Widor Agnus Dei

Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937)

Charles-Marie Widor was a French organist, composer, and teacher.  He wrote works for various instruments and ensembles.  He is mostly known today for his ten organ symphonies.

Here is the Agnus Dei from Widor’s Mass op.36 for choir and organ.  It is performed by the Schola Cantorum of Saint Agnes based in New York City.  James D. Wetzel is the organist and choirmaster.  David Enlow is the guest organist.  The music is very skillfully composed.  Listen to how the voices meld together  and how well the organ accompaniment fits and provides a mood for the piece.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

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Bruch – 6 Klavierstücke op.12

Max Bruch (1838-1920)

Max Bruch was a 19th century German composer, pianist, and violinist.  He is most well known for his violin compositions.  Bruch also composed a few pieces for the piano.  His six pieces for piano (op.12) are fairly early works, but are full of beautiful melody.  They are charming pieces that are short and lyrical.  

Bruch played both the violin and the piano.  He performed in public a few times as a pianist but claimed that he liked the violin more than the piano.  According to Bruch the violin could “sing a melody better than the piano can, and melody  is the soul of music.”  

W. A . Mozart : Fantasie in F minor for organ

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is known as a child prodigy (as a performer and as a composer). He played the piano, viola, violin, harpsichord, and organ. Mozart began composing around the age of 5.  He is known today for works such as the “Eine Kliene Nachtmusik” suite, the “Jupiter” Symphony, his piano sonatas, and his Requiem among other works.

Mozart also composed pieces for the pipe organ.  Mozart only wrote a few organ compositions, and among those compositions the Fantasie in f minor is a masterpiece.  The Fantasie is a massive piece that can hold its own alongside the great organ works of J.S. Bach.  It is a very difficult piece to play musically.  Listen to all the changes  of mood and the various tonal colours the organist in this recording gets out of the organ.

Here is a recording of Mozart’s Fantasie in f minor for pipe organ.  I am not sure who is playing the piece in this recording.  I hope you enjoy this piece.

Pedrini: Sonate X en ut mineur (violin)

Teodorico Pedrini (1671-1746)

Teodorico Pedrini was an Italian priest, musician, composer, and missionary.  He served as a missionary at the Imperial Court of China for 36 years.  Pedrini was the music teacher to three sons of one of China’s emperors.  He was the co-author of the first treatise on Western Music theory written in Chinese.

The Sonata no.10 is written for Violin and continuo. Here is a recording of it played by a group called Le Baroque Nomade. It is one of several sonatas written for the Kangxi Emperor. Enjoy!