Organ Concertos

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The organ concerto tradition goes back to the 17th century and the Baroque era, but composers have constantly adapted this age-old genre to their own expressive ends – this recording provides ample evidence of its appeal today. The Organ Concerto by Horatio Parker, today remembered as Charles Ives’ teacher, emerged at a time when composers were seeking an authentically American voice and was hailed by one critic as “imposing and brilliant.” Dedicated to Paul Jacobs, Christopher Rouse’s Organ Concerto is notable for its contrasting dark and light sonorities both in instrumentation and harmonic color. Wayne Oquin’s Resilience reflects the human capacity for tenacity and perseverance; the composer describes it as “a 13-minute exploration of two seemingly limitless spheres.” The program ends with Ives’ Variations on “America” – a piece for solo organ composed for the Fourth of July celebrations in 1892.