SNC:AGO RECITALISTS
Bruce Stevens: November 2, 2019
Bruce Stevens is active as a recitalist across the United States and Europe. He frequently plays for the annual national conventions of the Organ Historical Society, and he has performed for regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists and for the national convention of the American Institute of Organbuilders. After receiving degrees in music from the University of Richmond and the University of Illinois, he moved to Europe, going first to Denmark for a year of organ study in Copenhagen with Finn Viderø and Grethe Krogh. Later, he moved to Vienna to become a student of Anton Heiller for several years. He also studied at the Royal School of Church Music near London. Mr. Stevens has been a finalist in the American Guild of Organists competition as well as in other national competitions held in Los Angeles and Fort Wayne. Active as a recording artist, he has produced seven discs for Raven Recordings, including a series of four CDs devoted to Josef Rheinberger’s organ sonatas played on various historic American organs.
Mr. Stevens is director of Historic Organ Study Tours (HOST), which he founded in 1994 to further the study of historic organs in Europe and elsewhere. He also works as a writer-editor for the Virginia Department of Education.
THE PROGRAM: The Leipzig Connection
Three Tone Pieces for Organ, Opus 22: Niels Gade (1817-1890)
Six Trios for the Organ, Opus 47: Max Reger (1873-1916)
5. Siciliano
4. Scherzo
Thirty Pieces for Small Organ or Other Keyboard Instruments, Opus 18/I: Hugo Distler (1908-1942)
1. Schnelle (quickly: “Intonation”)
2. Schnelle (quickly: Concertineo”)
3. Gehende (walking: “Chaconne”)
4. Flinke (briskly:“Canon”):
Studies for the Pedal Piano: Six Pieces in Canonic Form, Opus 56: Robert Schumann (1810-1856)
4. Innig (heartfelt)
5. Nicht zu schnell (not too fast)
Eleven Choral Preludes, opus. posth. 122: Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
4. Herzlich tut mich erfreuen die liebe Sommerzeit (The sweet summertime makes me rejoice)
5. Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (Adorn yourself, O dear soul)
Allegro, Chorale and Fugue in D Minor, MWV W 33: Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847)
Concerto in B Minor after Signor Vivaldi: Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748)
1. Allegro
2. Adagio
3. Allegro
Fantasia in Correct Italian Style: Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713-1780)
Fantasy and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)