Music and Texts of Gary Bachlund

 

Voluntary, Elegy and Fugue in C - (2012)    

for trumpets and organ

Rainer Auerbach gewidmet

 

The work is scored for two trumpets in C and organ, with the organ part carrying no suggestions for registration. Rather I leave this up to individual players and the resources of those instruments they play. The range of the trumpet parts is from g2-g4. The Voluntary is an imitative structure, initially with the two trumpets imitating at the measure over a running accompaniment in the organ. With successive sections, sometimes there are three and four voices carrying the theme between players.

 

 

The work, while noted "in C," moves harmonically far field. In the voluntary the imitation moves through the region of A major and takes up again in G flat major, before a return to the tonic.

 

 

The Elegy, marked lento, is rooted on a repeating C pedal, the tonic minor and other harmonic variants dominating as a break from the bright C major of the voluntary.

 

 

A harmonic pause on the subdominant major leads into the fugue, the subject and first answer stated in the organ with interjections by the trumpets. Thereupon the trumpets also join in, sometimes stating the fugue subject in thirds and sometimes in imitative fashion at the measure. As with variants in the tonal domains in the voluntary, here the fugue moves into E flat for a moment.

 

 

A scalar, nine-note rising diatonic gesture in the organ acts as a quasi cadenza to return the fugue to its tonic statement and final cadence. The cadenza's notation suggests that the harmonic and metric rhythm are to be broken herein, as the organist makes ritardando before the final a tempo.

 

17 pages plus parts, circa 10' 20"  - an MP3 demo is here: 

 

The score is available as a free PDF download formatted for both letter and A4 size paper, though any major commercial performance or recording of the work is prohibited without prior arrangement with the composer. Click on the graphic below for this score with parts (29 pages).

 

Voluntary, Elegy and Fugue in C - 8½ x 11

score and parts

 

Voluntary, Elegy and Fugue in C - A4

score and parts