Organ symphony

As an organ symphony is called a large-scale, mostly multi-movement composition for the organ, which clearly bears elements of a symphony for orchestra in itself (for example often sets in sonata form, what she has but then in common with the Organ Sonata ), and especially in their registration, the organ can sound orchestral.

The genus originated in 19th century France with the Grande Pièce Symphonique by César Franck. The main contributions to controlled Charles -Marie Widor and Louis Vierne at. The symphonies of the latter are considered to be most important composers of the genre. A special characteristic of many organ symphonies is their number sentence that goes mostly on the traditional four movements. So Widor wrote symphonies with up to seven sentences. Vierne arose after the six-movement symphony the first five movements, the remaining five plants the norm. Further organ symphony composers Marcel Dupré and Charles Tournemire.

The fact that the genre of the Organ Symphony outside France only slightly maintained ( eg with the Organ Symphony by Sigfrid Karg- Elert ), lies in the special features of French organ building. Your most distinctive representatives of Aristide Cavaillé -Coll put his organs namely so that their sound was explicitly symphonic painting. This construction was only sporadically available in other countries.

The nickname " Organ Symphony " next to it also carries the Symphony No. 3, Op 78 by Camille Saint- Saëns, who may call in an organ next to a large orchestra.

After the death of their chief representative, the genre lost its importance. Today, organ symphonies are hardly ever composed. Composers who have dedicated themselves to the genus are Enjott Schneider, who composed so far nine organ symphonies (2005-2009) and Kalevi Aho with the " Symphony for Organ" with which the closing verses from Goethe's "Faust II" relating subtitles " " All transitory " " (2007), which was created at the suggestion of organist January Lehtola, which premiered on 25 June 2009, the four-movement, about fifty minute work on the organ of the Church of Mäntää. Their models were not the works of Widor, Vierne or, but she " continues the tradition of symphonic development."