This summer, the Basilica has been delighted to welcome talented organist Adam Chlebek to our staff as Assistant Director of Music. On July 6, he performed the first organ recital of the season, kicking off the summer 2025 recital series with a collection of pieces showcasing his dazzling fluency across a wide spectrum of emotions and tone colors.
Now, you can experience his performance from anywhere in the world – in today’s post, we invite you to watch the recital video and learn more about the musical selections in his program notes below.
Fanfare – John Cook (4:43)
There is a real excitement to beginning a new job at a place like the Basilica and entering its daily life. I think the “Fanfare” by Anglo-American composer and organist John Cook encapsulates this energy quite well. Likewise, it provides a perfect opportunity to show off perhaps the most visually striking stop of the South Gallery Organ: the Pontifical Trumpet, which rings out the bright central theme of this piece.
It is with great joy that I have begun my tenure, and I’m happy to begin my recital with a shout of joy from the organ.
Concerto in D minor, BWV 596 – J.S. Bach (10:56)
The bulk of Johann Sebastian Bach’s organ compositions stem from his tenure as court organist and chamber musician for the Duke of Weimar, Wilhelm Ernst, from 1708-1717. Under the Duke, Bach had immense creative freedom, access to an extensive musical library, and relationships which broadened his musical horizons.
His access to music from Italy inspired him to experiment with a new Italianate style of composition, working to assimilate it with the North German organ school that was more familiar to him. A significant step in this experimentation was the transcription of the violin concertos from Vivaldi’s L’estro armónico – of which the “Concerto in D minor” best displays his transcribing prowess.
Choral No. 1 in E major – César Franck (22:00)
Trois Chorals are some of the last pieces composed by César Franck, representing some of his most mature writing for the organ. Rather than presenting the main choral theme first, according to traditional German chorale style, the piece states the main theme after a dense introduction. Throughout the piece, the choral melody appears after departures into deep chromatic textures, and, after the various motives found within the piece wind together into an increasingly intense passage, the choral theme makes a triumphant return to conclude the piece. The theme showcases the seldom-used Voix Humaine, an organ stop meant to imitate the human voice. In the context of the piece and the space of the Great Upper Church, its effect is simply ethereal.
Cantilène – Jean Langlais (40:33)
This piece by the 20th-century French composer and organist Jean Langlais features one of the most beautiful melodies in the organ repertoire. After its initial statement in the pedals, Langlais presents a variation where the melody appears in canonic dialogues between the hands and the feet, after which the melody is restated in full with mesmerizing flute accents.
Psalm Prelude, Set 2, No. 1 – Herbert Howells (45:52)
Known for his contributions to Anglican sacred music, Herbert Howells based these pieces not on a theme, but rather on excerpted texts of the Psalms. They are highly orchestral, demonstrating the full range of the organ’s colors.
The first Psalm Prelude is based on Psalm 130: “Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.” The piece begins with a soft, mournful theme before bringing out more textures from the lower register and increasing in tempo and volume. The piece then builds until the opening theme reappears in a powerful, emotionally charged climax. Following this, the theme reappears for the final time, but in a major key—a quiet and hopeful reassurance that God in His mercy has indeed heard our cries.
Prélude et Fugue sur le nom d’Alain – Maurice Duruflé (54:54)
Widely considered a masterwork for organ, Duruflé’s “Prelude and Fugue on the name of Alain” was written as a memorial to his friend, a fellow organist and composer named Jehan Alain, who was only 29 when he died in World War II. The Prelude incorporates quotations from Alain’s piece Litanies, and both the Prelude and Fugue are constructed around a musical spelling of Alain’s name.
Even amidst its scherzo-like qualities, the prelude retains an aura of seriousness. The fugue begins as a slow elegy, then energy begins to bubble underneath the surface, building until the piece culminates in an exuberant burst—an affirmation of life, and a celebration of the life lived by Duruflé’s friend.
The conclusion of my program with this work is deliberate: amid the wide range of emotions in this music, I wanted the last piece to look beyond, taking a nod from the last lines of the Nicene Creed: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.”
