The organ composer Maurice van Elven by Kees Weggelaar
by Kees Weggelaar | Het ORGEL | Year 99 | (2003) | Issue 2Kees Weggelaar The organ composer Maurice van Elven
Het ORGEL 99 (2003), nr. 2, 39-42 [summary]
Maurice van Elven (1950) composes organ music regularly. He studied organ with Piet Kee and Jan Raas and composition with Robert Heppener. Van Elven teaches at the Muziek School Amsterdam and is organist of the Anthonius van Paduakerk in Amsterdam.
Like Heppener, Van Elven is self-confident. When he finished his studies in 1975, it was fashionable to compose serial music, but just like Otto Ketting and Peter Schat, Van Elven refused to follow this trend and continued to compose tonal music.
Van Elvens compositions for organ are: Ricercare over Psalm 86 (1974), Intermezzi per organo (1976), Partita super Jesu meine Freude (1979), Symfonie (1980), Partita super Ad cenam agni providi (1984), Immobilis (1985), Miniaturen III (1995), Tento (1997), Imaginations (in memoriam Cor Kee) (1997), Praeludium en Fuga over BACH (2000).
The most extensive of these works is the Symfonie. It is dedicated to Albert de Klerk. It has four movements: Allegro energico (with two groups of themes), Offertorium, Communio, Finale (a double fugue). As in most works of Van Elven, influences of Tournemire, Hindemith and Scriabin are evident.