Eben: Organ Concerto No. 1, "Symphonia Gregoriana"

Featuring

Gabriel Feltz
Gunther Rost
Bamberger Symphoniker
Petr Eben

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Composition History

Petr Eben composed his first organ concerto, 'Symphonia Gregoriana', in 1954 at the age of 24 as his diploma piece to complete his studies.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Petr Eben admired Gustav Mahler as the 'father of modern music' for his non-traditional use of tradition and his music's connection to nature, God, and a 'typically Jewish self-irony'.

Compositional Technique

The work was originally titled 'Symphonia Gregoriana for Concertante Organ and Orchestra', but for ideological reasons, it had to be called an 'organ concerto', though its form is more symphonic.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Petr Eben was a deeply religious Christian who never denied his faith, even during the Communist period, which influenced his inclination towards sacred music and the organ.

Album & Artwork

The archaic signs on the CD cover are tenth-century neumes from St. Gallen, an early form of Western music notation used to help singers remember Gregorian chant details.

Composer Biography

Petr Eben, considered a leading contemporary Czech composer, was briefly detained in Buchenwald concentration camp in 1945 due to his Jewish heritage.

Historical Context

With 'Symphonia Gregoriana', Petr Eben consciously opposed the dominant Communist ideology of the day, which stigmatized the Catholic church and its instrument, the organ, as enemies of the state.