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Going for Baroque Organist Shares Her Craft

By Silviya Mateva, Going for Baroque organist

Gallery and OrganI had heard about the Italian Baroque organ long before I got a chance to see it and hear it live. The first time I visited the Memorial Art Gallery I started on the main floor and after enjoying the beautiful art exhibitions I made my way to the second floor.

Before I knew it I was in the room with the fountain court and right across from me was the gem from the Italian Baroque era. With its beauty and elegance the Italian organ fits right into the artistry of the room. This instrument is very special to the Eastman School of Music and the Rochester community as it is one of its kind in North America.

organ_from_frontI heard it for a first time at a showcase recital played by Hans Davidsson, who is also my teacher. The glorious sound of the organ, the wonderful accoustical space, and the beautiful art surrounding the audience made it a very special ‘going back in time’ experience. Every Sunday at 1pm and 3pm the visitors of the Memorial Art Gallery have the opportunity to enjoy the organ and learn more about its history. Each week an organ student from the Eastman School of Music gives a mini-concert/presentation on the instrument.

organ_concert2When I played my mini-recital there I shared the story of the organ, the reason why it is in Rochester, and why it is so unique. I also explained about its construction and stops, and played a few selections from various composers. I did a Capriccio by Girolamo Frescobaldi, which is a very sectional work and gave me a chance to demonstrated the different combinations of stops possible on the organ. An Elevation toccata by the same Italian Baroque composer demonstrated the ‘stringy’ registers of the instriment. People may think that the only appropriate music for this organ is the Italian, however they may be pleasantly surprised to learn that music from different nationalities is well suitable for the Italian organ. I performed two other works by German Baroque composers which were just as well suited for the instrument. Ciaccona in D was my selection from Johann Pachelbel which made a use of the little pedalboard. I demonstrated the stops of the organ by doing a very brief improvisation. There are a couple of stops that cannot be seen on many organs, and those are the Nightingale and the Thunder, and the audience seemed to find them very fascinating.

organ_concert1The Italian organ is very well preserved, and the visitors can even see the original bellows in a room adjacent to the gallery. In addition to me as a performer, there was also another fellow student treading the bellows, and thus providing the air needed for the organ to play. Going for Baroque is a unique experience which combines wonderful art and authentic music performances from the Baroque period.

Editor’s Note:

If you’d like to hear Silviya Mateva on the Italian Baroque organ, click here to find out the next time she’ll be performing during the Memorial Art Gallery‘s weekly series, Going for Baroque.

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