The organ repertoire consists of music written for the organ. Because it is one of the oldest musical instruments in existence, written organ repertoire spans a time period almost as long as that of written music itself. The organ's solo repertoire is among the largest for any musical instrument. Because the organ was found almost exclusively in the western churches from the Middle Ages until the emergence in the Romantic era of large concert hall instruments, a significant portion of organ repertoire is sacred in nature. Thus, most organ music comes from Western Europe and North America; because the eastern religions (such as the Eastern Orthodox Church) did not use any instruments in their worship. Owing to the age of the instrument and its frequent use in Western worship, the organ has the largest written repertoire of any musical instrument. For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Coptic Orthodox Pope · Roman Catholic Pope Archbishop of Canterbury · Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Faith...

Renaissance

The earliest surviving keyboard compositions (keyboard music was not instrument-specific until the sixteenth century) are from England (Robertsbridge Codex c. 1365) and Italy (Faenza Codex, 15th century). The Renaissance (French for rebirth, or Rinascimento in Italian), was a cultural movement in Italy (and in Europe in general) that began in the late Middle Ages, and spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century. ... The Robertsbridge Codex (c1320) is the earliest surviving keyboard music. ...

The English virginal style was a manner of composition and performance prevalent in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries; some manuscripts are preserved in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. Sweelinck was strongly influenced by this style. Organ music was almost exclusively based on learned contrapuntal, exemplified by the Fantasia ("Fancy"), as well as works based on contrapuntal treatment of chant. Composers well known for their choral works wrote organ music, for example Tallis, Byrd and Gibbons. The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, i. ...

Baroque

Adoration, by Peter Paul Rubens. ...

France

In France, baroque organ music (referred to as French classical music, despite being from the Baroque period) was almost exclusively liturgical in nature and composed and performed in a very systemized manner. In addition, the organs were built along standardized lines. The compositions were smaller scale compared with those in other countries. Some of the forms (the Plein jeu, the Récit de Cromorne, and the Tierce en Taille, for example) utilized almost no counterpoint, while others (the Duo, the Trio, and the Fugue) were contrapuntal in nature (though the counterpoint was not generally as complex as in Germany).

England

English composers John Stanley and William Boyce wrote a number of important works at this time, as of course did Handel. Charles John Stanley (January 17, 1712 – May 19, 1786) was an English composer and organist. ... William Boyce (September 11, 1711 – February 7, 1779) is widely regarded as one of the most important English-born composers of the 18th century. ... HANDEL was the code-name for the UKs National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. ...

Germany

In Germany and Austria, baroque organ music utilized increasing amounts of counterpoint. Organ music in the baroque can be divided into works based on Lutheran chorales (e.g. chorale preludes and chorale fantasias) and those not (e.g. toccatas, fantasias and free preludes). There are marked stylistic differences between the composers of North, South and Central Germany such that further generalisation is inaccurate. The North German Praeludium (an important form consisting of alternating sections of free material written in the largely misunderstood stylus phantasticus and fugal material) reached its zenith in Dieterich Buxtehude, informed by Matthias Weckmann and Heinrich Scheidemann (influenced most strongly by Jan Peeterszoon Sweelinck and by the Italian school transported to North Germany by Heinrich Schütz and Samuel Scheidt). Georg Böhm remained firmly representative of the South German School, though Johann Pachelbel's influence as a teacher extended across North, South and Central Germany. Baroque organ music arguably reached its height in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach wrote a few North German style praeludia, actually somewhat less successfully than the models by Buxtehude, but much more importantly developed a style essentially separate from the predominant styles of North, South and Central Germany. The majority of his free works consisted of two parts: a prelude, toccata or fantasia, and a fugue. Bach also wrote a large number of chorale preludes. The only surviving portrait of Buxtehude, from a 1674 painting by Johannes Voorhout. ... The famous organist Georg Böhm (September 2, 1661 - May 18, 1733) was born in Hohenkirchen, Thuringia Germany. ... Johann Pachelbel (IPA: []) (baptized September 1, 1653 – March 3, 1706) was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. ... “Bach” redirects here. ...

Classical era

The great composers of the classical era wrote sparingly if at all for the organ: Haydn wrote only for clockwork organs, and Beethoven and Mozart wrote only a handful of works. The Classical period in Western music occurred from about 1730 through 1820, despite considerable overlap at both ends with preceding and following periods, as is true for all musical eras. ... “Haydn” redirects here. ... “Beethoven” redirects here. ... “Mozart” redirects here. ...

English composers John Stanley and William Boyce wrote a number of important works at this time. Charles John Stanley (January 17, 1712 – May 19, 1786) was an English composer and organist. ... William Boyce (September 11, 1711 – February 7, 1779) is widely regarded as one of the most important English-born composers of the 18th century. ...

Romantic era

Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ...

France

During the Romantic era, technological advances allowed new features to be added to the organ, increasing its potential for expression. The work of the French organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in particular represented a great leap in organ building. Cavaillé-Coll refined the English swell box by devising a spring-loaded (later balanced) pedal with which the organist could operate the swell shutters. He invented an ingenious pneumatic combination action system for his five-manual organ at Saint-Sulpice. He adjusted pipemaking and voicing techniques, thus creating a whole family of stops imitating orchestral instruments such as the bassoon, the oboe, and the flute. He introduced divided windchests which were controlled by ventils, allowing for the use of higher wind pressures. For a mechanical tracker action to operate under these higher wind pressures, pneumatic assistance provided by the Barker lever was required, which Cavaillé-Coll included in his larger instruments. This pneumatic assist made it possible to couple all the manuals together and play on the full organ without expending a great deal of effort. All these innovations allowed the organist to execute a seamless crescendo from pianissimo all the way to fortissimo: something that had never before been possible by the organ. Composers were now able to write music for the organ which mirrored that played by the symphony orchestra. For this reason, both the organs and the literature of this time period are considered symphonic. Aristide Cavaillé-Coll His grave in Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (February 4, 1811–October 13, 1899) was a French organ builder. ... The console of the Salemer Münster organ in Salem, Germany, built from 1900 to 1901. ... A combination action is a system designed to capture specific organ registrations to be recalled instantaneously by the player while he is playing. ... Saint-Sulpice can refer to: Society of Saint-Sulpice, a Catholic religious order Saint-Sulpice church in Paris Several Catholic saints, including: Saint Sulpicius Severus (ca. ... The term voicing may refer to: In phonetics, a type of phonation. ... The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers and occasionally even higher. ... The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. ... â™  This article is about the family of musical instruments. ... Tracker action is a term used in reference to pipe organs to indicate a mechanical linkage between the key pressed by the organist and the valve that allows air to flow into pipe(s) of the corresponding note. ... The Barker-lever is named after Charles Spackman Barker (1804-79), engineer and organ-builder. ... Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ...

César Franck, Charles-Marie Widor, and Félix-Alexandre Guilmant were important organist-composers who were inspired by the sounds made possible through Cavaillé-Coll's advances in organ building. They wrote extensively for the organ, and their works have endured. A particularly important form of organ composition in the Romantic era was the organ symphony, first seen in César Franck's Grand pièce symphonique and refined in the ten symphonies of Widor and the six of Louis Vierne. The organ symphony, comprising several movements, paralleled symphonies written for the orchestra. Guilmant wrote several compositions similar to organ symphonies; however, preferring to remain in the classical mold, he called them sonatas. In addition to organ symphonies, composers of the day wrote in other forms: Franck wrote eleven other major organ works, including the Prélude, Fugue et Variation and the Trois Chorals; Widor wrote a Suite Latine on various plainsong tunes; Vierne composed 24 pièces de fantaisie, of which the Carillon de Westminster is perhaps the most well-known. The influence of these composers has persisted through generations of composers for the organ through history, all the way to the modern-day composers Olivier Messiaen and Naji Hakim. César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck (December 10, 1822 – November 8, 1890), a composer, organist and music teacher of Belgian origin who lived in France, was one of the great figures in classical music in the second half of the 19th century. ... Charles-Marie Jean Albert Widor (February 21, 1844 – March 12, 1937) was a French organist, composer and teacher. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Symphony No. ... Louis Victor Jules Vierne, (October 8, 1870–June 2, 1937) was a French organist and composer. ... Sonata (From Latin and Italian sonare, to sound), in music, literally means a piece played as opposed to cantata (Latin cantare, to sing), a piece sung. ... Broadly speaking, plainsong is the name given to the body of traditional songs used in the liturgies of the Catholic Church. ... Olivier Messiaen It has been suggested that List of students of Olivier Messiaen be merged into this article or section. ... Naji Subhy Paul Irénée Hakim, born in 1955 in Beirut, Lebanon, is an organist, composer, and improviser of international stature. ...

Germany

In Germany, Felix Mendelssohn wrote extensively for the organ. Josef Rheinberger wrote a number of important works that blend the romantic style with the contrapuntal complexity of the old German masters. Some composers best known for their compositions for piano or orchestra also turned their efforts to the organ, including Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms. Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, born and known generally as Felix Mendelssohn (February 3, 1809 – November 4, 1847) was a German composer and conductor of the early Romantic period. ... Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (March 17, 1839, in Vaduz - November 25, 1901, in Munich) was a Liechtensteinian composer. ... “Liszt” redirects here. ... Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (May 7, 1833 – April 3, 1897) was a German composer of the Romantic period. ...

United States

In the United States, Dudley Buck was a prominent composer, although his work has remained largely unknown outside of the U.S. Dudley Buck (March 10, 1839 – October 6, 1909) was an American musical composer. ...

During this time, transcriptions of other music -usually orchestral music or piano solos— for organ became popular. Often the transcriptions would utilize only an excerpt of the original piece. In music, transcription is the act of notating a piece or a sound which was previously unnotated. ... For the song titled Orchestra, see The Servant (band). ... The term piano solo is also often used to mean a musical composition written solely for piano. ...

20th century

During the 20th century, there were a number of independent trends in organ repertoire: (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999...

• Organ works were composed in a style similar to 20th century orchestral music. Composers include: Marcel Dupre, Helmut Walcha, John Cage, Gyorgy Ligeti; towering over everyone else is Olivier Messiaen and Jean Langlais.
• The theater organ achieved a brief period of prominence from about 1900-1935, and had its own repertoire
• The Hammond organ was used in jazz, popular music and rock, especially from about 1950-1975.
• There was an evangelical organ style derived in part from the southern gospel movement, with composers including Fred Bock, Lani Smith, and Harold De Cou
• Transcriptions of previous works, and improvisations based on hymn tunes, continued to be written in a fairly traditional style by organist-composers such as Searle Wright, Dale Wood and E. Power Biggs.
• Organ works written for organ quartet.

Marcel Dupré Marcel Dupré (May 3, 1886–May 30, 1971), was a French organist and composer. ... Helmut Walcha (October 27, 1907 in Leipzig, Germany – August 11, 1991 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany) was a blind German organist who specialized in the works of the Dutch and German baroque masters and is known for his recordings of the complete organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach. ... For the Mortal Kombat character, see Johnny Cage. ... György Ligeti (born May 28, 1923) is a Hungarian composer (now living in, and a citizen of, Austria), widely seen as one of the great composers of instrumental music of the 20th century. ... Olivier Messiaen It has been suggested that List of students of Olivier Messiaen be merged into this article or section. ... A theatre organ is an organ installed in a movie theatre, most often modelled after the style originally devised by Robert Hope-Jones, which he called a unit orchestra. Such instruments were typically built to provide the greatest possible variety of timbres with the fewest possible pipes, and often had... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Lani Smith is an organist best known for his church music compositions. ... Dale Wood (February 13, 1934 - April 13, 2003) was a musician and composer best known for his church music compositions. ... Edward George Power Biggs (March 29, 1906 - March 10, 1977), but always known as E. Power Biggs, was one of the most influential classical organists of the twentieth century. ... There are two possible interpretations for the term Organ Quartet: 4 players playing on the same organ instrument (8 hands, 8 feet) 4 players playing on four distinct (electronic) organs. ...

See also

• List of organ composers
• List of organ pieces