A companion volume to my first and second discs of Becker’s music (also for Raven), this recording showcases the stunning Kimball organ in Denver in a program of Becker’s stand-alone compositions. John’s Cathedral is an ideal venue for presentation of these works as Becker might have heard them during his lifetime.Īll selections on this disc are world premier recordings.
#Phipps auditorium denver kimball organ manuals#
However, there is no “Becker organ” and his registrations almost never exactly match stops or manuals on the specific instruments he knew in his church positions. Surviving organ works include 34 marches, 15 toccatas, three large-scale sonatas, three extended fugues, numerous smaller works styled as preludes, postludes, finales, chansons, and fantasies, etc.Īs Becker held several positions during his career in America, he was associated with instruments by Kilgen, Estey, Hook & Hastings, Casavant, and Austin. His estate contained more than 180 documented individual pieces for solo organ, and he published more than 70 between 19. René Becker passed away at his home in Detroit12 after suffering from the Parkinson’s disease that was the cause of his death13 on January 28th of 1956 at the age of 74. Alphonsus Church in Dearborn, Michigan,11 for eight years. He left Detroit after 1942 and went to his last church position at St. Peter and Paul Church.9 1928 saw his last published organ piece, and in 1930 he moved again and became the organist at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Detroit, Michigan10 until 1942. He remained in Alton until 1930 as the organist for Ss. Peter’s Cathedral until 1915, when he moved to Alton, Illinois. Louis University7 and Gregorian Chant at Kenrick Seminary.8 In 1912, he moved to Belleville, Illinois, to become the organist for St.
Louis, Missouri, where they founded the Becker Bros. In 1904,6 René joined his two older brothers, Lucien (an organist) and Camille (a tenor and organist) in St.
René was the second-to-last child in a large family, and trained at the Strasbourg Municipal Conservatory of Music (from 1896-1904): piano with Ernst Münch and Fritz Blumer (a student of Franz Liszt), harmony with Carl Somborn (a student of Josef Rheinberger), and organ with Adolph Gessner.5 His father held positions including Chartres Cathedral and the Strasbourg Cathedral4 (from 1871 to 1875). René Becker’s grandfather (Jean-Baptiste,3 1813-1865), and father (Edouard, 1838-1895) were also organists. His melodies are always singable and beautiful and his earnestness and seriousness as shown by his sonatas is equaled only by his great command of rhythmic treatment.”1 Esteemed conductor and editor Nicolas Slonimsky also referred to Becker as, “…one of the foremost authorities in church music.”2 Becker’s music is described perfectly in this quote from famed organist Albert Riemenschneider, who said, “True to the heritage of his native land, combines in an unusual degree the best characteristics of the French and German schools. The elegant organ music of René Louis Becker has been a joy to rediscover, as although he received recognition from many colleagues and published prolifically during his lifetime, his music fell out of common memory for decades. The 10 works composed by René Louis Becker and recorded in Volume 3, all for the first time, are: Damin Spritzer's previous two volumes of Becker's works received stellar reviews. The organ is featured on the cover of the July 2017 TAO. John‘s Cathedral, Denver, its original 96 ranks intact and restored, with the antiphonal added as planned in 1938 but not installed until 2016, with 17 ranks. The CD is the first recording of the beloved and now completed 1938 Kimball organ at St. John's Cathedral, Denver - ĭamin Spritzer records her third volume of organ works of René Louis Becker (1882-1956), the prolific Alsatian-American composer, teacher, and organist who worked 52 years in St. Tell someone you know about this product.ġ938 Kimball 113 ranks, St. Use keywords to find the product you are looking for. Murray/Lohuis Duo: Works for Violin and Organ.Bach Complete Organ Works, George Ritchie, Organist Wyatt Smith, Organist Tracelyn Gesteland, mezzo-soprano.Las Cantantes, Women's Choir, University of New Mexico.Isabelle Lagors, harp Christian Ott, organist.Houston Baroque, Patrick Parker, Artistic Director.Air & Hammers, Edmund Connolly, baritone Maxine Thévenot, keybd.3Damin Spritzer, Organist1938 Kimball 113 ranks, St. Raven Pipe Organ CDs, DVDs, and Choral CDs - Organ Music of René Louis Becker, Vol.
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