Passacaille pour orgue | orchestre à cordes | orchestre

Passacaille pour orgue | orchestre à cordes | orchestre
Passacaglia for organ | Passacaglia for string orchestra | Passacaglia for symphony orchestra

Year of composition

1944

Duration

13'

Scored for

organ
version for string orchestra (1952)
version for full orchestra (1962): 3 3 2 3 - 4 2 3 1 - timp. - strings

Publication information

Universal Edition
• original version for organ (UE17479)
• version for string orchestra (UE12167)
• version for full orchestra (UE13657)

Commentary

Passacaille pour orgue
The Passacaille for organ was composed in 1944 for Kurt Wolfgang Senn who had commissioned it and given its first performance on September 26, 1944 at Bern Minster (Cathedral), where he held the position of organist.
 This Passacaille follows faithfully the classical rules of this musical form: a melodic pattern of eight bars in triple time which is first played pp, then over this ground bass the upper parts play many variations, some harmonic, some polyphonic and others in three part counterpoint. One of the characteristics of the bass melody is that the even-numbered variations end a semi-tone lower than the uneven variations. This allows me to repeat the ostinato each time a semi-tone higher, from the 14th variation on. This produces a very slow progression, accompanied by a crescendo, and after passing through all the chromatic scale, after 12 variations it arrives back at the tonality where it started. Then the first idea resounds ff, the first exposition with a harmonic character. Subsequently it becomes calm in a coda which ends the piece in a bright, serene atmosphere.
 In 1952 I made an arrangement of this Passacaille for string orchestra, dedicated to Karl Münchinger. In 1962 I arranged it for a large orchestra in order to give its first performance when I was invited to conduct a concert with the Berlin Philharmonic in May 1963.

Text by Frank Martin from A propos de… commentaires de Frank Martin sur ses œuvres (Neuchâtel, 1984) | English translation by Rachel Ann Morgan

Premiere

World première: Bern (Münster), 26 September 1944. Kurt Wolfgang Senn, organ
First performance version for string orchestra (1952): Frankfurt, 16 October 1953. Karl Münchinger, conductor
First performance version for full orchestra (1962): Berlin, 30 May 1963. Frank Martin, conductor

Recordings (selective list)

  • full orchestra
    Berliner Philharmonisches Orchester
    Frank Martin, conductor
    (mono live-recording of the world premiere: 1963)
    Jecklin-Disco JD 645-2 ℗ 1990 (FMS016)

  • organ
    John Scott, organ
    Priory Records © 1993

  • organ
    James Lancelot, organ
    PRIORY PRCD 228 ℗ 1987 (FMS191)

  • string orchestra
    Orchestre de Chambre de Genève
    Thierry Fischer, conductor
    ℗ Legend Classics 1996 © Paul Sutin Productions 1996

  • string orchestra
    Musikkollegium Winterthur
    Jac van Steen, conductor
    MDG 901 1539-6 © + ℗ 2008 (FMS097)

  • string orchestra
    Netherlands Chamber Orchestra
    Kenneth Montgomery, conductor
    Etcetera KTC 1290 ℗ + © CODA BVBA 2005 (FMS057)

  • full orchestra
    German Radio Philharmonic Orchestra
    Christoph Poppen, conductor
    ECM 2015 ℗ 2008 (FMS 002)

  • organ
    Ulfert Smidt, organ
    Thorofon Records CTH 2261 ℗ 1995 (FMS025)

  • string orchestra
    Arion Ensemble
    Alexandru Lascae, conductor
    Ottavo OTR C109459 © 1997 (FMS 051 + 110)

  • organ
    James O'Donnell, organ
    Hyperion CDA67017 ℗ + © 1997 (FMS 039 + 152)

  • string orchestra
    L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande
    Ernest Ansermet, conductor
    DECCA PY 925 ℗ 1955 © 1996 (FMS074)

  • organ
    ‘Schweizer Orgelmusik’
    Olivier Eisenmann, organ
    VLEUGELS OV-75019 ℗ + © 1993 (FMS086)

  • string orchestra
    Festival String Lucerne
    Rudolf Baumgartner, conductor
    GALLO CD-799 ℗ + © 1994 (FMS162)

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