John Gouwens's Annual Organ Recital
April 18, 2010
On Sunday, April 18, at 7:30 P.M. (Eastern Daylight Time), John Gouwens, Organist and Carillonneur of The Culver Academies (Culver, Indiana), will present his annual organ recital at the Memorial Chapel on the Culver campus. The program will feature some mainstays of the organ repertoire, including the superb "Passacaglia and Fugue in c-minor" by J.S. Bach. The expressive capability of the organ will be showcased in a transcription of “Nimrod,” from “The Enigma Variations,” by Edward Elgar, in which the piece begins quietly, builds smoothly to full organ, and fades away to almost nothing. The versatility that technology has brought to organbuilding today will be on full display. The program will also include a relatively recent composition, specifically the jaunty "Carillon" by Welsh composer William Mathias.
The second half of the recital will feature music by organist-composers associated with the church of Sainte-Clothilde in Paris. Cesar Franck made the church famous in musical circles, serving as the organist when the church opened. Some years after Franck's death, he was succeeded by Charles Tournemire, a former student of Franck's, especially renowned (as was Franck) as a brilliant improvisor. In 1930, Tournemire recorded five improvisations for commercial release. Many years later, his dedicated former student, organist-composer Maurice Durufle, painstaking wrote down every note of all five improvisations. One of the largest of these was an extended fantasy on "Ave maris stella." Gouwens's second half will open with this piece. In 1878, an impressive, versatile organ was placed in a concert hall, the Trocadero, in Paris. All the best organists in France, and many from abroad as well, lined up to present recitals in that glorious instrument. For the occasion of his recital there, Franck wrote a set of three pieces: "Fantasy in A," "Cantabile," and "Piece Heroique." Gouwens will conclude this year's recital with that complete work (all three pieces, played as a set).
Though the Culver organ is very much an American instrument, it is beautifully equipped with the necessary sounds (and situated in the right acoustics) to do full justice to this beautiful music. The versatile control system of the Culver organ also permits much subtler, more detailed, expression and use of color than any organ Franck knew. (Technology has brought many capabilities to the organ that nobody could have conceived in the 19th Century.)
As always, Gouwens will include a hymn and improvisation as well. The recital is open to the general public free of charge. A reception will follow the performance (with treats prepared by the recitalist).
The schedule is set for carillon recitals for 2010 as well. Carillon recitals will be presented on 4:00, Saturday afternoons, on the following dates: April 24; June 26; July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31; September 4. The July 3 recital will feature a fine young French carillonneur, Charles Dairay. Gouwens will play the remaining recitals. These recitals also are open to the general public.
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Culver Academies Carillon
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