Herald AV Publications

HAVPCD365 – Richard Pantcheff – Suite for Organ and other organ works

	Disk Title	Richard Pantcheff – Suite for Organ and other organ works
		Marcussen Organ in Tonbridge School
	Soloists	Iain Farrington – Organ
	Location	Tonbridge School
	Audio Tracks	20

RICHARD PANTCHEFF : SUITE FOR ORGAN AND OTHER ORGAN WORKS

These works for Organ comprise some of the earliest works written for the instrument by this composer, as well as some of the most recent. The earlier works were written in Bad Soden am Taunus, Germany (when the composer was Assistant Organist at the Episcopal Church of Christ the King, Frankfurt); then came a number of new works written in Oxford, England; and now most recently are the works written in Johannesburg, South Africa, where Richard Pantcheff is composer in residence to a number of choirs, including the Chamber Choir of South Africa.

DIPTYCH FOR DEREK COOPER (Opus 73) was written in March and April 2010, to act as the focal point of a musical evening being presented at the City Hall, Johannesburg, in honour of Derek Cooper. Derek was not only an outstanding Chairman of Standard Bank of South Africa, but is also a great supporter of music and the arts, and a person of humanity and wisdom. The work comprises two movements : I – Festival Chaconne; and II – Feast Day Recessional. Both works are celebratory in mood. The work was premiered by the composer on the four-manual Willis organ of the City Hall, Johannesburg, in May 2010.

SUITE FOR ORGAN (Opus 72). This work was written, in Johannesburg, as a companion piece to the composer’s earlier SONATA FOR ORGAN, which is dedicated to Clive Driskill-Smith (and appears on HAVPCD339, played by the work’s dedicatee on the Organ of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford). Although scored mainly for Manuals, the Suite explores many different forms and tonal colours across its five-movement structure. I – Intrada, a fanfare-like piece in modified Sonata form, opens the work. II – Duets, in more reflective mood, explores the relationship between pairs of themes. III – Pastorale is a passacaglia on a deceptively simple-sounding, lilting, theme, but within the harmonies that accompany it, there are occasionally disturbing and dissonant tendencies. IV – Nocturne is a dreamscape, in which the sleeper descends into a restless slumber, occasionally interrupted by nightmarish thoughts, until peace finally comes. This work creates some interesting parallels with the composer’s earlier work of the same name, for Contrabassoon and Orchestra (Opus 58, completed in 2008). V – Epiphanies is a joyous release, with a vibrant theme offset against staccato broken chords (rather in the manner of the earlier work Paean – see Track 14).

Richard Pantcheff is internationally-renowned as a composer of the highest quality contemporary music. His output is predominantly for voices and instruments, and comprises numerous choral works, a song cycle, Sonatas, a Requiem, part songs, and a large number of works for Organ. His work is performed across the globe.

He commenced his musical career as Head Chorister of Ripon Cathedral, at the time of the Cathedral’s 1300th anniversary celebrations. During his time as a music scholar at Senior School, he corresponded frequently with Benjamin Britten, who acted as a mentor to him. He went on to read Music at Christ Church, Oxford, studying composition under Simon Preston and Francis Grier.

Richard Pantcheff’s compositions have been commissioned, performed, published, and distributed all over the world. They are frequently broadcast on national radio and TV stations, most recently across the US, the UK, Norway, Germany, the Caribbean, Canada, and South Africa. His music has received much critical acclaim, and been performed at many of the world’s best-known music festivals.

He has written a large number of works for Organ, most of which have been published commercially. More recent works include the Sonata for Organ, which was premiered by Clive Driskill-Smith on the Klais Organ, St John’s Smith Square, London, in December 2009; and the Requiem, performed in 2009 by the Chamber Choir of South Africa (to whom he is composer in residence) and the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, in Johannesburg. His choral music has been commissioned and performed by many of the world’s top cathedral and other choirs under the direction of the finest conductors, including David Hill, Grayston Ives, Simon Lole, Richard Cock, John Scott, Stephen Darlington, Marcus Huxley and Simon Lindley.