The Organ Works of George Whitefield Chadwick (Massachusetts).

Abstract

George Whitefield Chadwick was one of the most prominent composers in America during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His organ works included didactic works called "studies," several short pieces, and two large concert works, both in variation form. These pieces are suitable for teaching, for service playing, and for recitals. The goal of the study was to isolate the distinguishing stylistic features of Chadwick's organ music including his harmonic language, use of formal structures and melodic material, to examine the specifications of the organs Chadwick knew or might have known, and to determine the influence these instruments had on his organ works. The specifications of four organs that Chadwick played were also included. Chadwick's organ works were found to be a versatile group of pieces offering a variety of sounds and styles. Chadwick retained a conservative idiom throughout all his organ works, although the later pieces seemed to exhibit more chromatic voice leading, more chromatic non-harmonic tones, and distant key relationships. The study concluded with an examination of Chadwick's organ music from a practical perspective, evaluating registration, pedagogical use, and performance suitability. An evaluation of the difficulty of each work was presented in the Appendix.