Concerto for solo organ in memoriam Albert Schweitzer

Commissioned by SOLI DEO GLORIA Inc. (Chicago) and the American Church in Paris, the present work was written to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Lambarene hospital in Gabon by Albert Schweitzer in 2013, as part of the year-long international cycle of benefit concerts for the hospital organized by Michael Grüber of ORGANPromotion. Its four movements each refer to the organ works of Johann Sebastian Bach. The opening Introduction and Vivace uses motifs from the 'Dorian' Toccata in D minor BWV 538; in the figuration of the concluding section performers and listeners may also detect an oblique reference to the sound-world of Schweitzer's teacher Charles-Marie Widor. The second movement derives its musical substance from the Orgelbüchlein chorale O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde gross BWV 622. This can be followed by either of the two final movements: "5..4..2" is based on the subject of Bach's famous G minor Fugue BWV 542, but also references the tripartite organization of the Fugue in E flat BWV 552 which concludes the Clavierübung III. The alternative finale (IIIB - which ends the ends the version of the work with wind orchestra) also takes the Orgelbüchlein as its point of departure, featuring the melody of the Easter chorale Heut triumphieret Gottes Sohn (BWV 630), together with the transliteration into German musical notation of the letters Albert SCHweitzer (A flat - C - B).