Tautology
An exploration of ostinato forms through five centuries
of organ repertoire
Julia Tucker I March 19th, 2019 I DMA Recital
Organ Hall, Arizona State University
Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582
J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

Anon. 16th century
Anon. 16th century

Upon La Mi Re
My Lady Carey's Dompe

0 Antiphon Sequence
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

Cecilia McDowall (b. 1951)

Sapientia " ... mightily and sweetly ordering all things"
Adonai ".. .in the flame of the burning bush"
Radix J esu " ... to you the nations will make their prayer
Clavis David " ... you open and none may close"
Oriens " ... come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness
Rex Gentium " ... the cornerstone making both one"
Emmanuel " ... come to save us, 0 Lord our God

Joel Morehouse, Tenor

Passacaglia in G minor, from Apparatus Musico-Organisticus
Georg Muffat (b. 1653 - 1704)

Fro~

the Buxheimer Orgelbuch
Praembulum super mi
Redeuntes in mi
Passacaglia in E minor from Organ Sonata No. 8, Op. 132
Josef Rheinberger (1839 - 1901)

Program Notes
J.S. Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor is one of his most well
known and loved compositions for organ, having been transcribed by
many composers in the 20th century. The work consists of twenty
variations over a repeating bass line, immediately followed by a double
fugue in which one of the subjects is the aforementioned bass line. The
work may have been composed in homage to Buxtehude, whose ostinato
forms appear in the same manuscript, the Andreas Bach Buch. The
breadth and scope of the variations and the compositional prowess that
underlays the architecture of the piece speak to the precociousness of a
young man acutely aware of his own genius.
These two pieces by anonymous English composers both date from the
16th century and exemplify early use of ground bass patterns. Upon La
Mi Re is a series of variations over the repeating ground bass which gain
speed and intensity as the piece continues. The Lady Carey of My Lady
Carey's Dompe may refer to Mary Boleyn, one of Henry VIII's mistresses
and the sister of his second wife, .Anne Boleyn. The word dompe is of
Irish origin, and can refer to a dirge or melancholic love song. It is an
oddly fitting choice, considering the fate of the two sisters.
Cecilia McDowall's 0 Antiphon Sequence was commissioned by the
American Guild of Organists to premiere at their 2018 national
convention. The movements are responses and meditations on each of
the 0 Antiphons, which are Gregorian chants sung at Vespers during the
last week of Advent. Each of the chants starts with addressing the
Messiah by a different Old Testament name, and each chant references
the prophesies of Isaiah concerning his arrival. McDowall has selected
one line of text from each antiphon to set the mood for each movement,
which quotes one phrase from the corresponding Gregorian chant. Joel
Morehouse will sing each of the 0 Antiphons before I play McDowall's
meditation.
Georg Muffat is an example of a true "internationalist" composer. Born
and educated in France and of Scottish ancestry, he eventually settled in
German for the greater portion of his career. His only publication for
organ is his 1690 Apparatus Musico-Organisticus, which contains twelve
toccatas, a chaconne, an air and the Passacaglia in G minor. Unlike
Bach and Rheinberger's passacaglias, Muffat's does not have a repeating
bass line throughout the work. Instead it is structured as a series of
variations on a repeating harmonic pattern, with a refrain that appears
several times.

Praeambulum Super Mi and Redeuntes In Mi both come from the
BuXheimer Orgelbuch, a German manuscript dated from the mid-15th

century. These pieces would have probably have served to set the key or
pitch for the sung chants, so they make a fitting introduction to
Rheinberger's Passacaglia in E Minor.
Josef Rheinberger was a prolific 19th century German composer who his
remembered primarily for his sacred music and organ works. Out of the
twenty organ sonatas that he composed, this passacaglia from the eighth
sonata has enjoyed particular fame in the 20th and 21st century. The
blending together of the "old fashioned" passacaglia form with rich
romantic harmonies is a thrilling combination! On the Fritts organ in
particular, the piece helps to show off the wide variety of tone colors
available on the instrument.
-Julia Tucker, 2019