Organ Music Today: A Journey into Innovation and Inclusivity

By Markus Rathey, the Robert S. Tangeman Professor of Musicology and Theory at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale School of Music

What’s new in the world of organ music? During my sabbatical in the fall of 2022, I had the chance to delve into two captivating research projects centered around organ music from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. One project explored the organ sonatas of French composer Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911). While many of Guilmant’s compositions are fairly conservative, his organ sonatas take an experimental turn with cyclical forms that weave the different movements of the sonata into a cohesive whole. Cyclical forms were in vogue in symphonic music during his time, and Guilmant, alongside music theorist Vincent d’Indy, played a pivotal role in incorporating this essential formal principle into organ music. My research traced the concept of the idée cyclique in French music theory, highlighting how especially Guilmant’s fifth and sixth sonatas fully realized this principle (see my article “Alexandre Guilmant’s Organ Sonatas and the Search for a Cyclical Form” in The American Organist, October 2023).

On a grander scale, Hungarian composer György Ligeti (1923-2006) emerged as a true innovator. While most of us may have missed that 2023 was designated as ‘Ligeti Year’, his music is likely familiar to many through its inclusion in Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey, which features excerpts from four of Ligeti’s compositions. In the realm of organ music, Ligeti’s forward-thinking ideas come to life in his organ works Volumina and two organ etudes. The composer explored ways to manipulate the organ’s sound, including playing all the keys simultaneously while engaging the wind supply. My own research focused on how Ligeti developed his groundbreaking ideas through close collaboration with several organists who inspired his compositional experiments (most of my work will be published in German, but I have also published a concise summary in my essay “György Ligeti’s Organ Works and the Spirit of Innovation Within Tradition” in Diapason, October 2023).

Engaging with these innovative approaches to organ music and performance raised the question that initiated this essay: What’s new in the world of organ music? My colleagues James O’Donnell and Nathaniel Gumbs have agreed to sit down with me to chat about this question. Both underscored that, despite its deep historical roots, the organ requires continual innovation and fresh ideas. As Nat Gumbs aptly put it, “We have to innovate if we don’t want the instrument to die!” But how can we achieve this?

As my two colleagues and I discussed influential organ composers of the twentieth century, it became evident that the early twentieth century provided a significant impetus for innovation. While many are familiar with the organ music of French composer Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992), known for his colorful harmonies and intricate rhythms, Professor O’Donnell reminded us that many of Messiaen’s ideas trace back to an earlier generation and were influenced by French organist Charles Tournemire (1870-1937). Tournemire was already experimenting with new modalities (combinations of the keys of the scale) and non-western rhythms, which have since become a hallmark of many French organ composers. Tournemire’s legacy was carried forward by Jehan Alain, a young organist and composer whose innovative ideas were tragically cut short by his untimely death at the age of 29. Tournemire, Alain, and Messiaen paved the way for innovation by blending traditional organ techniques with unconventional melodic, rhythmic, and structural ideas that diverged from the Western classical music tradition. This expansion of musical material still holds great potential, as emphasized by both Professor O’Donnell and Dr. Gumbs. While Tournemire and Alain were European composers incorporating non-European influences, this approach also found success with non-European composers who injected their organ compositions with unique voices reflecting their own cultures. Nat Gumbs recommends exploring the organ compositions of Nigerian composer Fela Sowande (1905-1987), who skillfully fused traditional organ technique with melodies and African dance-like rhythms inspired by his Yoruba heritage.

Compositions like Sowande’s can pave the way for the future of organ music, not only by incorporating new elements but also by extending a form of sonic hospitality, inviting listeners from non-European backgrounds to find their own voices and sounds within the compositions. Both James O’Donnell and Nat Gumbs stressed that commissioning new organ works is an essential step in making the repertoire more inclusive and equitable. The possibilities of the organ are far from exhausted, and the most inspiring contributions often come from composers unburdened by the weight of 500 years of German or French organ music.

New melodies, fresh harmonies, and novel sounds are all innovations that can already be discovered in organ works composed in recent decades. Professor O’Donnell suggests that organ composers should seek ideas that highlight the organ’s unique sonic experiences, such as works that explore the organ’s seemingly infinite breath and its ability to manipulate time. Outstanding examples include the monumental organ compositions by Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892-1988) and the performance of John Cage’s piece “Organ2/ASLAP,” currently underway in Halberstadt, Germany, and scheduled to last 639 years (concluding in 2640). Not every organ work needs to follow Cage’s model, but the concept of sounds that endure beyond the span of human breath can be intriguing, even in less expansive compositions.

While we’ve delved into new compositions, Dr. Gumbs reminds us that “innovation” should extend beyond compositions and playing techniques. Effecting change in the world of organ music starts with innovative programming, both in organ recitals and in the use of free organ music in the liturgy. While we shouldn’t discard the established canon of classical organ music, we can excite audiences by introducing lesser-known or unknown organ works. This also offers opportunities to showcase organ music by composers from underrepresented groups. Dr. Gumbs, for instance, advocates for the organ works of African American composer Florence Price (1887-1953), a pivotal female organ composer in the first half of the twentieth century. Her music may not be chronologically new, but programming her work is innovative in that it introduces audiences to sounds and ideas unfamiliar to many.

“We have to innovate if we don’t want the instrument to die” is what Nat Gumbs reminded us at the outset of our conversation. Innovation can manifest on various levels and cater to diverse audiences. What our conversations among three devoted organ enthusiasts have demonstrated is that the future of organ music will be more inclusive and more inviting for other cultural traditions. Organ music has always embraced new musical ideas, as exemplified by the pioneering work of Guilmant and Ligeti that initiated our conversation. What remains critical is not further calcifying the canon but rather commissioning new works, inspiring organists to think beyond convention, and embracing the instrument’s unique capabilities.

Note: If you are interested in reading the two essays on Guilmant and Ligeti, please email Professor Rathey.

Read more about Professor Markus Rathey.