Meditation

Aloÿs Claussmann (1850 - 1926)

Choirmaster then organist of the Cathedral at Claremont Farrand in central France. He was a pupil of Eugene Gigout. Claussmann wrote many works for organ and piano (350 for organ). Being from Alsace he combined both the French and German styles.

He is described in 'Novelties for the organ' by William C. Carl as "One of the most progressive of modern French composers", meaning that his music was 'post-romantic' in character: "He left a repertory of about 350 pieces, all belonging to the post-romantic period which he celebrated with luminosity and sensivity." http://www.desarbre.com/pages/page39.html#Ancre

It was hard to know how to register and play this. The score calls for it to be played very slowly. It is also in 6/4 time, so a decision has to be made on whether to play the crotchet or to treat it as a group of three to a metronome mark.

With the title of meditation I decided on the soft foundation stops of the organ. It is played mostly on the Choir with Swell coupled, and the Great sometimes appears with Harmonic Flute and the manuals coupled to it.

How slow should slow be? Well for three pages I took about six minutes. Too fast... too slow? I could find no reference to aim for so it is what it is! I wouldn't want to go much slower though.

The beat isn't always strict, as I believe romantic works have a certain liberty that require them to convey the tone/mood of a piece above strict musical notation.

There is a lovely bit of chromatic writing at the end the piece, which builds and then releases the tension to a calm finish.

The score: http://javanese.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/5/5f/IMSLP404962-PMLP655788-Claussmann-Meditation-01.pdf

Hope you enjoy.
John