Invocatio (1972)

Jan Elgarøy (1930–2018) — Invocatio (1972) for organ

“Invocatio” (1972) (“Invocation”) begins with a simple eight note melody that generates the musical material for the rest of the work. In the opening section, the melody is elaborated with increasingly complex harmonic and rhythmic ideas, finally leading to a brief toccatina. The quieter next section presents a new melody in trio texture as quasi-canon; the “canon” is then heard again in a loose retrograde. The melody of this section is then accompanied by harmonies based on the original melody. In the final section, the original melody is heard several times with rich modal harmonies to conclude the work.

Norwegian composer and organist Jan Elgarøy (1930–2018) was born in Moss and was educated at the Conservatory in Oslo. He pursued additional studies with Albert de Klerk (in Haarlem) and Bedřich Janáček (in Lund). Elgarøy was organist of Lambertseter Church in Oslo from 1960 to 1992. He was also the organ professor at the University of Oslo. As a composer, Elgarøy wrote primarily for organ and choir. He served as the editor for the “Norsk Orgelbok” (Musikk-Husets Forlag A/S), a collection of organ works by many Norwegian composers. Elgarøy’s music is cast in a strongly modal style, including a use of modal mixture for expressive effect.

Published by Norsk Musikforlag A/S (out-of-print)