Alleluia, op. 112, for Organ & Orchestra - by Joseph Jongen

Alleluia, op. 112, for Organ & Orchestra by Joseph Jongen

Performed Sunday, September 15th, 2024 | First United Methodist Church

Organ: Joel Trekell
Conductor: Thomas Wilson
Audio/Video: Michael Lascuola
Program Notes: Joel Trekell

Joseph Jongen was a Belgian composer, organist, and pianist. As a child prodigy, he entered the Liège Conservatoire at age seven and studied for sixteen years, winning many prestigious awards and establishing himself as a composer. In his early career, he served as the organist at the Grand Séminaire, Liège, and later at St. Jacques, Liège, a post he shared with his younger brother, Léon. After winning the prestigious Grande Prix de Rome in 1897 for the composition of his Cantata Comola, Jongen undertook a four-year tour of Europe, traveling to Berlin, Bayreuth, Paris, and Rome. During these years, he studied with Richard Strauss and heard the music of Johannes Brahms, Gabriel Fauré, and Vincent d'Indy.

Jongen was hailed for his virtuosity and strength as an organist. He was admired for his depth of interpretation and compelling improvisations. Jongen’s younger brother, Léon, recalled his final improvisation at the Conservatoire: “My brother chose ... the three themes in question, and for more than half an hour, an astonished jury and an amazed audience were held spellbound ... the jury, enthralled, let him continue ... And when the stretto of a triple fugue brought the 'work' to a conclusion in the manner of a superlative flourish, the hall gave him an unforgettable standing ovation.”

Jongen’s compositions are characterized by their unique harmonic color. Like Debussy and Fauré, his melodies often grow from a lush foundation of harmonies. Jongen’s eclectic influences formed a style that was unique and personal, described by one London reporter as an “eloquence that is Wagnerian in its flow but French in its atmosphere.”

Alleluia, op. 112, was written in 1940 for the dedication of a new organ located in the concert hall of the National Institute of Broadcasting in Brussels. The organ was built by Maurice Delmotte of “La maison Delmotte,” a long family lineage of organ builders dating from the early nineteenth century. The instrument was Delmotte’s magnum opus, with four manuals and 110 stops. Jongen served as a consultant for its installation. Alleluia begins with a dialogue between the brass and woodwinds. The primary theme, stated by the brass, has a contour reminiscent of Gregorian chant. The piece has a bold and fervent character, including a series of slow build-ups and triumphal entries from the organ.