Routledge Twentieth-Century Organ Music (Routledge Studies in Musical Genres)

This volume explores twentieth-century organ music through in-depth studies of the principal centers of composition, the most significant composers and their works, and the evolving role of the instrument and its music. The twentieth-century was a time of unprecedented change for organ music, not only in its composition and performance but also in the standards of instrument design and building. Organ music was anything but immune to the complex musical, intellectual, and socio-political climate of the time. Twentieth-Century Organ Music examines the organ's repertory from the entire period, contextualizing it against the background of important social and cultural trends. In a collection of twelve essays, experienced scholars survey the dominant geographic centers of organ music (France, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, the United States, and German-speaking countries) and investigate the composers who made important contributions to the repertory (Reger in Germany, Messiaen in France, Ligeti in Eastern and Central Europe, Howells in Great Britain). Twentieth-Century Organ Music provides a fresh vantage point from which to view one of the twentieth century's most diverse and engaging musical spheres. Review " Comprising an introduction and 12 chapters by leading international scholars, this collection is organized partly by country and region, with separate essays on the important organ composers, the instrument in the 20th century, and the organ in worship. Social and cultural perspectives are considered in all essays, with several especially notable... This well-edited volume will prove invaluable to performers and scholars alike. Summing Up: Highly Recommended" - B. Doherty, New College in CHOICE About the Author Christopher S. Anderson is Associate Professor of Sacred Music at the Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, USA.