And the Last Shall Be First (6/1/14)

ConcertMeister had a very busy weekend, recently. A double-header on Saturday and this organ concert by Andrew E. Henderson on Sunday at Temple Emanu-El. The hour-long program was varied and interesting.

Introduction & Toccata on Leoni, Op. 36, No. 3 – Seth Bingham (1882–1972)
Song Tune (from Peasant Cantata, BWV 212) – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750),
   arr. Harvey Grace (1874–1944)
Toccata in F major, BWV 540 – J.S. Bach
Sonata No. 2 in C minor, Op. 65; Grave, Adagio, Allegro Maestoso e Vivace, Fuga –
Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
Three Pieces by Two Former Emanu-El Organists; Lullaby (1914), Serenade (1917) –
Will C. Macfarlane (1870–1945); Legend (1913) – Gottfried H. Federlein (1883–1952)
From Symphonie No. 6, Op. 42 (1878); (iv) Cantabile, (v) Finale – Charles-Marie Widor
(1842–1937)

Bingham’s piece was exactly what it purported to be—the hymn tune (as I know it) was played straight through; the toccata that followed broke it out, phrase by phrase, for what seemed to be about two and a half times, with each phrase getting treatment as a variation. Song Tune had a gentle opening and indeed was gentle throughout. It was Bach, but Bach filtered.

The Bach toccata opened in a very straightforward way and this Bach was the real deal. It used a great pedal point (one note held for a very long time while lots of other phrases get played over it), followed by an extended pedal solo, with Dr. Henderson doing the equivalent of tap dancing on a large keyboard. The second section of the work was quite extensive and expansive.

The Mendelssohn first movement also used a pedal point, though not in the actual pedal—it’s a technique that can also be used on one (or more) of the four manuals available on this particular organ. The movement segued neatly into the Adagio, which was gentle and interesting. The third movement had a very full opening and it made me think that it may have been based on a chorale tune. The fourth movement started simply and became more complex as it built to a full, though not overwhelming, conclusion.

Lullaby had a sweet, almost rollicking rhythm, and it featured pipes in the rear of the sanctuary, creating an echo effect that also included chimes from the rear to round out the piece. Serenade was tuneful and truly had the sound of an earlier era—and not in a bad way. It seemed to have a strophic feel to it though I’m not certain that there were actual repeats.

Legend was a treat, reminding me of a calliope. It almost turned into a novelty number, but ended up having enough heft and interest to raise it above that status. I expressed some of those feelings to Dr. Henderson after the concert, and he seemed to know exactly what I was getting at.

The Widor Cantabile was calm, with just a hint of what a dear friend of mine always referred to as “creepy-crawly French chords.” The Finale was just that—a rousing finale that included a couple of contrasting sections back and forth, ending with the full organ, in a great way to end the concert.

The relatively small audience present was thoroughly enthusiastic with their applause—and rightly so, in my opinion. Did I mention it was free?

ConcrtMeister