Tafelorgel-Suite (1996)

Burkhard Mohr (b. 1955) — Tafelorgel-Suite (1996) for organ

1) Allegro maestoso
2) Andante
3) Poco vivace

“Tafelorgel-Suite” (1996) was written for the Dutch organist Dick Troost for performance on a newly-built 1996 “table organ” (hence the suite’s title) made by Herman Pelgrim. The first movement, “Allegro maestoso,” is marked “somewhat stubborn” and is cast in an arch form. The opening two chords grow in length by aggregation. This figure then becomes the accompaniment to the melodic material, before the melody “spins off” on its own, leaving the accompaniment behind. It is then rejoined by the accompaniment, which then ends the movement alone. The second movement, “Andante,” is marked “somewhat elegant, dreamy.” A melody and accompaniment grow, shrink, and are broken into segments. The final movement, “Poco vivace,” is marked “quite rushed.” It is music in mixed meter (11/8) and presses forward with urgency.

German composer Burkhard Mohr (b. 1955) was born in Gamsbach/Oberhessen and was educated in Frankfurt where he studied music and theology. He also attended the Darmstadt new music courses with Stockhausen, Kagel, Ligeti, and Xenakis. He has worked as a church musician in Frankfurt-Höchst and Wiesbaden and also taught music for many years at the technical university in Frankfurt. Mohr has composed numerous musical works in many genres, including several operas and orchestral works along with much chamber music and music for choir and organ. Mohr’s music usually concerns itself with the blurry boundaries and connections between atonal (12-tone) and tonal (triadic) materials and with the unexpected (or traditionally extended) formal designs that can result from teasing out these connections.

Published by Strube Verlag