1980 Klais organ at Altenberg Cathedral in Altenberg, Germany

There’s a song in the air and it’s about change. The future is just around the corner… but not quite, not yet. On this week’s broadcast, we’ll ponder the problem of the unknown, with music for Advent, including an atmospheric pharaphrase by Hans-Andre Stamm, a collection of Bach chorale-preludes, and an improvised symphonic movement by Marcel Dupré that he recorded with compelling persuasiveness in his 79th year.

Our next Pipedreams program explores the matter of multiples, those collections of musical movements which fall under the term partita. They might be variations on a chant theme, psalm tune or popular song, or just a suite of delicious diversions. In every case they give the player an ordered opportunity to strut their stuff and us the chance to hear the lovely colors of which fine pipe organs are capable. At cathedrals in Altenberg and Saint Louis, or village churches in Kiedrich or Zella-Mehlis, though the addresses are unusual, the sonic surprises are of top quality. Investigate the entertaining and honorable tradition of keyboard variations, good tunes all dressed up with somewhere to go. Klaas Bolt, Mary Beth Bennett, Joseph Payne, and Philip Crozier set out the refreshments for a fun affair, as we get ready for Partita Time, this week on Pipedreams.

It’s a sophisticated gathering of friendly collaborators and the King of Instruments on this week’s Pipedreams program. We’ll feature five centuries of repertoire, for organ and saxophone, organ and trumpet, organ and flute, organ with choir and brass ensemble, in works by Duke Ellington, Claude Debussy, Henk Badings, J.S. Bach, Giovanni Gabrieli…really an all-star cast. We’ll also play around with some oddities, too, a very old piece written for the organ to be played along with the tolling church bell, and a wonderfully zesty concerto by Michel Corrette, proving that Handel wasn’t alone in knowing that pipes and chamber orchestra make a superb package. Organ and Chamber Orchestra are among the many pleasureful pairings of pipes. Get yourself a real earful, with Organ Plus, this week on Pipedreams.

Further forays into repertoire for the organ “augmented”, in this case by brasses, strings, winds, and electronics.

It’s not every day that Bach’s Royal Instrument gets up and jigs, but in this week’s show the rambunctious rhythms will make very difficult for you to sit still. Whether from an Italian Renaissance chapel or a Baptist Church in Ohio, our music includes everything from Pavans to Rumbas. The music is so enlivening that two of the instruments actually play themselves. Don’t be a wallflower. Groove to Cuban rhythms, an English Bolero, a Viennese Rumba and many other exciting and exotic examples of why your ideas about the pipe organ may need updating. Put on your dancing shoes and join us on the floor!

Belgian master, Flor Peeters, had a remarkable career. He promoted neither a slavish adherence to tradition, nor provoked any revolution, but during his more than six decades as a cathedral organist, teacher and composer, he blended the influences of Germany and France with a typically Flemish love for color and form. We salute his talents while celebrating his centenary with performances of solos, songs, and even a symphonic concerto. Tune in and enjoy the works of Flor Peeters, and some extra delightfully revealing Flor Samples.

The pipe organ’s participation in religious worship has been an important facet of its tradition. This week, we’ll explore one of those traditions, the organ’s role in the sacred liturgy of the French Mass. From the colorful registrations used by Nicolas DeGrigny in his 17th century versets to the provocative images of Olivier Messiaen, the voice of the pipe organ adds immeasurably to the enhancement and the elevation of spiritual consciousness.

Some pieces were intended for intimate living-room spaces, while others have enthralled crowds in great cathedrals. This week, we travel the world in search of seasonal treats. Christmas is coming, and we will dance and sing while listening to the Memphis Chamber Choir and a host of organ soloists from Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United States, as each contribute sonic surprises of many sorts. Come along as we celebrate a Holiday International.

Ten players tackle first symphonies by two famous blind Frenchmen, Louis Vierne [1870-1937] and Jean Langlais [1907-1991]. Featured Organs

Poetic portraits and psalmists songs summon soothing images of lush summer fields and quiet times.

Unencumbered by the organ’s generally sober aspect, we let enthusiasm and optimism take the upper hand

…refreshing scores for organ plus other wind instruments, including trumpet, flute, saxophone, horn and pan-pipes.

…with varied textures and tone colors, these multi-movement scores showcase instruments and players equally.

…whether fiery demonstrations of tactile agility or thoughtful meditations on cosmic principals, this genre provides a touchstone for the organist’s art.

…a collection of terrifically tactile and telling tests of musical virtuosity and stamina.

…A late-autumn guide to recent organ music recordings, focusing on sonic and emotional appeal and variety.

…Christmas Joy ... colorful and outgoing compositions old and new for t his exuberant time.

…surveying the post-romantic works of the prolific Sigfrid Karg-Elert, with comments from organologist Felix Aprahamian.

A progression of gladsome Gallic variants on holiday melodies.

Hardly profound but certainly sonically stimulating playthings from the organist’s bench.

Exploring the actualities and implications of Mozart’s life-long love of the ‘King of Instruments’, and other’s love of Wolfgang Amadeus.

Celebratory compositions in a variety of dynamic levels on Christmas themes.

Savoring seasonal organ repertoire from many lands.

A miscellany of music for organ and various other instruments.