Gardner Read

Synopsis

American composer, organist, and teacher

• Born in Evanston, IL on Jan 2, 1913
• 1930-32 Private Instruction at Northwestern University
• 1932 Received a scholarship to the Eastman School of Music.
• 1941-48 head of theory and composition at various times at the St. Louis Institute of Music, Kansas City Conservatory, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
• 1948-78 Became the Professor of music and composer in residence at Boston University.
• Died in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA on Nov 10, 2005

Oxford Music online says the best about his music, "It is difficult to characterize the style of Read's music because each work is approached differently. But whether it be neo-Baroque, neoclassical, neo-Impressionistic or avant-garde, there is always a pervasive spirit of Romanticism. He was a brilliant orchestrator whose fascination with sound led him to investigate and extend the technical and tonal resources of each instrument. Working from an encyclopedic palette of techniques, he produced a kaleidoscopic variety of styles, forms and media. Because of his penchant for exploring different timbral possibilities, many of Read's more than 150 opus numbers appear in multiple versions. A distinctive blend of structure and expressivity, this intensely personal music has never felt the need to bow either to convention or to current musical fashion." [1]

For details, see the as listed in Wikipedia article Gardner Read.

List of Organ Works

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Opus	Title	Year
Op. 34	Passacaglia and Fugue	1935-36
Op. 81	Suite	1949
Op. 90	8 Preludes on Old Southern Hymns	1950
Op. 134	...and there appeared unto them tongues as of fire	1976
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Background and General Perspectives on Performing These Organ Works

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Registration and Organs

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See the footnote in the "Notes" section at the bottom of the page

Fingering and Pedaling

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Articulation and Phrasing

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Ornamentation

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Tempo and Meter

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Scores and Editions

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Recordings

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Free Online

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Pay to Listen

• De Profundis, Op. 71 for trombone and organ [2]

Other Resources

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Notes

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