Apr 09 Pp. 2-18.Indd 8 3/10/09 8:20:04 AM Orthodox Organ Shoes
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ber 2001); “Prodigy Organists of the nineteenth-century roots of the French Nunc Dimittis Past” (December 2000); “Canadian Or- Bach tradition. ganbuilding” (Part 1, May 1999; Part 2, Besides teaching at the famous Inter- June 1999); “Purcell’s Tercentenary in national Summer Academy for Organists Lukas Foss, composer, performer, Print: Recent Books” (Part I, November at Haarlem—at fi rst French Baroque and teacher, died in New York on Feb- 1997; Part II, December 1997); “The repertoire, later Bach—Ewald Kooiman ruary 2. He was 86. German-born, Foss Golden Age of the Organ in Manitoba: was for many years chairman of the was trained in Germany, in Paris, and at 1875–1919” (Part 1, May 1997; Part 2, jury for the improvisation competition the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia; he June 1997); “The Organ: An American in the same city. His fl uency—besides had studied composition with Randall Journal, 1892–1894” (December 1995); French—in English and German and his Thompson and Paul Hindemith, and and “The Search for Authenticity in Mu- ability to listen critically to the opinions conducting with Fritz Reiner and Serge sic—An Elusive Ideal?” (June 1993). of his colleagues made him the ideal per- Koussevitzky. Known for composing in son for such a job. different musical styles, he often com- Although he was never the titulaire of bined past and present infl uences and one of the major historical Dutch organs, techniques. He served as the pianist of Kooiman served as University Organist the Boston Symphony Orchestra from of the VU University, playing the Cou- 1944–50, and he conducted numerous perin Organ in recitals and for university orchestras including the Brooklyn Phil- functions. But he also played organ for harmonic, the Jerusalem Symphony, and the Sunday morning services in the cha- the Milwaukee Symphony. He taught Ewald Kooiman pel of the university hospital. composition and conducting at UCLA In 1986, Kooiman succeeded Piet Kee from 1953–62 and had served as com- pointed Professor of Organ Art in 1988. as Professor of Organ at the Conservato- poser-in-residence at Carnegie-Mel- As a teenager, Kooiman studied or- ry of Amsterdam, mostly teaching inter- lon University, Harvard University, the gan with Klaas Bakker. After passing national students at the graduate level. I Manhattan School of Music, Yale Uni- the State Examination and encouraged had the pleasure of studying with him for versity, and Boston University. Foss’s by members of the committee to pur- three years before graduating with a BM compositional output included many or- sue music studies at a higher level, he in 1989, having previously studied with chestral, chamber, and choral works, as continued with Piet Kee at the Con- Piet Kee for two years. Although much well as several works for piano, and two servatory of Amsterdam, earning a Prix time was naturally spent with Bach—I organ compositions, Four Etudes (1967) d’Excellence—the equivalent of a doc- learned at least two trio sonatas with and War and Peace (1995). Lukas Foss is torate—in 1969. While studying French him—he also taught later repertoire very survived by his wife Cornelia. at Poitiers, he simultaneously studied well: Mozart, Mendelssohn, Reubke, organ with Jean Langlais at the Paris Reger, Hindemith, Franck, and Alain James Barclay Hartman died on Thomas A. Klug Schola Cantorum, taking the Prix de Vir- come to mind. From time to time, I had January 23 at the age of 84. He was pre- tuosité in 1963. to play a little recital, and he personally deceased by his wife Pamela in 1983. Thomas A. Klug, age 61, died sud- Kooiman had a long and impressive took care of “organizing” an audience by Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on denly at his home in Minneapolis on international career as a concert organ- inviting his family. January 12, 1925, he was educated at the January 8. He received his bachelor’s de- ist. He twice recorded the complete or- As Professor Ars Organi at the VU University of Manitoba (BA 1948, MA gree in music from Lawrence University gan works of Bach—fi rst on LP, then on University, Ewald was the adviser for 1951), Brown University, Providence, in Appleton, Wisconsin, and his master’s CD—and was awarded the Prize of Ger- three Ph.D. dissertations, all dealing Rhode Island, and Northwestern Univer- degree from Northwestern University, man Record Critics in 2003. He was in with organ art at the dawn of Modern- sity, Evanston, Illinois (Ph.D.). He began Evanston, Illinois. An accomplished or- the midst of recording his third complete ism: Hans Fidom’s “Diversity in Unity: a teaching career at Iowa State Univer- ganist for 44 years, he began his musical Bach set—on SACD, using Silbermann Discussions on Organ Building in Ger- sity, Ames, Iowa, returning to Canada career at St. Michael’s United Church of organs in Alsace—which was scheduled many 1880–1918” (2002); David Adams’s in 1967 to teach at Scarborough Col- Christ in West Chicago, Illinois. He went to come out in late 2009 or early 2010. “‘Modern’ Organ Style in Karl Straube’s lege, University of Toronto. In 1974 he on to serve the First United Methodist Although Bach was at the heart of his Reger Editions” (2007); and most re- was appointed director of development Church in Elgin, Illinois, Olivet Congre- musical activities, Kooiman took an in- cently René Verwer’s “Cavaillé-Coll and and external affairs at Algoma University gational Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, terest in many other parts of the organ The Netherlands 1875–1924” (2008). College, Laurentian University in Sault and most recently was the organist for 20 repertoire, for example the French Ba- Ewald Kooiman was a Knight in the Ste. Marie, Ontario, and in 1980 joined years at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church roque. His study of this repertoire and Order of the Dutch Lion; an honorary the Continuing Education Division at in Roseville, Minnesota. Tom was a the relevant treatises was, of course, member of the Royal Dutch Society of the University of Manitoba as associate member of the American Guild of Or- greatly facilitated by his knowledge of Organists; and a bearer of the Medal of professor and director, humanities and ganists and the Organ Historical Society, the French language. His interest in the Merit of the City of Haarlem. For his professional studies. At the time of his an outdoor enthusiast, gardener, and an French Baroque organ also led to the 70th birthday, the VU University orga- retirement he held the position of senior accomplished cook. He will be deeply construction of the so-called Couperin nized a conference in his honor and a academic editor. missed by his family and friends. A me- Organ (Koenig/Fontijn & Gaal, 1973) in group of prominent colleagues—includ- A skilled photographer, he did com- morial service was held January 13 at St. the auditorium of the VU University. ing American Bach scholars Christoph mercial photography to help fi nance his Michael’s Lutheran Church, Roseville. But he also loved playing—and teach- Wolff and George Stauffer—offered university education. His great passion He is survived by his parents, Armin and ing—Reger and Reubke; he very much him a collection of essays entitled Pro was music, especially the music of J. S. Marjorie Klug, brothers Kenneth (Cin- enjoyed learning Widor’s Symphonie Organo Pleno (Veenhuizen: Boeijenga, Bach, and in particular the works for or- dy) and James (Diane Donahue), fi ve gothique when he was asked to play the 2008). Piet Kee’s contribution was the gan and for harpsichord, both of which nieces and nephews, one great-niece, work as part of a complete Widor series organ work Seventy Chords (and Some he played. He served for many years as and special friend Doug Erickson. in Germany; and he admitted to having More) for Ewald. Earlier, Cor Kee (Piet’s book reviewer for The Diapason, and —Frank Rippl “a weak spot” for Guilmant’s Variations father, the famous improviser and im- authored reviews and articles for nu- on “Was Gott tut das ist wohlgetan.” provisation teacher) had dedicated his merous academic journals. His chief Dutch organist and musicologist As a scholar, Kooiman edited some 50 Couperin Suite (1980) as well as several publication was the book The Organ in Ewald Kooiman died on January 25, on volumes of mostly unknown organ music short pieces to Ewald. Manitoba, published by the University of vacation in Egypt. He died in his sleep; in the series Incognita Organo (published Though clearly part of a tradition and Manitoba Press in 1997. the cause was heart failure. by the Dutch publisher Harmonia). Much full of respect for his teachers, Kooiman Dr. Hartman’s articles published in Ewald Kooiman was born on June of the series was devoted to organ music was in many ways an individualist. He The Diapason include: “The World 14, 1938 in Wormer, just north of Am- of the second half of the eighteenth and enjoyed frequent work-outs at the gym, of the Organ on the Internet” (Febru- sterdam. He studied French at the VU of the early nineteenth century, tradition- not only because it kept him physically fi t ary 2005); “Alternative Organists” (July University in Amsterdam and at the Uni- ally considered a low point in history of and helped him deal with the ergonomic 2004); “Seven Outstanding Canadian versity of Poitiers, taking the doctorate in organ music. He also published widely on challenges of playing historic organs, but Organists of the Past” (September 2002); 1975 with a dissertation on the Tombel eighteenth- and nineteenth-century per- also because he liked talking with “regu- “Families of Professional Organists in de Chartrose, a medieval collection of formance practice, mainly in the Dutch lar” people.