Musical contribution - April 2012

Capriccio - E. Lemaigre

The “Capriccio” dates back to the early 16th century. This name was not, or was hardly, used for a long time. Yet suddenly the “Caprice” appeared again in the 19th century. It mainly stood for whimsical and virtuosic in the early music, but it took on a fleet-footed character in the 19th century. And this is partly why we have opted to include this fun piece in the spring.

We previously looked at this composer, E. Lemaigre, back in July 2010. At that time I called on you to search for more music by this Frenchman. A number of you did exactly that and not without results. We received many reactions. Exactly why we want to share one of these findings with you: The “Capriccio” from “Sept pieces d’orgue” by Edmond Lemaigre.

Lemaigre himself suggests playing the accompaniment on the Récit. The right hand can alternate between the Grand Orgue and the Positif. Both manuals need a clear and light voice. Lemaigre came up with various different options himself, but there are certainly plenty of other combinations too. It’s important to ensure both voices don’t differ too much from each other where the strength is concerned, yet they need to be different enough in order to effectively follow the dialogue.

If you are not in possession of a three manual organ, then I would like to wish you all the best with the registration or with looking for a registrant.

I hope you have a very enjoyable spring.

André van Vliet