Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-08
HENRY s. FRY
On Oroan Music Of the Present


AIHILE there has been an enormous de-
w velopment of the music written for the
pipe organ in the last century. as well as III
the mechanical part of the instrument ltseH'
none Of the contributions have ever sur,
passed or. for that matter. equaled those OF
the great master upon which all organ com
position is founded. John Sebastian Bach.
saws Henry ). Fry. president of the National
Association Of Organists and dean OF me
Pennsylvania Chapter Of the American Guild
of Organists.
"While all organ playing and especially
all composition for the instrument are tound-
ed upon the works Of Bach said Mr.. Fry.
'.the tendency of the latter day organ COM
posers has been more or less nationallst'c.
By that mean that each country producing
composers who are doing really serious WORK
in composition for the instrument has de-
vclopcd certain characteristics by when their
work may easily be distinguished.
Most Significant Nations
1.-The French and the Germans are the
ones who have been doing the most serious
work and perhaps the best, and each has
deyeloped into periods In which certain
ideals of composition were followed: only
to change with the next generation OF COM
posers.
Thus. for example, the Wely Batiste
period Of the French composers. so'called
because the composers of those names were
the most conspicuous Of the group, did not
represent q very serious period in French
organ compositions Their style was horid
rather than profound, and this characteri-
zation applies to the musical thoughts which
they expressed as we'll as to the manner OF
expressing them. But shortly after them
came one of the greatest composers for the
instrument since the time OF Bach This
was Cesar Franck, called the Bach OF
France but who. like many OF the famous
French organ composers and performers;
was born in Belgium but lived his musical
life in France.
"While the organ music of Franck is
based on that of Bach, in way 1t Is more
difficult of conception. Like the music or
Bach. it partakcs of the atmosphere OF the
church. but has a mystic character which Is
rarely found in the compositions Of the great
Jeipzig master. However. the music of
| Cesar Franck is now rapidly coming into
its own, and Organsts are using 1t more
| and more every year.
Other French Masters
"Whilc the great French exponents Of
| organ music were born within period OF
twenty or thirty years of each other, they
| represent highly different phases Of musical
| thought. Thus between the birth Of Batiste
| and that of Widor, one Of the greatest Of
the moderns, there was lapse OF only
twenty five years, so that the older com >
| individuality before the birth of the younger.
| Rut in spite of this, the musical ideas and
ideals which they represent are very far
| apart.
| "Another group of about this same period
is the Guimant- i.emmens group. These
| three groups--Guilmant- Lemmens, Wid0r
| and Franck--were the ones In France who
| did most in the overthrow of the Wely-
Batiste type of composition. OF the three
| the Guilmant I.emmens has almost dsap-
peared. due probably to the fact that their
| style of composition was not endowed with
sufficient individuality to create national
school of organ music. The larger works
constantly suggested the German polyphonic
school and the influence Of Handel. often to
an extent which caused 1t to be considered
as not Enthusiastically French. This was
fatal in the formation of a national style of
composition for the instrument.
| "The present writers for the organ in
France combine the characteristics of Widor
and Cesar Franck with their own individu :
| ality, svAetimes with a touch of Debussy.
Many Offhem have got away from the severe
| church style, but as class they are prr :
hans producing the most significant organ
music which the world today knows.
The German School
"As rule the German organ composers
| have held more closely to the Bach model
especially with regard to counternoint
Among the greatest exponents of the organ
since Bach was Mendelssohn, whose meodi :.
ous sOnatas for the organ hold q high placo
In the modern repertoire, although strictIy
speaking, they are not sonatSs st iii
- Rheinberger was another well known organ