AGO Concert Repertoire & Programming 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Bach work is considered the pinnacle of Baroque organ polyphony and is frequently programmed as a recital finale?
- Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565
- Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 (Correct answer)
- Fantasia and Fugue in G minor, BWV 542
- Prelude and Fugue in E-flat major, BWV 552
Correct answer: Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582
The Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582, is widely regarded as Bach's contrapuntal masterpiece and is a standard recital closer.
Question 2: When programming a thematic organ recital around the concept of 'death and resurrection,' which Liszt work would be most appropriate?
- Prelude and Fugue on B-A-C-H
- Fantasia and Fugue on 'Ad nos, ad salutarem undam' (Correct answer)
- Orpheus
- Les Préludes
Correct answer: Fantasia and Fugue on 'Ad nos, ad salutarem undam'
The Fantasia and Fugue on 'Ad nos, ad salutarem undam' is based on a redemption theme from Meyerbeer's opera 'Le Prophète,' making it ideal for a death/resurrection program.
Question 3: A recitalist wants to include a significant French Romantic work that showcases the orchestral capabilities of a large Cavaillé-Coll organ. Which composer's output would be most idiomatic?
- Nicolas de Grigny
- Charles-Marie Widor (Correct answer)
- Jean-Philippe Rameau
- Louis Marchand
Correct answer: Charles-Marie Widor
Charles-Marie Widor's symphonies were specifically composed for the Cavaillé-Coll organs and fully exploit their orchestral tonal palette.
Question 4: Which 20th-century American composer wrote 'Ceremonial Music' and other works that have entered standard organ recital repertoire?
- Leo Sowerby (Correct answer)
- Samuel Barber
- Aaron Copland
- Howard Hanson
Correct answer: Leo Sowerby
Leo Sowerby was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer whose organ works, including 'Ceremonial Music,' are cornerstone 20th-century American repertoire.
Question 5: In programming a recital for a liturgical setting with a conservative congregation, which approach to contemporary music is most appropriate?
- Avoid all post-1900 music entirely
- Include only tonal contemporary works or neo-Romantic pieces (Correct answer)
- Program exclusively atonal works to educate the audience
- Replace contemporary works with improvisation
Correct answer: Include only tonal contemporary works or neo-Romantic pieces
Selecting tonal or neo-Romantic contemporary works bridges the gap between liturgical tradition and contemporary composition for conservative audiences.
Question 6: César Franck's 'Six Pièces' are important to the organ recital canon primarily because they:
- Revived interest in Baroque counterpoint in France
- Introduced orchestral textures and cyclical form to French organ music (Correct answer)
- Established a new system of registrational conventions
- Were the first French organ works published with fingering marks
Correct answer: Introduced orchestral textures and cyclical form to French organ music
Franck's Six Pièces introduced symphonic scope, rich chromatic harmony, and cyclical formal procedures that transformed French organ composition.
Question 7: When an organist programs Messiaen's 'La Nativité du Seigneur' in its entirety, what practical consideration is paramount?
- The work requires a four-manual organ
- The total duration of approximately 1.5–2 hours must be accommodated with intermissions (Correct answer)
- The piece can only be performed in Advent
- A harpsichordist must collaborate on one movement
Correct answer: The total duration of approximately 1.5–2 hours must be accommodated with intermissions
La Nativité du Seigneur's nine meditations run roughly 90–120 minutes, requiring careful planning of concert length and possible intermissions.
AGO Concert Repertoire & Programming 2
Which Bach work is considered the pinnacle of Baroque organ polyphony and is frequently programmed as a recital finale?