Recordings and Research

J.P. Sweelinck and Musical Rhetoric

My aim in the following three recordings was to apply the results of my research into musical rhetoric to the organ music of J.P. Sweelinck. The basics of my research are explained in the videos below. The organ in the following three recordings is the Von Beckerath at the Eglise Immaculé-Conception, Montréal, Canada.

"Allein Gott in der Höh"
The video/recording of  Allein Gott in der Höh gives the basic premises of my research.

"Psalm 116"
The video/recording of Psalm 116 shows how the basic premises of the above video can be applied to the practise of "alternatim".

"Ich ruf' zu dir"
This video/recording of  Ich ruf' zu dir  gives a line by line analysis of the relationship between the musical ideas and the text on which this work is based.

---

---

Doctoral Lecture-Recital Excerpts, January 24, 2014. 
Eglise Immaculé-Conception.

My D.Mus lecture-recital focused on tempo relationships between different subsections within Matthias Weckmann's and Michael Praetorius' organ works. I developed a theory to explain exactly what tempo was implied by each change of time signature within each piece.  Below are the live recordings excerpted from the lecture-recital.  The organ that you hear is the Von Beckerath at the Eglise Immaculé-Conception, Montréal, Canada.

"Praeludium a 5 vocum"
                        by Matthias Weckmann

Variation 1 on "Gott sei gelobet"
                       by Matthias Weckmann (c.1616-1674)

Two Variations on "Nun lob mein Seel" 
                            by Michael Praetorius (1571-1621).

The two variations that comprise this work are meant to be performed in alternatim with the choir or congregation. The organ substitutes for verses 2 and 4, and the choir/congregation sings verses 1, 3 and 5. At my doctoral lecture-recital, I performed the Praetorius' entire work in alternatim, accompanying the audience during the choral portions.  This clip, however, only shows the two variations by Praetorius: I have deleted the audience singing.

"Toccata (IV) in a"
                        by Matthias Weckmann
Organ by Henk Klop, First Presbyterian Church, Atlanta USA.