The organist of the Oratoire du Louvre has curated a programme including works by Saint-Saëns, Béla Bartók, and Manuel de Falla.
The Auditorio de Tenerife has scheduled a concert at midday this Sunday (10 May) of Australian organist of Korean origin Sarah Kim in the Symphony Hall, where the artist will offer the recital Guerra, paz y danza de la vida (War, Peace and the Dance of Life). The current organist of the Parisian church Oratoire du Louvre is to perform works of Holst, Vierne, Hollins, Saint-Saëns, Howells, Béla Bartók and Manuel de Falla.
The programme includes a varied selection of compositions that showcase the organ’s expressive and technical possibilities. Featuring orchestral transcriptions, Impressionist imagery, folkloric influences and dramatic narratives, the repertoire will explore a wide range of textures and emotions.
The concert is to begin with the movements ‘Mars’ and ‘Venus’, from Gustav Holst’s suite The Planets. In the former, the ‘Bringer of War’ advances with a relentless, asymmetrical rhythm, evoking the chaos of battle. Contrasting with this, the latter’s ‘Bringer of Peace’ offers serenity, with flowing melodies and exuberant harmonies that create an atmosphere of tranquillity.
Louis Vierne’s Clair de lune, from his 24 Fantasy Pieces, Op. 53, provides a moment of luminous and gentle elegance. Its Impressionist harmonies and undulating textures evoke the ethereal glow of the moon, setting the stage with a poetic and dreamlike atmosphere.
The mood then changes with Song of Sunshine by Alfred Hollins, a work brimming with warmth and optimism. Known for his skilful crafting of melodic lines, Hollins, a blind British organist and composer, created a work of refined simplicity that radiates joy with its fluid lines and vibrant harmonies.
Dramatic intensity returns with Camille Saint-Saëns’ Danse macabre, a vivid portrayal of skeletons dancing at midnight. The stunning organ transcription captures the supernatural ambiance of the original orchestral version with rapid chromatic passages and dynamic contrasts that enhance the work’s spectral overtones.
Next, Herbert Howells’ Master Tallis’s Testament offers a moment of introspection and beauty. Inspired by Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis, the work unfolds with rich harmonies and subtle changes in dynamics, emotionally peaking before fading away in silent reflection.
Béla Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances injects a burst of popular energy. Originally for piano, these six pieces capture the spirit of Romanian folkloric music with asymmetrical rhythms and modal melodies. From the enigmatic ‘Stick Dance’ to the lively ‘Fast Dance’, the organ transcription conserves the colour and rhythmic vitality of the original work.
The recital concludes with Manuel de Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance, a movement from the composer’s ballet El amor brujo. This transcription harnesses the percussive energy and Spanish essence of the original work, delivering a dramatic and vibrant finale.
This programme demonstrates the organ’s capacity of exploration of orchestral grandeur, lyrical introspection and rhythmic vitality while offering a fascinating selection of diverse musical styles.
Sarah Kim began to study piano and violin in Cologne and attended her first organ classes with Miriam Gaydon at the age of 11 in Sydney. After finishing secondary school, she studied organ with Philip Swanton at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where she earned a degree in musical interpretation with first-class honours and the Sydney University Medal.
Sarah has won international organ competitions in Sydney, Newcastle and Paris and has taught master classes at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Oundle International Summer Academy (UK). She has performed in renowned venues including Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, Westminster Abbey, the Royal Chapel in Versailles, the Musikverein in Vienna, and the Berliner Philharmonie.
Tickets can be purchased at a single price of €15 and €5 for the audience under 30 years on the website www.auditoriodetenerife.com, at the auditorium’s box office or by dialling the phone number 902 317 327 from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are discounts for students, unemployed and large families.