Until the end of the 18th century, the German composers hadn't been interested so much in organ music. As a result, Germany's organ music came to be declined greatly until 1800 since the Baroque era. Its cause can be found in a change of fundamental w...
Until the end of the 18th century, the German composers hadn't been interested so much in organ music. As a result, Germany's organ music came to be declined greatly until 1800 since the Baroque era. Its cause can be found in a change of fundamental worship ceremony. The weight that organ music possesses in worship at that time came to be reduced gradually. Also, multi-part works of Johann Sebatian Bach(1685-1750), who had been a typical musician of German church music in those days, wouldn't be easy for people in the period who had wanted the lighter and more simple music, to understand. Following Bach's death, the multi-part music was hidden in the music of classicism, which pursues single-part music. Even Bach's works, which had failed to be just printed properly, seemed to be hidden eternally in history. Due to this, even a role of organ came to be decreased naturally. Also, in this period, the enlightenment was being expanded socially and culturally.
Owing to growth in middle class, the church-centered music came to disappear little by little. Thus, the performance, which was done at church, came to be played at the specialized performance hall. It came to be developed centering on the secular instrumental music available for being performed at the specialized performance hall. As a result, German's social and cultural structure began to be worldly. The weight of organ music came to get smaller step by step.
As Mendelssohn is a composer of representing the early romanticism, which had revived German organ music that had gotten declined, he is a musician who made a great contribution to re-discovering Bach, by using Bach's musical style, which had been forgotten for a long period, namely, the multi-part musical style in the Baroque era such as Preludium, Fuge, and Choral, in his work.
In Mendelssohn's organ sonata is well indicated the musical elements, which had been shown in Baroque, classic, and romantic music era. The organ sonata, which is regarded as a model of organ sonata work in the 19th century and well revived characteristics of musical instrument that only organ has, can be said to be a work of possessing the important position in a research of German's romantic organ music in the 19th century.
It could confirm through analyzing Mendelssohn's organ sonata Op.65 No.4(completed over the period of about 1 year from 1844 to 1845), which possesses important position in a research of German's romantic organ music in the 19th century.
Organ sonata Op.65 No.4 is composed of four movements. Each of movements not only indicates characteristics of music in romanticism well, but also includes even Bach's musical style.
In other words, each of movements is being formed one movement by being gathered a few of short forms. Each of forms is composed of the contrasting figure and rhythm. Also, it could be known to be organized with imitation, stretto, and counter melody of the thematic melody in melodic progression.