All Episodes

…another exploration of the remarkable repertoire for pipe organ in consort with other instruments and voices. It’s all about collegiality. On our next Pipedreams program, the organ teams up with all sorts of friends including it’s keyboard cousin, the piano, plus other brassy relations –the trumpet and trombone. You’ll hear a little lullaby for organ and harp, a haunting fantasy for organ and electronic-tape that is amazingly effective plus a transcription of an orchestral tone poem by Franz Liszt, a spicy Baroque Concerto by Michel Corrette, and a lusty march by Alexandre Guilmant. Think variety organ with trumpet, organ with trombone, organ with choir, or harp, or piano, or symphony orchestra, even organ with electronic tape. We’re going to set aside all churchly implications and team up with many instrumental friends. Think beyond the box. Organ Plus, this week on Pipedreams.

…share in humoresques, scherzos, fantasies and other compositions done up with a sense of fun and surprise. Who says the organ must always be so serious. It’s not all solemn processionals. The king of instruments does have a sense of humor, too, as you’ll discover on our next Pipedreams program, where wry wit, sardonic satire, and a general joviality prevail. Bill Albright’s nifty narration provides a key element, as do songs by Stephen Sondheim and Henry Mancini, scherzos and fantasies played in Souvigny and San Francisco, and a humerous hornpipe played in Sydney Australia. That’s but part of the fun. We’ll also sample concert instruments in Dallas and Yokoyama, theatre organs in Kansas and Arizona, and one of the finest French antiques from the 18th century, still capable of a big smile. Curious chords prove that the Joke is On Us - humoresques for organ, this week on Pipedreams.

…a tribute to the foremost organ composer before Bach, Dieterich Buxtehude [1637-1707].

…trace the evolution of this powerful compositional format from its beginnings as a suggestive street ‘dance’.

…celebrate one of America’s foremost veteran teachers, church musicians and recitalists with his own words and compositions.

…through works of the Couperin Family, we provide a fog-reducing introduction to music in French Classic style. Truly fit for a king. Their family dynasty served the Royal French Court, and French music, for nearly 200 years. The Couperins were masters of the keyboard and organists at the Church of Saint Gervais in Paris from 1653 to 1830. On our next Pipedreams broadcast, we’ll explore their works: the majestic and austere verses and fantasies by Uncle Louis, the charming miniatures of the grandson Arman-Louis and his son Gervais-Francois, and the monumental and poetic Masses by François Couperin who was called “The Great” for good reason. It’s a study of the evolution of style, and an introduction to the flavorful recipes of Classic French organ registration. This week, we’ll also hear program host Michael Barone demonstrate a few “French Classic” registrations with some illustrative performances. For anyone who has ever wanted to hear him play, here’s your chance! The colors are rich, the rhythms saucy, the flavors as beguiling as a good French wine. We’ll savor the art of the Baroque Organ in Paris, through music from four generations of the famous Couperin family: Louis, Armand, Gervaise, and Francois. From “C” to Shining “C”, an introduction to elegance, this week on Pipedreams.

…composer William Bolcom provides glimpses into the creation of these beguiling re-imaginings of familiar American tunes.

…a collection of music meditations on the themes of Easter’s resurrection.

…with a troupe of talented Texans, host Michael Barone fills the premiere concert venue in Dallas with organ music beyond the pale.

…some varied recital performances of works by history’s greatest composer for the King of Instruments, as recorded in the Twin Cities.

…Usually three ‘p’s mean pianissimo, but this program resounds with an exultant trio of exciting modern works for organ and instruments, one of them a premiere. This week’s broadcast features new music for organ and instruments. Starting with Richard Proulx’s Concerto for Organ and Strings, we’ll hear its premiere played by Jonathan Biggers, in concert at Saint Olaf Roman Catholic Church in Minneapolis. A multi-functional Suite for Organ, Brass and Percussion by California composer Craig Phillips and the increasingly popular Concerto Number 1 by Stephen Paulus have added to the compelling concert repertoire for the King of Instruments. Three ‘p’s usually mean pianissimo, but now they stand for a pair of fine concertos with orchestra and a marvelous suite with brass and percussion. They are colorful contemporary works for organ plus by Paulus, Philips and Proulx.

The pipe organ’s concert repertoire often strays into the realm of symphonic ensembles, with remarkable results.

An exploration of some organ repertoire that takes on a life of its own apart from worship.

A 10th anniversary salute to Joseph A. Vitacco, a young business major from the University of Notre Dame who set out to document some of the world’s finest pipe organs.

Unedited and without a net, four superb soloists know how to put three pipe organs through their paces.

At Ann Arbor’s 75-year-old Michigan Theatre, an aging pipe organ served as keystone to the downtown’s heritage preservation.

A sampler of six new American-built instruments that were inaugurated during the past ten years.

From seventh grade to graduate school, aged 12 to 21, these talented players point the way towards the pipe organ’s future.