Prelude suggestions for violin/organ?
  • SopranoViolin
    Posts: 33
    Interesting in knowing your thoughts! :)

    (this would be for feast days or other special occasions)
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,934
    We did the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria on one of the Marian feast days, but I guess everyone does that one.
  • Chris Garton-Zavesky
    Posts: 6,902
    I've heard all sorts of stuff, because in another parish we had a member of the local philharmonic on retainer. On the other hand, I never came away with the idea that this was a good idea, in general.
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  • GavinGavin
    Posts: 2,799
    Anything, really. Baroque solo and continuo sonatas, even concerto movements. Rheinberger has some good violin/organ works.
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  • SopranoViolin
    Posts: 33
    Thank you for your suggestions :)

    Gavin, any specific composers or pieces in particular you could recommend?
  • Richard MixRichard Mix
    Posts: 2,768
    if you have the chops, a piece we used to do for The Baptism of Our Lord and that works quite wonderfully with violin and organ is the opening movement of BWV 7.
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  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    The Handel violin sonatas are nice.
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,151
    Ralph Vaughan Williams: "The Call" from his "Five Mystical Songs" (just play the baritone as though it were written in the treble clef instead of the 8vb treble clef).
  • formeruser
    Posts: 22
    5 Pieces for violin or flute and organ - Langlais. Opus 180......the first movement is especially beautiful.
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  • StimsonInRehabStimsonInRehab
    Posts: 1,916
    There's a setting of Elgar's Elevation (Sursum Corda) for violin and piano, as well as one for organ at IMSLP. I've been meaning to attempt an ersatz arrangement combining the two at some point. Very nice.
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,184
    The Rheinberger sonatas for organ and violin are also lovely. Accessible on IMSLP.
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    I don't know if they're still in print, but GIA had collections of brief "meditations" for flute and organ by Jacques Berthier (Taize) that are thematically tied to seasons, particular chants, etc. These are very unlike the Taize devotional stuff, Berthier's melodic and harmonic lexicon seemingly influenced by many 20th century composers.
    Their unfamiliarity actually argues for their use, as some of the standards (Bach's Siciliano Eb, Air, Faure's Pavane, etc.) could actually take the listeners' minds elsewhere from their prayers. YMMV
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  • FidemInFidebusFidemInFidebus
    Posts: 611
    Corelli Op. 3, any of them.
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    Melo, is this it? Based on the two very brief samples they seem like worthy pieces.

    Liturgical Meditations for Flute and Organ - Jacques Berthier
  • melofluentmelofluent
    Posts: 4,160
    Yeppers.
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704)
    Mystery (Rosary) Sonatas
    http://imslp.org/wiki/Mystery_(Rosary)_Sonatas_(Biber,_Heinrich_Ignaz_Franz_von)
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  • FidemInFidebusFidemInFidebus
    Posts: 611
    ^^^ Yes! But only Sonata I "The Annunciation" and the final passacaglia are in standard tuning. However, I performed IV and XIV on a modern violin with good results using a combination of Oliv and Eudoxa gut core strings and a thick gauge E.
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  • SopranoViolin
    Posts: 33
    Fidem, you play violin too?? I love the Biber Rosary Sonatas! I performed IV on baroque violin this past summer at an early music workshop. As much as I love them though, I don't think they would be appropriate for prelude because of their virtuosic nature...am I right? I think of preludes as a meditative precursor to the Mass, preparing the faithful to have a proper disposition to receive the Eucharist.

    Corelli Op. 3, any of them.


    ^these are trio sonatas. Did you mean op. 5? I feel Corelli may work better in this case than Biber...
  • FidemInFidebusFidemInFidebus
    Posts: 611
    Oh dear, indeed they are. My mind jumped to church-appropriate with no regard for ensemble requirements lol...Yes I am a fellow fiddler, in fact my handle on this forum is borrowed from Biber, who always took care to proclaim his "faith in fiddles" in his dedications. Corelli is great, and perhaps easier to put together in short notice!! Also check out Biber's Sonatae Violino Solo (1681)
    For a truly prayerful performance of the Rosary Sonatas check out Andrew Manze's. It gave me a lot of perspective on how this music should be played and how it can be done with grace and reverence.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • SopranoViolin
    Posts: 33
    If you like Andrew Manze, then that makes two of us :) I completely agree. So you do think the Rosary Sonatas are appropriate after all? I always tend to think any "busy-ness" in music is not prayerful...but I may be mistaken :D maybe because I'm thinking of rockstar performances like the one below:

    Sonata IV - Dmitry Sinkovsky

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  • SopranoViolin
    Posts: 33
    BTW ^ his ornaments are oh-so-delicious :)
  • FidemInFidebusFidemInFidebus
    Posts: 611
    I've got a huge thing for Reinhard Goebel/Musica Antiqua Koln....Will compare Mr Sinkovsky momentarily!

    It's all in how the busy-ness is handled, but to be honest I think accompaniment has more influence in the performance. Someone banging away on a harpsichord or rockin out like Van Halen on theorbo can really ruin the mood.
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  • SopranoViolin
    Posts: 33
    [Someone] rockin out like Van Halen on theorbo can really ruin the mood.


    image

    LOL
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  • Richard R.
    Posts: 774
    Back in my Free Methodist college days, a violinist friend and I often performed prelude music for chapel services, and especially liked the Meditation from Massenet's Thais arranged for violin and piano... until we scandalized some pernicekty colleague who pointed out that Thais is, after all, a pretty pagan opera. Nice music, though.
    Thanked by 1SopranoViolin
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    Purple.
    That postcard made me double-take.
    The first glance had the guy pointing a Star Trek phaser style one.
    I hope I am not alone.
    It is Friday afternoon and the start of Labor Day holiday weekend,
    but of course it includes two workdays.
    Thanked by 1SopranoViolin
  • SopranoViolin
    Posts: 33
    Opera will be opera, Richard :) Though I agree that Meditation from Thaïs is a lovely piece, I have to say I'm also guilty for having played it before Masses and weddings...woops, haha. There's still room for liturgical abuses in the next confession I make :D
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • ContinuousbassContinuousbass
    Posts: 357
    I enjoy Corelli's Sonata Da Chiesa (any of them), always my first choice for violinists.
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