October 3,
2005
Baroque organ debuts at festival
Italian Baroque organ |
nnie Kirk, a graduate student at the Eastman School, describes striking her first note on the Eastman School's recently acquired Italian Baroque organ as an "enlightening musical experience. . . . This instrument gives us as listeners and performers the rare opportunity to come face to face with the sound world of a different era. Having that opportunity has certainly been the highlight of my time here at Eastman."
The public will have the same chance to hear live the musical tones heard during the times of Bach and Handel centuries ago on Saturday, October 8, when the Eastman School debuts the fully restored organ, the only one of its kind in North America, at the Memorial Art Gallery.
The debut of the organ, which is 22 feet high, weighs 1,800 pounds, and contains 600 pipes, in its permanent home at the gallery is the culmination of years of planning and will be a highlight of the fourth annual Eastman Rochester Organ Initiative (EROI) Festival that kicks off October 6. The installation is the first major accomplishment of EROI, the school's 10-year initiative to assemble an unparalleled collection of new and historic organs in Rochester.
"This inauguration is the culmination of tremendous effort by many to preserve an essential element of music history," says James Undercofler, dean of the Eastman School. "It also represents the beginning of an even larger effort—one that will make this music history come alive again—for our students, for this community, and for the world."
"Having an authentic organ like this in our own backyard and being able to live with it and learn from it on a regular basis is a once-in-a-lifetime experience," says Jonathan Young, an Eastman graduate student. "It's a living, breathing—in a very real sense—tangible connection to another culture, a fascinating window on a world we otherwise would not see, and a perfect opportunity for a student of the arts to expand his or her knowledge of and experience with this world. After all, the business of being an organist is really about making sense of the past and bringing it alive for contemporary audiences. How can we make sense of it without ever coming in contact with it?"
The official inauguration of the one-of-a-kind organ will take place the previous evening at an invitation-only event. Special guests include President Seligman, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, County Executive Maggie Brooks, and Mayor William Johnson.
The fully restored instrument will be the centerpiece of an extremely rare performance of Monteverdi's Vespers (Vespro della Beata Virgine, 1610) that will also feature performances by Tragicomedia and Concerto Palatino. These instrumental ensembles, made up of world-renowned early music virtuosi, will make their Rochester debut during the performance, which also includes nine singers, all internationally acclaimed Baroque specialists.
"Most often, the organ playing in the Monteverdi is relegated to a small, portable, modern pipe organ," explains David Higgs, chair of the organ department chair. "This performance could very well be the first time in North America that the piece has been heard as originally conceived."
The EROI Festival continues through October 16 and will feature guest artists, public concerts, master classes, and symposia surrounding the new organ. For a complete list of events, visit www.rochester.edu/Eastman/EROI/festival-2005.php. Organ performances at the Memorial Art Gallery will continue after the EROI festival ends.
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