Simon Lloyd: Improvisation 'Partially Pentatonic'
The improvisation that closed a recital at Westminster Cathedral in July 2022. Most of my improvisations focus on melody, either using a plainchant theme or a short motif. This one is harmonically-driven, with my intention to link A minor (the key of the previous piece) and C major (the starting key of the recital) to bring the whole recital full circle. At various key points it becomes pentatonic (a scale using only 5 notes), leading to the retrospective title.
The Grand Organ was built in stages between 1922 and 1932. During a recital in 1924, Louis Vierne improvised what would become his Carillon de Westminster. The same year, Marcel Dupré gave the première of his own Symphonie-Passion for which the Pedal 32' Contre Bombarde was added.
For more information about the Grand Organ, see
https://westminstercathedral.org.uk/m...
https://simon-lloyd.com