Eben - Job for Organ

Job for Organ is an eight movement organ cycle by the Czech composer Petr Eben (1929-2007). This work is based upon the story of Job in the Old Testament. The eight movements of this cycle tell the story of Job's struggle, perseverance, and triumph in the midst of human suffering. Job remains faithful to God throughout his trials, and in the end God rewards him for his faithfulness. Eben's compositional technique is dramatic in nature and his music lends itself to theatrical interpretation. This document provides a detailed musical analysis of each movement of the work, and the author offers a possible recreation of the plot and its interpretation, based upon extensive analysis of the score and Petr Eben's program notes.The analysis demonstrates that Job for Organ is a product of utmost craftsmanship. It is a powerful musical drama that vividly portrays Job's ordeal utilizing an extended musical program.

EJO

Eben: The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart

The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart of Petr Eben. The composer(1929-2007) was fascinated by Comenius's famous book for most of his life, and from 1991 to June 2003 he played celebrated improvisations on the theme in many different countries.

ELS

Eben - Organ Work 2: Sunday Music, Small Choral Partita, Chagall Windows

Petr Eben (1929-2007) was a Czech composer of modern and contemporary classical music, organist and choirmaster. His music has been widely performed and recorded since about 1980, with his popularity still apparently on the rise. The majority of his works are compositions for organ. Stylistically, his musical language can be considered as "neoexpressionistic" in many ways, however in some works we can hear some kind of new forms of impressionistic tendencies. He is usually compared with Olivier Messiaen (what confirmed relatively frequent combination of those two composers in organists recitals and on discs, but in other than organ works remains less experimental. Since 1989, he was honorary president of the Society for spiritual music. This recording is performed by Siegelinde Ahrens.

EO2

Dvořák, Janáček, Martinů, Novák, Schulhoff, Eben - Songs My Mother Taught Me

Magdalena Kožená, one of the most acclaimed recitalists of today, presents a personal collection of songs she has known since childhood and that form some of her earliest musical influences. A haunting collection of songs by Czech composers such as Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, Bohuslav Martinů, Vítězslav Novák, Ervín Schulhoff and Petr Eben, all deeply rooted in the rich Czech folk song tradition.

SMM

Eben - Laudes, Two Choral Fantasies, Good King Wenceslas Variations

The third volume of the Petr Eben series with Günther Rost. The Graz organ professor chose the Schuke organ in the Wuerzburg university church for this recording. Besides well known Laudes, it includes the Two Chorale Fantasies, the Laudes and A Festive Voluntary-Variations on Good King Wenceslas.

EO3

Eben - Faust, Four biblical dances

Petr Eben was commissioned to write the stage music for a production of Goethe's Faust for the anniversary of the Burgtheater in Vienna in 1980. The Faust organ cycle provides us with a glimpse into the eternal struggle within man's being. The rhythmic element of the organ has always inspired Eben, and in the Four Biblical Dances he chooses the rarely used genre of the dance. Performed by Halgeir Schiader.

EFB