Idillo Buccolico, Op. 142, No. 6

Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933) was born Siegfried Theodor Karg in Oberndorf am Neckar, Germany, the youngest of twelve children. The family finally settled in Leipzig in 1882, where he received his first musical training and private piano instruction. At a gathering of composers in Leipzig, he presented his first attempts at composition to the composer Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek, who arranged a three-year tuition-free scholarship at the Leipzig Conservatory, where he studied with Jadassohn, Reinecke, Reisenauer and Teichmüller.

Having returned to Leipzig, he started devoting himself to composition, primarily for the piano (encouraged by Edvard Grieg, whom he greatly admired). He soon began writing of the harmonium, and his first original organ works (1909) were the, 66 Chorale Improvisations, Op. 65.

Shunned and neglected in Germany, he accepted an invitation for an organ concert tour of America in the spring of 1932. The tour proved to be a disastrous mistake. He was suffering from the diabetes which would soon kill him, and his limited powers as an organist compared unfavorably to the virtuoso standard of organ performance to which American audiences had grown accustomed.

After his return to Leipzig, his health started deteriorating rapidly. He died there in April 1933, only 55 years old.

These miniatures from "Sempre semplice", Op. 142 are dedicated "To my friend, Stuart Archer, Esq., with gratitude".

"Idillo Buccolico" is the sort of piece that only a fanatic or someone doing complete works would play. It's a fascinating piece, based on and odd "shepherd's melody," which is more modal than tonal.

Once again, there are some technical challenges, and registration will make or break the piece. It's the sort of thing that is off-putting, but I wound up liking it!

The score is attached, as well as photos of Karg-Elert and J. Stuart Archer.

This one concludes Book 1, but I think I'll do Book 2 as well. Those works are bigger and appear difficult!