Konrad Lang

Organ Sonata

The Organ Sonata was created at the suggestion of Johannes Lang, organist at St. Thomas's Church in Leipzig. The sonata arose from the idea of arranging the Rhythmic Etude 2 for piano (EGA 2200) for organ. After several revisions, the idea arose to expand this piece into a complete sonata for organ. Movement 1 "Allegro molto con fuoco" makes ample use of the newly gained insights. Rhythmic effects and tone repetitions play a major role, and are even formative for the movement. The technical demands on the performer are extraordinary. Movement 2 "Lento" contrasts the introductory theme of the slow movement from the Sonata for Violoncello and Piano (EGA 2130), which is characterised by large interval jumps, with a counter-theme (from bar 21) that has been designed to be as calm and songful as possible. The first 20 bars of the second movement are an organ arrangement of the introductory bars of the aforementioned slow movement of the cello sonata. The counter-theme is taken to an intensification in the following bars 21 to 50. From bar 51 to the end, it is shown that theme 1 and theme 2 belong to each other motivically and contrapuntally. The pedal is allowed to cavort in its own world as an accompaniment. Movement 3 "Allegro" is the organ arrangement of the Rhythmic Etude 2 for piano already described above, the nucleus of the entire sonata, so to speak. Movement 4 "Cantabile, semplice e sempre piano" is based on the composer's setting of the well-known text "Von guten Mächten" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (EGA 2740). The melody on the text by Bonhoeffer is performed by the pedal (Vox Humana 4 feet).