Recent issues of Early Music, the sumptuously-produced quarterly journal from Oxford University
Press, have had little of specific interest to harpsichordists. In the issue
for August 1998 (XXVI/3) Simon McVeigh reviewed recent recordings of works by
the Bach boys--C.P.E., W. F., and J. C. plus a disc devoted to Johannes
Schobert.
Michael Farris,
Associate Professor of Organ at the Eastman School of Music since 1994 and
co-chair of the Keyboard Department, died on March 27. Dr. Farris was 41.
The new organ at St. James's Episcopal Church, Richmond,
Virginia, was designed and built by C. B. Fisk, Inc., of Gloucester,
Massachusetts. Opus 112 of the Fisk firm, the three-manual instrument of 62
ranks is housed in a linen white case. The specification reflects the many
roles a modern American church organ must play: leading hymn singing,
accompanying choral music, and playing hundreds of years of organ repertoire.
The third annual East Carolina Religious Arts Festival was
held in Greenville, North Carolina January 28-30, sponsored by the School
of Music of East Carolina University and directed by Janette Fishell.
Presenters included Sandra Willetts, James Lancelot, Sharon Munden, and Mickey
Thomas Terry.
The accomplishments of Hellmuth Wolff, André Guilbault and Guy Thérien, Fernand Létourneau, Gabriel Kney, and Gerhard Brunzema. along with the activities of other known organbuilders of the 1990s, will be described in chronological order, according to their founding dates, in this article.
I read with very great interest and pleasure the recent
contribution by Jan Overduin to The Diapason1, "Bach and Die Kunst der Fuge
style='font-style:normal'>." Therein, the author presented about two dozen
typical examples, illustrating how the composer has interwoven the musical
texture of the oeuvre with the notes of his name b, a, c, h, within the various
counterpoints.
