Duration: 18 minutes

Description: Healey Willan (1880–1968) composed Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue, B. 149 in 1916 while serving as organist of St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Toronto, creating what is widely regarded as his greatest work for the instrument. Dedicated to the distinguished English organist Sir Walter Galpin Alcock, the composition reflects Willan’s lifelong admiration for the contrapuntal mastery of Johann Sebastian Bach while blending it with the rich chromatic language of the late Romantic tradition, particularly the influence of Max Reger. The monumental three-part design unfolds from a dramatic Introduction into a broad Passacaglia built upon an eight-measure ground bass, culminating in a brilliantly constructed Fugue that unites technical rigor with expressive power. Willan gave the premiere himself on November 30, 1916, and the work was published by G. Schirmer in 1919, quickly establishing his international reputation as one of the foremost organ composers of the twentieth century. Today, Introduction, Passacaglia and Fugue, B. 149 is universally regarded as the cornerstone of Willan’s organ output and one of the greatest organ compositions of the twentieth century, remaining a staple of recital programs, recordings, and advanced conservatory study for its architectural grandeur, virtuosic demands, and masterful synthesis of English and Continental traditions. Reprint edition.

• M346291 / 36-M346291 INTRO PASSACAGLIA AND FUG SOLO $7.95Buy Now