About this Piece

Solidly dedicated to flawless technique and refined expression, Paul Jacobs has served since 2003 on the faculty at Juilliard, where over the years he has earned honors and promotions reflecting a rare and superb musicianship. Crucial to the evolution of Jacobs’ technique were no doubt his carefully chosen teachers, among them American organist John Weaver. Weaver wrote his Fantasia for Organ in 1977, the year Jacobs was born. A mordent introduces a simple melodic opening idea, which expands with the help of deceptively modal harmonies and polytonality. The middle section suddenly loses tempo and explores high flute sounds over patterns which collectively serve as a drone. The opening melodic idea eventually returns, gradually helping the texture to develop more contrapuntally before a final recapitulation.