Organ music – The panorama of 1938. (Lecture at the symposium ‘Pro Organo Pleno’ – 13 June, 2008) by Hermann J. Busch

Hermann J. Busch Organ music – The panorama of 1938. (Lecture at the symposium ‘Pro Organo Pleno’ – 13 June, 2008)
Het ORGEL 104 (2009), nr. 3, 4-11 [summary]

The article is the text of the lecture given at the symposium ‘Pro Organo Pleno’, held on 13 June, 2008 at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam on the occasion of the 70th birthday of Ewald Kooiman. Besides the fact that 1938 was Kooiman’s year of birth, in that year there were several memorable organ events, e.g. the building of important organs (cathedral of Reims) and the appearance of influential publications (e.g. Das Buch von der Organ by Hans Klotz).
Using a number of organ compositions from various Middle-European countries as starting point, a picture is sketched of the organ music of the year 1938. Special attention is given to the question of how the composer saw his own place in music history. The works discussed are Psalmen voor Organ by Cor Kee, the Suite Modale by Flor Peeters, the Monodie by Jehan Alain, the Dorische Toccata by Joseph Ahrens, 30 Spielstücke für Kleinorgel by Hugo Distler, and Psalm-prelude ‘De Profundis’ by Herbert Howells.