Competitions

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While decidedly fewer in number than competitions in organ performance, there are still a few improvisation competitions that take place. Below are brief descriptions of different competitions with links to the competition website for more information.

Chartres

The competition in improvisation consists of a pre-selection recorded round, two live eliminatory rounds (¼ finals and ½ finals) and a final round. The final round will take place on the great organ in Chartres Notre-Dame Cathedral. The competition takes place every four years with the next one anticipated to be in 2016.

Haarlem

The Haarlem International Organ Competition takes place every year in July and is open to organists under the age of 40. A pre-selection recorded round selects eight applicants to compete live in two elimination rounds. The final competition will take place on the Müller organ (1738 / IIIP / 62) in St Bavo’s Church.

NCOI

The American Guild of Organists National Competition in Organ Improvisation takes place every other year during the national convention of the American Guild of Organists. The competition is open to all organists regardless of age or citizenship.

YouTube Channels

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YouTube is a great place to visit in order to see and hear many different organists improvise. Some even have their own channels. Listed below are artists and other YouTube channels that include improvisation videos as a significant portion of their content.

Artists

Other Users

Playlists

French Classical Style

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The French classical style runs parallel with the German baroque. The organ had a highly standardized stoplist, in line with its (almost exclusively) liturgical use. The compositions were highly standardized too, generally named by the stops that were to be used (e.g Plein jeu, Basse de Trompette, Tierce en Taille) and the function within mass or the chant theme (e.g Kyrie, Gloria, Ave Maria Stella).

A series in the newsletter covered the style and the different movements and registrations often used during the period:

Videos:

Michel Chapuis – Grand Jeu Classique – St. Ouen
Michel Chapuis – Improvisations in French classical style – Chapelle Royale, Paris
Otto Maria Krämer – Suite Francaise – Plein jeu
Otto Maria Krämer – Suite Francaise – Fugue
Otto Maria Krämer – Suite Francaise – Récit
Otto Maria Krämer – Suite Francaise – Basse de trompette
Otto Maria Krämer – Suite Francaise – Quatuor
Otto Maria Krämer – Suite Francaise – Duo
Otto Maria Krämer – Suite Francaise – Tierce en taille
Otto Maria Krämer – Suite Francaise – Dialogue sur les grands jeux
Wolfgang Seifen – Suite in French Style – Marienbasilika – Kevelaer

Wolfgang Seifen

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Wolfgang SeifenIn 2000 Wolfgang Seifen was appointed professor of improvisation at the Universität der Künste in Berlin, and in 2004 he was appointed the organist of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.

Official Website:
http://www.wolfgangseifen.de/

Full bio. You can hear him on Spotify.

He has his own channel on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWI8vAAevvH99Vaht8a_cxw


Videos:
Suite in French Style – Marienbasilika – Kevelaer

Recordings:
Wolfgang Seifen and Ensemble “Virga Strata”
Gregorian Chant and Organ Improvisation

ohscatalog_2270_67269471Wolfgang Seifen Improvises, Live Concert
UM-20341
Wolfgang Seifen improvises in a live concert at Holy Ghost Church in Mannheim, Germany.

Postlude-Sortie

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Example videos:
Pierre Cochereau – Sortie – Notre Dame – Audio only
Johann Vexo – Vêpres 07.04.2013 – Sortie
Daniel Roth – Sortie – 7 February 1999 – St. Sulpice
Pincemaille – Sortie – St. Denis
Olivier Penin – Sortie – St. Clotilde
Philippe Lefebvre – Sortie – 19.04.2009 – Notre Dame
Philippe Lefebvre – Sortie – 01.05.2011 – Notre Dame
Latry – Sortie – 18.09.2011 – Notre Dame
Latry – Sortie – 10-09-2011 – Notre Dame
David Briggs – Sortie at St. Sulpice

Prelude

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Preludes usually serve as introductory movements in multi-movement works, though they also may stand alone. The formal structure varies widely. The title may also refer simply to the piece of music played at the beginning of a worship service.

Example videos:
Philippe Lefebvre – Prélude – 01.05.2011 – Notre Dame
Loïc Mallié – Entrée improvisée – La Trinité, Paris
Olivier Penin – Prelude – St. Clotilde
Pierre Pincemaille – Prélude – St. Denis
William Porter – O dass ich tausend Zunge hätte – Prelude
Johann Vexo – Messe du dimanche soir 07.04.2013 – Prélude
Johann Vexo – Vêpres 07.04.2013 – Prélude

Peter Planyavsky

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PlanyavskyFrom 1969 to 2004, Peter Planyavsky was organist at Vienna’s cathedral Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral), and in the years 1983 to 1990 was Dommusikdirektor, director of music with overall responsibility for the church music at the cathedral.

Full bio.


Recordings:
Peter Planyavsky Improvises
Motette Records, 2004


Improvises on the Vienna Stephansdom Organ

ohscatalog_2270_29840059Planyavsky Improvises In Cathedrals at Bremen & Brixen
MotetteCD-10541


Audio:
Peter Planyavsky – Entry in the 21st Haarlem Improvisation Competition