A style discussion of Afrika Hymnus I by Stefans Grové

[摘要] Afrika Hymnus I, the first large-scale work for solo organ by the eminent SouthAfrican composer Stefans Grové, has proved to be one of his most outstanding andsuccessful works, with three commercially-available recordings by prominentorganists and frequent performances both in South Africa and abroad. Yet the workhas received relatively little academic attention, with existing discussions mostlybeing aimed at identifying indigenous African elements that might be found in thework. The present study provides a more in-depth examination of the work's content,by investigating it according to the phenomena of musical style, with the objective ofcontributing towards a better understanding of Grové's distinctive style. To this end,each movement is discussed separately, with a focus on the following topics:structure, melodic content, vertical aspects, rhythm, texture, and registration (the lastaspect being unique to organ music). The discussion yields prominent stylistic traits,such as the use of short motifs and their derivatives, specific intervals being accordedgreat significance, the use of non-diatonic scale formations, recurring chordstructures, a reliance on an underlying additive rhythmic framework, a rich diversityof textures ranging from simple to multi-layered and inventive, and a distinctive andevocative application of registration. A brief discussion of the solo organ works thatpredate Afrika Hymnus I shows that evidence of some of these features can already befound in those works. The study also shows how Afrika Hymnus I achieves cohesion,both within the complex multipart structures of the outer movements and as a whole.The discussion includes rich descriptions of the prominent musical features,complemented by numerous music examples.

[发布机构] University of Pretoria