Toccata & Fugue for Organ (2018)
Composed by Aris Antoniades
 
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Running time: approx. 7' 50''
 
Writing for Organ always seemed like a very distant dream for me. Born and raised in Cyprus, an isolated Mediterranean island-state in Europe where the religious musical tradition (Greek Orthodox Christianity) relies solely on voices (no instruments used during services), I never had access to an Organ. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, there’s not a single Organ in my entire country. The first time I ever saw one was during my college years in New York – and it was love at first sight! I was fascinated by its sound capabilities, its mechanism, and the sheer skill required to play it. You can, therefore, understand how thrilled I am to have had the opportunity to write for this great instrument.
 
I would like to sincerely thank Shannon Murphy and Austin Philemon for believing in my work, and for commissioning this piece.
 
Both the Toccata and the Fugue are based on the same (but altered) motivic materials.
 
The Toccata is a piece that was inspired by the idea that life is a continuous marathon, represented by the ‘mechanical’ sixteenth-note ostinato figure which never stops – despite the contrapuntal obstacles that are thrown within its path. The motive, however, does transform and adapt along the way, in order to make the best of the situation. 
 
The Fugue, on the other hand, represents the cerebral aspect of life: the concept of choices. The ostinato motive of the Toccata has now morphed into the subject of the Fugue, which will be attacked by some violent chromatic enemies.