Organist Launchpad | Improvisation with Jeffrey Brillhart, Part 1 

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I am continually amazed at how the simplest ideas create such interesting results!

The first example bears a resemblance to the Offertoire from Tournemire's l'Orgue Mystique suite 35: Assumption. It would be well to study exactly how the chant theme is, and isn't, used in that piece, and learn how best to apply that. The ostinato using the fifth (which is actually just parallel thirds, later sixths, not a fifth alternating with a minor third), supports a "litany" figure in the right hand (similar to one used in the opening of Jehan Alain's Postlude for Compline), rather than a statement of the chant melody. This then alternates with unaccompanied statements of the chant melody. The next movement of Tournemire's Assumption suite, the Élévation, however, does use an ostinato of parallel fifths to support simultaneous statements of the chant melody, along with an additional ostinato appearing simultaneously in the left hand. This bears study, as do other examples of his use of ostinato to support a chant theme, e.g. the Communion from Suite 38. To suggest that this texture could be used for an Elevation is confusing when instead the decision is made to develop the piece as a ternary form, as Tournemire's Élévations were just one page long, never extensive enough to assume ternary form. Then, if indeed it is Tournemire's style to be taught, it would be best to study Tournemire's works so as to reveal their actual formal structures, which in his mature style -- i.e. that of l'Orgue Mystique -- were not based on the conventional, classical models. Saying that tying the repeated notes in the Jesus Dulcis Memoria chant is justified "because there is no text" makes no sense, because the original chant has separate syllables of text for each note -- i.e. there is no melisma at all. Marcel Dupré, in his improvisation treatise, when discussing sonata allegro form, recommends never using the head of a theme in the development. Though the ternary form used here is not a sonata allegro, it would help to avoid a sense of redundancy in the middle section by using a later phrase of the chant to develop. That said, the ternary form doesn't figure as such in Tournemire's l'Orgue Mystique, forms for the shorter movements instead growing out of the structure of the Gregorian chant melodies, and the longer pieces from the Franckian chorale genre (i.e. variation-fantasy on more than one theme). Calling the Introït of Tournemire's Suite 7 a rondo is far-fetched, to say the least. The piece simply presents each phrase of the Gregorian chant melody, preceding each with a three-chord introduction. Besides, a proper rondo form should incorporate more than just two thematic elements A and B, i.e. at least also C, even D; and it should conclude with A, not B as in the Tournemire Introït. Also, if one is seeking to use Tournemire's registration for this Introït, note that the indication "petites mixtures" for Manual III does not mean principal-chorus mixtures, but individual mutations, as well as the 2' -- so typically flutes 2-2/3', 2', 1-3/5'. Messiaen was another who used this stop terminology, as found in the scores of his two final organ works, _Méditations sur le Mystère de la Sainte Trinité_ and _Livre du Saint Sacrement_.

Some very interesting ideas and hints there, even for an amateur like me. Thanks for sharing this.

Thank you for bringing up Tournemire.

Wonderful job, Jeff. Bravo!

This is very useful. Thank you 🙂

Great teaching. Also what a wonderful attitude rosaröds the student.

Thank you for sharing your ideas!