Prelude And Fugue In C Minor Organ

By Healey Willan

One of the most effective romantic piece for organ. Great prelude reminiscent of Max Reger and then the fugue, magnificaly composed and devellopped (crescendos, theme on pedals, changes of registrations). Try the Willan recording on Naxos with P. Wedd on the Casavant of St-Jean-Baptiste, to hear what I...

mean. Well alongside the Widor symphonies, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Rheinberger or Reger compositions. First class composition and by a Canadian organist.

This prelude and fugue by the Canadian composer Healey Willan comes from his earlier years. Its harmonies are rather Wagnerian, but its contrapuntal processes are in the Reger/Brahms tradition. There's a shortish prelude and a substantial double fugue with an occasionally busy pedal part; at its end some...

of the prelude's materials return. It's not a stunningly original piece, but a very well written one with consistently strong harmonies and counterpoint.