Stephen Farr plays Exhalation by Stephen Goss

Exhalation was written to provide an interlude between a Bach Toccata and its Fugue (BWV 538). A mo- ment of repose between two energetic and multi-layered pieces: a breathing space.
It can also be played as a standalone piece.
The way that the organ is brought to life by pressurised air reminded me of a short story by Ted Chiang, “Exhalation”, which describes a civilisation that relies on the pattern of air flow in their brains for their memories. Their lives are sustained by variations in air pressure.
Bach’s fugue subject rises through jumps and then falls by step, a gesture that suggested a single breath to me. I use this gesture to structure my piece which gradually increases and then decreases in volume and intensity over its 5 minute duration.
Exhalation opens with the softest and lowest possible pedal sound – more an atmosphere than a pitch – a remnant from final chord of Bach’s Toccata. Next, a simple mirror canon provides the musical ideas for the piece, growing out of the rising and falling elements of Bach’s fugue subject. After the build-up and the climax of the piece, there is a controlled and gradual return to the calm of the opening, an exhalation, preparing the way for Bach’s Fugue.
Exhalation was commissioned by Stephen Farr for the 2021 London Bach Society Festival. It was filmed for online concert from St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London, on 17th March 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic.