FORT-TASTEN
Organ plus selected works by Reinhard von BergEine Auswahl aus dem reichhaltigen kompositorischen Schaffen des Komponisten Reinhard von Berg.
Track-List:
1. 1.-7. Partita: Christ Ist Erstanden
2. 8. Prelude: Christ Ist Erstanden
3. 9. Triptych: Jesus Christus, Unser Heiland
4. 10. Prelude and verset: Aus Tiefer Not
5. 11. Prelude: Wir Glauben All An Einen Gott
6. 12. Improvisation: Veni Creator Spiritus
7. 13. Prelude: Christe, du Lamm Gottes
8. 14. Die Versuchung Jesu (texts by Christof Rösner)
9. 15. Pfingstra(ä)uschen
10. 16.-18 Visions
FORT-TASTEN - Linernotes
1-7. Partitia on Christ ist Erstanden: Written in 1987 for the inauguration of the new organ at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Each variation is intended to showcase a particular stop or capability of the instrument. Unlike most sets of variations, this Partita treats all three verses of the otherwise very short chorale in each variation, which results in each variation tending to have an ABA form. The tune itself is one of the oldest in the German hymnal, dating from the 12th century. The variations are as follows: 1. Chorale. Second verse a fugato in diminution; cantus firmus in the bass. Third verse over ostinato pedal. 2. Improvisation. uses the expanded flute tremulant. 3. features. the Harp and Vox Humana stops. 4. features Krummhorn and Zimbelstern. Includes a take on Sumer is icumen in. 5. Méditation. Published by Lantro Music. 6. features Carillon, as well as the ability to detune the electronics. 7. Toccata
8. Prelude on Christ ist Erstanden: Written for an ECCS concert with the Da Camera Singers in 1989, and premièred by the composer on the electronic organ at McDougall United Church. (Ron Hannah, who organized the concert, was unaware that the pipes at the front of the church were merely a façade, when he asked me to write an organ piece.) The score is published by Grace Under Press. It has also been performed by Dr. Matheson in Edmonton and has been performed in Toronto.
9. Triptych on Jesus Christus, Unser Heiland: commissioned by Monica Rist and performed at the Sundays At 3 gala concert May 1st, 2005. The tune is composed or adapted by Martin Luther. The recording is of a simpler version than the one played on May 1st by Monica.
The three sections are subtitled: "Those Who Sleep: Dreams of Eternity"; "Awakening: Echoes of Past and Future Life"; "Ecstasy of the Eternal Light".
10. Aus Tiefer Not: both the prelude and the verset have been used liturgically at St. Paul's
11. Wir Glauben All An Einen Gott: This should be familiar to the congregation at St. Paul's. The tune is by Martin Luther.
12. Veni Creator Spiritus: This hymn had been sung on the morning of the Sunday I recorded the CD (Pentecost). I was fairly pleased with an improvisation I had done on this theme that morning, and decided to try to re-create it for the CD.
13. Prelude, Christe Du Lamm Gottes. On occasion this was performed on a keyboard. The pedal-point was struck on the lowest C, then secured with a piece of masking tape.
14. The Temptation of Jesus. This was written in Germany in 1995. It was repeated in Edmonton in 1997.
The biblical text, plus poetry by Pastor Hans-Christof Rösner. In the course of the piece one hears allusions to: Vater unser im Himmelreich; Wachet auf; Beethoven's 5th, All Saints New; Ein Feste Burg; Pomp and Circumstance March; Der Mond ist aufgegangen ("spread your wings wide").
15. Pfingstr(ä)auschen. Created for the New Music Festival 1992 in Edmonton; performed at the University of Alberta. Allusions to the Pentecost chorales: Veni Creator Spiritus; Nun bitten wir, Veni Sancte Spiritus.
For #13 and 14 no score exists; they were improvised after sketches.
16. - 18. Visions: A Canada Council commission by Dr. Matheson. Premièred by Stillman at Robertson-Wesley United Church in Dec. 2003. Each of the three pieces treats at least two United Church hymns selected by Dr. Matheson. The first also quotes the spiritual Hezekiel Saw A Wheel-A-Rollin'.
(Reinhard von Berg)
Reinhard von Berg was born in Germany in 1945. The family, whose roots were in Estonia and Poland, emigrated to Canada in 1951, where Reinhard completed his schooling and attended the University of Alberta. 1968-74 he did graduate work in Germany and California. His teachers included Violet Archer, Herbert Eimert, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Wolfgang Fortner, Kenneth Gaburo, and Pauline Oliveros. Organist and music director in Edmonton since 1962; instructor of piano and composition at Alberta College Conservatory since 1976. Founded the improvisation ensemble Otherwise; collaborations with various dancers, poets, etc.; member of the Edmonton Composers Concert Society, the Boreal Electroacoustic Music Society; Associate of the Canadian Music Centre. This CD displays only the organistic side of Reinhard von Berg's oeuvre, much of which is available in score, for inquiries contact the composer at grafberg@eccsociety.com
Stillman Matheson, a native of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, has had an interesting and varied career as an organist, conductor, church musician, and teacher. He was educated at Mount Allison and McGill Universities, and the University of Alberta, which granted him a Doctor of Music degree in 1997. A strong advocate of new music for the organ, Mr. Matheson has commissioned and premiered several new works for the instrument, and his collaboration with the Edmonton Commposers' Concert Society led to the release of a solo organ compact disc, Acclamations: Canadian Organ Music in 2003. William Zargoski wrote in Fanfare that this recording "makes my head swim in the most delightful ways", and that he found Mr. Matheson to be a "technically impeccable and enthusiastic player".
At the present Mr. Matheson is the Director of Music at St. Joseph Parish in Hamilton, Ontario.
Marnie Giesbrecht has performed in major cities and universities throughout Canada, the United States, South Africa and Europe. A versatile keyboard artist, she performs regularly as an organ soloist in recitals and with orchestra, and as a choral accompanist and chamber musician. Educated at the University of Alberta, the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, N.Y. and the Mozarteum, Salzburg, Austria. Marnie Giesbrecht is Professor of Music at the University of Alberta where she teaches Organ Performance, Organ Literature and related subjects. Dr. Giesbrecht is Adjunct Professor of Music at the King's University College, Edmonton and a past president of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, having served from 1996 to 2004. With Joachim Segger she co-directs the music at First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton and co-chairs "Windspiration: Edmonton Organ Festival" and the national convention of the Royal Canadian College of Organists, July 30 to Aug. 2, 2007. www.majoya.com.
Hans-Christof Rösner was born 1959 in Görlitz, Germany.
Studied theology in Rostock 1985-87. 1991-2001 pastor of various congregations in Thüringen; since 2001 pastor in Jeetze / Altmark. Further training as high school teacher of religion, hospital chaplain, bible drama director. Participant in various rural EU projects running till 2013.
Evelyn von Berg has greatly increased her photographic activities in recent years. After a phase of collages using photographs cut in strips, she began in 2005 "Carscapes", a series of closeup pictures of rusty old cars done in a very abstracly style. The cover of this CD is from the series "Car Red Clouds Grass".
More information www.flickr.com/photos/eberg/ or www.MBIKO.com
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