Sonata III (2018)

Burkhard Mohr (b. 1955) — Sonata III (2018) for organ

1) Prelude
2) Andante
3) Scherzo
4) Little Feast of Reeds
5) Finale

“Sonata III” (2018) was written for Carson Cooman in the summer of 2018 after a visit with the composer in Germany. The third sonata develops material across its five contrasting movements with some connections between them; e.g., the main material of the opening movement returns in the finale, combined with new ideas. “Andante” is a lyric solo, “Scherzo” is buoyant and light-hearted, and “Little Feast of Reeds” is a movement for the reed stops alone (the composer says “regardless of whether they are in tune or not!”), exploring both varied sounds and textures.

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.