1971 Gonzales organ at Chartres Cathedral, France

Play It Again, Sam

A good tune is a joy forever, but instead of repeating the same melody over and over, why not make it different? This week’s show illustrates the art of variation. Organist, Hannes Meyer toys with a European folksong, while the late, great George Thalben-Ball takes the ferocious fiddling of Paganini and transforms it into a virtuosic dance on the organ pedals.

Secular or sacred, sumptuous or sometimes just plain silly, our themes provide remarkable opportunity for creative possibilities. It’s all about the altered intent, where one good tune demands another take. By the end, even you’ll be calling out, Play it Again, Sam.

Program Broadcast dates:

September 16, 2002

Featured Organs:

1855 Gandolfo at the Collegiale Sant’ d’Alasso
1986 Marcussen at Wichita State University
1976 Brombaugh at Central Lutheran, Eugene, OR
1997 Fischer at Saint Laurentius Church, Grefrath, Germany
1971 Gonzales at Chartres, France

Music played in the program

( Key to abbreviations)

GIOVANNI MORANDI: Introduzione, teme con variazioni e finale, Op. 11 –Massimo Nosetti (1855 Gandolfo/Collegiale Sant’ Ambrogio d’Alassio, Italy) Syrius CD-141363

GEORGE THALBEN-BALL: Variations on a Theme of Paganini –Todd Wilson (1930 Skinner/Holy Rosary Cathedral, Toledo, OH) JAV CD-127

JOHANN HEINRICH CHRISTIAN RINCK: Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 56 –Ludger Lohmann (1750 Gabler/Weingarten Abbey, Germany) Naxos CD-8.553925

HANNES MEYER: Variations on a Folksong (Muss I denn zum Städtele hinaus) –Hannes Meyer (1960 Metzler/Grossmünster, Zürich, Switzerland) Stereoplay CD-697202

CÉSAR FRANCK: Prelude, Fugue and Variation in b –Catharine Crozier (1986 Marcussen/Wiedemann Hall, (1987 Marcussen/Wiedemann Recital Hall, University of Kansas, Wichita, KS), Kansas) Delos CD-3272

HEINRICH SCHEIDEMANN: Chorale verses, Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ –Julia Brown (1976 Brombaugh/Central Lutheran Church, Eugene, OR) Naxos CD-8.554548

GEORG BÖHM: Chorale Variations, Ach wie nichtig, ach wie flüchtig –Lorenzo Ghielmi (1997 Fischer/Saint Laurentius Church, Grefrath, Germany) Stradivarius CD-33559

NICHOLAS JACKSON: Concert Variations on Praise to the Lord, the Almighty –Nicholas Jackson (1971 Danion-Gonzalez/Chartres Cathedral, France) Naxos CD-8.554773