;the “Seattle” Concerto by Lebanese-bornFrenchman Naji Hakim mixes irrepressiblerhythm and improvisational fluidity into a

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breathlessly cathartic romp, always on thebrink. Both Sirota and Hakim are organists.Yet Joseph Schwantner, an outsider to theorgan world, delivered a jewel in response toa commission from the Dallas InternationalOrgan Competition. His September Canticle(2002) is a profound and insightful reflec-tion upon the tragedies of 9/11, music ofpowerful emotion and soothing balm. Allthree works are top-drawer, and the presenceof the pipe organ brings their orchestralmusic to a higher emotional level.

From Lists to LivePaul Hindemith, who claimed to knowhow to play every instrument, wroteinsightfully for organ in his KammermusikConcerto No. 7 (1928) and also in his pro-found final work, an Organ Concerto forLincoln Center (1963) which AntonHeiller premiered. That same year, Heillerhimself wrote an Organ Concerto, as oneof numerous mid-20th-century Germaniccomposers with neo-classic leanings—Joseph Ahrens, Theodore Brandmüller,Harald Genzmer, Gunther Raphael—forwhom the pipe organ was a natural outlet.

The myths and realities of the CanadianArctic might not strike you as obviousthemes for an organ piece, yet MichaelColgrass, a professional percussionist, usesthem to explore some new dimensions ofthe organ as a “sound source” in his SnowWalker (1990), written for the CalgaryOrgan Competition. With uncanny veri-similitude, the organ functions both asghostly presence and icy wind.

British composers after Handel havenot been sitting on their hands. Perhapsbecause of the ubiquitous presence of pipeorgans in most large English music rooms(every town hall had a pipe organ, wellbefore the cities could support orchestras),there are plenty of opportunities fororgans to sing along during the final pagesof celebratory hymns and coronationmarches—all banners waving, and thebombardes blaring, too. And a host of

English organist-composers have addedcolorfully to the repertoire. Check outMalcolm Williamson, Peter Dickinson,William Mathias, Charles Stanford, PercyWhitlock, Basil Harwood, QuentinMaclean, or Kenneth Leighton.

The lists go on. (Two Italians, EnricoBossi and Alfredo Casella, deserve a men-tion.) And somewhere or other, someonehas recorded most of these pieces. Butnow’s the time to actually hear them liveand, by getting the available repertoire onthe boards, encourage living composers totry their hand at this game, too. Yes, everyorgan has its own personality, but writingfor them is not as problematic as it mayfirst appear. And while it may be true thatmore people hear organ music, live eachweek, than hear any other acoustic instru-ment, what’s done in church is very differ-ent from what is and can be done in a con-cert hall. It is a showplace, is it not?

Years ago, as a high-school kid collectingrecords, I found Frederick Fennell’sEastman Wind Ensemble album (still avail-able, now on CD) of William Walton’scoronation march, Crown Imperial. On thatdisc, the Eastman Theater’s old Austin pipeorgan surges in and around the climacticfinal pages: a compelling presence, a neces-sary binder, a glowing energy. By a happytwist of fate, 35 years later I was honored tojoin Dr. Fennell onstage at the MeyersonSymphony Center in Dallas as host for aprogram of “Pomp and Pipes,” with theDallas Wind Symphony and the late organ-ist Paul Riedo at the Meyerson’s incompara-ble Fisk instrument. We rocked ’em, baby.The music grabbed your guts—in a niceway. That’s the “why” and the “how.”

Now, let’s make it happen. SMichael Barone is host/producer of theweekly radio series Pipedreams, which is distributed by American Public Media(www.pipedreams.org). He served as an advisor to the Walt Disney Concert Hallorgan project.

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Aaron Copland astonished everyone with his First Symphony, created asa debut vehicle for his teacher, organist Nadia Boulanger. A capablepianist, Copland wrote intelligently for the organ in a creative way thatstretched the envelope.