KSS50 Opus Clavicembalisticum
Piece details
- Written for: Piano
- Date composed: 1929–30
- Dedicatee: Hugh M’Diarmid
- Approximate duration (minutes): 285
- Manuscript pages: 260
- Manuscript location: J.W.Jagger Library, University of Cape Town
- Comments: Published (J.Curwen and Sons Ltd., 909021, 1931). Sorabji wrote an analysis of this work; it was published in the book accompanying John Ogdon’s recording. See also this list of complete performances.
- I PARS PRIMA
- i. Introito
ii. Preludio-Corale
iii. Fuga I
iv. Fantasia
v. Fuga II - II PARS ALTERA
- vi. Interludium primum
vii. Cadenza I
viii. Fuga III - III PARS TERTIA
- ix. Interludium: Toccata-Adagio-Passacaglia
x. Cadenza II
xi. Fuga IV
xii. Coda-Stretta
Editions available from the Sorabji Archive
- (Annotated) copy of publication, A3L. 260 pages.
Price: £65 (paper), £20 (pdf)
Right-click to download high resolution sample page: PDF PNG - Manuscript, A3L. 260 pages.
Price: £65 (paper), £20 (pdf)
Right-click to download high resolution sample page: PDF PNG
Recordings
- Michael Habermann (piano),
Musical Heritage Society/MusicMasters MHS4271L (LP), MHC6271M (Cassette), MM20015 (LP), MM60015 (CD) (November 1980)
Track 1 Introito and Preludio-Corale (13:15) - Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano),
Royal Conservatory Series (Keytone Records) RCS4-800 (4LPs) (September 1983)
Track 1-12 (230:16)
Track 1 I Introito (2:55)
Track 2 II Preludio-Corale (13:51)
Track 3 III Fuga I quator vocibus (10:51)
Track 4 IV Fantasia (5:35)
Track 5 V Fuga II duplex (15:06)
Track 6 VI Interludium primum (Thema cum XLIX variationibus) (47:46)
Track 7 VII Cadenza I (4:25)
Track 8 VIII Fuga tertia triplex (32:23)
Track 9 IX Interludium alterum (53:36)
Track 10 X Cadenza II (2:49)
Track 11 XI Fuga IV quadruplex (33:30)
Track 12 XII Coda-Stretta (7:29) - John Ogdon (piano),
Altarus Records AIR-CD9075 (May 1989)
Track 1-11 (286:50)
Track 1 I Introito (2:49)
Track 2 II Preludio-Corale (13:20)
Track 3 III Fuga I quator vocibus (12:36)
Track 4 IV Fantasia (4:19)
Track 5 V Fuga II duplex (18:06)
Track 6 VI Interludium primum (Thema cum XLIX variationibus) (58:09)
Track 7 VII Cadenza I (4:22)
Track 8 VIII Fuga tertia triplex (45:16)
Track 9 IX Interludium alterum (72:58)
Track 10 X Cadenza II (3:04)
Track 11 XI Fuga IV quadruplex – XII Coda-Stretta (51:51) - Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano),
BIS Records BIS-CD-1062/1064 (5CDs) (1999)
Track 1-12 (234:23)
Track 1 I Introito (3:03)
Track 2 II Preludio-Corale (13:33)
Track 3 III Fuga I quator vocibus (12:06)
Track 4 IV Fantasia (5:35)
Track 5 V Fuga II duplex (15:30)
Track 6 VI Interludium primum (Thema cum XLIX variationibus) (44:44)
Track 7 VII Cadenza I (4:40)
Track 8 VIII Fuga tertia triplex (33:18)
Track 9 IX Interludium alterum (57:17)
Track 10 X Cadenza II (3:04)
Track 11 XI Fuga IV quadruplex (33:18)
Track 12 XII Coda-Stretta (7:30) - Michael Habermann (piano),
British Music Society BMS427-429 (3CDs) (2004)
Track 12 Introito and Preludio-Corale (13:15) - Michael Habermann (piano),
Naxos 8.571363-65 (2015)
Track 12 Introito and Preludio-Corale (13:15) - Daan Vandewalle (piano),
Passacaille PAS9703 (January 2024)
Track 1-19 (300:11)
Track 1 I Introito (2:51)
Track 2 II Preludio-Corale (14:42)
Track 3 III Fuga I quator vocibus (15:45)
Track 4 IV Fantasia (6:35)
Track 5 V Fuga II duplex (24:32)
Track 6 VI Interludium Primum (59:41)
Track 7 VII Cadenza I (6:09)
Track 8 VIII Fuga Tertia Triplex: Dux Primus (13:10)
Track 9 VIII Fuga Tertia Triplex: Dux Alter (15:32)
Track 10 VIII Fuga Tertia Triplex: Dux Tertius (18:26)
Track 11 IX Interludium Alterum: Toccata (7:35)
Track 12 IX Interludium Alterum: Adagio (12:08)
Track 13 IX Interludium Alterum: Passacaglia cum LXXXI variationibus (44:01)
Track 14 X Cadenza II (3:56)
Track 15 XI Fuga IV quadruplex: Dux primus (12:57)
Track 16 XI Fuga IV quadruplex: Dux alter (10:06)
Track 17 XI Fuga IV quadruplex: Dux tertius (10:28)
Track 18 XI Fuga IV quadruplex: Dux quartus (10:31)
Track 19 XII Coda-Stretta (11:06)
Performances
- 01/12/1930 Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (piano)
Stevenson Hall, Glasgow, Scotland
Active Society for the Propagation of Contemporary Music - 10/03/1936 John Tobin (piano) [i-v]
Cowdray Hall Contemporary Music Centre, London, UK - 01/12/1959 John Ogdon (piano)
Townfoot House (home of Ronald Stevenson), West Linton, Scotland
Private reading - 15/04/1978 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
Great Hall, Post College, Greenvale NY, USA - 13/05/1978 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York NY, USA - 19/09/1978 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
Great Hall, Post College, Greenvale NY, USA - 27/09/1978 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
Music Building, Nassau Community College, Garden City NY, USA - 06/10/1978 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
Midland Center for the Arts, Midland MI, USA
American Liszt Society Festival - 09/08/1979 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
University of Maryland, College Park MD, USA
International Piano Festival: Lecture-recital - 01/02/1980 Paul Rapoport (computer realisation) [extract]
Walter Hall, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
New Music Concerts: Illustrated Lecture by Paul Rapoport - 01/06/1980 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, Utrecht, Netherlands
Holland Festival - 05/06/1980 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
Centrum Bellevue, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Holland Festival - 09/06/1980 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
Cultureel Centrum de Hagen, Almelo, Netherlands
Holland Festival - 11/06/1980 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
Schönbergzaal, Koninklijk Conservatorium, Den Haag, Netherlands
Holland Festival - 11/06/1982 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano)
Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, Utrecht, Netherlands
Holland Festival - 28/06/1982 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [x-xii]
Priory Church of St Bartholomew, London, UK - 24/04/1983 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano)
Mandel Hall, University of Chicago, Chicago IL, USA
Contemporary Concerts - 10/05/1983 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano)
Beethovenhalle, Bonn, Germany
XXXI Internationales Beethovenfest - 02/11/1983 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [x-xii]
Chamber Hall, Århus, Denmark
International Society for Contemporary Music (World Music Days) - 09/11/1984 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano)
Redpath Hall, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
Les Événements du Neuf - 14/11/1984 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
McLaughlin Hall, Faculty of Music, York University, Toronto, Canada - 14/11/1984 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
Music Gallery, Toronto, Canada - 02/08/1986 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii, iv]
Youth Hall, Viitasaari, Finland
4th International Summer Academy and Festival: “Time of Music” - 12/02/1988 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
Universitets Aula, Oslo, Norway
Norsk Tangentfestival - 14/07/1988 John Ogdon (piano)
Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, UK - 09/10/1988 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano)
Opéra Comique, Paris, France
Festival d’Automne - 02/11/1988 John Ogdon (piano)
Skinners’ Hall, Dowgate Street, London, UK
Cornhill Festival of British Music - 01/03/1990 Julian Saphir (piano) [i]
Lecture room, Royal College of Music, London, UK
Lecture-recital - 21/05/1990 Julian Saphir (piano) [i, ii]
Recital Hall, Royal College of Music, London, UK - 21/01/1993 Julian Saphir (piano) [i, ii]
British Music Information Centre, London, UK - 28/04/1995 Simon Abrahams (piano) [ix(Adagio)]
Turner Sims Concert Hall, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
Lunchtime Recital - 12/11/1998 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
India International Centre, New Delhi, India - 20/11/1998 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai, Inda - 22/11/1998 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
Gulati Hall, Poona, India - 28/11/1998 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
Guru Nanak Bhavan, Bangalore, India - 19/12/2000 Eric Huebner (piano), Su-Yen Jeon (piano), Lora Tchekoratova (piano) [vi(extract),vii, ix(extract)]
Paul Recital Hall, Juilliard School of Music, New York NY, USA
“B-A-C-H” - 12/03/2002 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano)
Konzertsaal, Universität der Künste, Berlin, Germany
“Klavier Solitär”: Berliner Festspiele “MaerzMusik” series - 10/09/2003 Jean-Jacques Schmid (piano) [i]
Konzertsaal, Hochschule der Künste Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Bern Biennale - 16/09/2003 Jonathan Powell (piano)
Purcell Room, London, UK - 23/11/2003 Kazue Nakamura (piano) [i, ii, iv]
Theatre Rameau Rokkou, Hyogo, Japan - 07/03/2004 Daan Vandewalle (piano)
Kamermuziekzaal, Concertgebouw, Brugge, Belgium - 20/06/2004 Jonathan Powell (piano)
Merkin Hall, New York NY, USA - 12/03/2005 Jonathan Powell (piano)
Almi Hall, Opera House, Helsinki, Finland
“Musica Nova” Festival - 17/03/2005 Jonathan Powell (piano)
Sheremetev Palace, 34 Fontanka River Embankment, St. Petersburg, Russia - 02/03/2006 Vasilios Tsokis (piano) [i, ii]
St-Vallerin, Burgundy, France
Rencontres Culturelles Le Pinacle - 12/04/2006 Daan Vandewalle (piano) [i, ii]
Musée d’Art Contemporaine, Strasbourg, France - 27/09/2008 Elsa Silva (piano) [extract]
Palco do Grande Auditório, Lisbon, Portugal
Festival Expresso Oriente 2008 - 20/02/2009 Daan Vandewalle (piano) [i, ii, iii]
Theatre du chatelet, Paris, France - 27/02/2009 Daan Vandewalle (piano)
Auditorio nacional, Madrid, Spain - 28/05/2010 Daan Vandewalle (piano) [x-xii]
De Bijloke Muziekcentrum, Ghent, Belgium - 12/06/2011 HyunSoo Kim (piano) [extract]
Central Recital Hall, Rocky Ridge Music Center, Rocky Ridge, CO, USA
Young Artist Recital Series, Rocky Ridge Music Festival - 19/10/2012 Lukas Huisman (piano) [vii(extract), ix(Adagio), xii(extract)]
University of Coventry, Coventry, UK
Lecture-recital Intime 2012 Symposium - 27/11/2012 Lukas Huisman (piano) [i, ii, ix(Adagio), vii, xii]
Logos Foundation, Tetrahedron Concert Hall, Gent, Belgium
Lecture-recital - 16/12/2012 Lukas Huisman (piano) [i, ii, ix(Adagio), vii, xii]
De Toonzaal, s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Lecture-recital - 08/02/2013 Lukas Huisman (piano) [vii(extract), ix(Adagio), xii(extract)]
Royal College of Music, London, UK
Lecture-recital, LIPS 2013 Symposium - 28/03/2013 Lukas Huisman (piano) [vii(extrat), ix(Adagio), xii(extract)]
Aula, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium
Week of Contemporary Music: lecture-recital - 14/09/2014 Esther Archer Lakhani (piano) [extract]
Littlefield Concert Hall, Oakland, CA, USA
“India in the English musical imagination, 1897-1947”: concert to launch the book Resonances of the Raj (OUP) by Prof. Nalini Ghuman - 31/07/2016 Daan Vandewalle (piano)
Heimathafen Neukölln, Berlin, Germany
Festival “Schwelbrand Overkill” - 07/09/2016 Lukas Huisman (piano) [extract]
Miry Hall, Conservatoire, Ghent, Belgium
Lecture-recital - 19/02/2017 Hiroaki Ooi (piano) [i-ix]
Shōtō Salon, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan - 05/05/2017 Jonathan Powell (piano)
St Michael’s Church, Brighton, UK - 09/05/2017 Jonathan Powell (piano)
Rosslyn Hill Chapel, London, UK - 13/05/2017 Jonathan Powell (piano)
Jacqueline du Pré Music Building, Oxford, UK - 25/08/2017 Hiroaki Ooi (piano)
Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo, Japan - 01/10/2017 Jonathan Powell (piano)
Musentempel, Karlsruhe, Germany - 06/10/2017 Jonathan Powell (piano)
Glasgow University, Glasgow, UK - 13/11/2017 Jonathan Powell (piano)
JAMU (Janacek Academy) concert hall, Brno, Czech Republic - 14/11/2019 Daan Vandewalle (piano)
Villa Elisabeth, Invalidenstrasse, Berlin, Germany - 06/11/2022 Tellef Johnson (piano) [ix(extract)]
Jeannik Méquet Littlefield Concert Hall, Mills College, Oakland CA, USA
Starting at 3pm - 29/03/2023 Tellef Johnson (piano) [Quasi Tambura]
Annett Recital Hall, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse WI, USA - 29/08/2023 Tellef Johnson (piano) [ix extract]
Founders’ Hall, South Dakota State University, Brookings SD, USA - 30/08/2023 Tellef Johnson (piano) [ix extract]
Hamre Hall, Augustana University, Sioux Falls SD, USA - 31/03/2024 Yi-Chung Huang (piano) [i,ii]
Klavierhaus, New York, NY, USA
Broadcasts etc.
- ??/??/1975 Paul Rapoport (computer realisation) [extract]
School of Music Building, University of Illinois, Urbana IL, USA [recording]
Lecture on Sorabji by Paul Rapoport - 20/10/1975 Paul Rapoport (computer realisation) [extract]
Fine Arts Building University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada [recording]
Lecture on Sorabji by Paul Rapoport - 11/06/1977 Yonty Solomon (piano) [i[x]]
LWT (London Weekend Television), London, UK [broadcast]
“Aquarius” programme - 08/05/1978 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
WQXR (radio), New York NY, USA [broadcast of recording]
“The Listening Room” programme - 11/06/1980 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
NOS (Nederlandse Omroeprogramma Stichting), Den Haag, Netherlands [broadcast]
live relay - 24/07/1980 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii]
ABC Television, Sydney, Australia [broadcast] - 12/10/1980 Paul Rapoport (computer realisation) [extract]
Home of William Marsh, Newtown PA, USA [recording]
Delius Society (Philadelphia branch) meeting: Lecture by Paul Rapoport - ??/03/1981 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
US National Public Radio (many stations), , USA [broadcast]
“Grand Piano” programme - 11/06/1982 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano)
NOS (Nederlandse Omroeprogramma Stichting), Utrecht, Netherlands [broadcast]
live relay - 25/08/1982 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
WUHY (later WHYY) (radio), Philadelphia PA, USA [broadcast of recording]
90th birthday tribute - 17/03/1983 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
McGill University, Montréal, Canada [recording]
Illustrated Lecture by Marc-André Roberge - 15/08/1983 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
WFUY (radio), New York NY, USA [broadcast of recording]
“Concert Grande” programme - 22/08/1983 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [ix(Passacaglia)]
WFUY (radio), New York NY, USA [broadcast of recording]
“Concert Grande” programme - 29/08/1983 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [x, xi, xii]
WFUY (radio), New York NY, USA [broadcast of recording]
“Concert Grande” programme - 07/04/1984 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano)
WFMT (radio), Chicago IL, USA [broadcast] - 06/01/1985 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano)
Radio-Canada, Montréal, Canada [broadcast]
“Musique de notre siècle” programme - 02/08/1986 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i, ii, iv]
(see above), Viitasaari, Finland [broadcast]
Finnish Television - 15/07/1988 John Ogdon (piano) [i(extract)]
BBC World Service, London, UK [broadcast]
“Outlook” programme - 16/07/1988 John Ogdon (piano) [i(extract)]
BBC World Service, London, UK [repeat broadcast]
“Outlook” programme - 22/07/1988 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [extract]
BBC World Service, London, UK [broadcast of recording]
Special Overseas Service - 26/07/1988 John Ogdon (piano) [i,ii[x]]
Cleveland Lodge (home of Lady Susi Jeans), Dorking, UK [recording]
Organists’ Summer School: Illustrated Lecture - 18/01/1989 John Ogdon (piano) [xi(extract)]
BBC Radio 4, London, UK [broadcast of recording]
“Kaleidoscope” programme - 24/02/1989 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [ix(Adagio)]
NOS (Nederlandse Omroeprogramma Stichting), Hilversum, Netherlands [broadcast] - 19/03/1989 John Ogdon (piano) [vi, xii(extract)]
LWT (London Weekend Television), London, UK [broadcast]
“South Bank Show” programme - 19/09/1989 John Ogdon (piano) [vi, xii(extract)]
Channel 4 Television, London, UK [repeat broadcast]
repeat from LWT (London Weekend Television) - 24/09/1989 John Ogdon (piano) [vii]
BBC Radio 3, London, UK [broadcast of recording] - 27/12/1989 John Ogdon (piano) [vii]
BBC Radio 3, London, UK [repeat broadcast of recording] - 01/03/1990 John Ogdon (piano) [vi, ix, xii(extract)]
Lecture room, Royal College of Music, London, UK [recording]
Lecture-recital - 13/06/1990 Michael Habermann (piano) [i, ii]
KPBX Radio, Spokane WA, USA [broadcast of recording]
“Chamber Music” programme - 14/08/1990 John Ogdon (piano) [iii, iv, v]
WFUV Radio, New York NY, USA [broadcast of recording]
“Concert Grande” programme - 09/08/1992 John Ogdon (piano) [i, ix, xi(extract), xii]
Radio Bremen, Bremen, Germany [broadcast of recording]
Hauptabteilung E-Musik, Redaktion Neue Musik - 10/08/1992 John Ogdon (piano) [i, ii]
Channel 2, Swedish Broadcasting Corporation, Stockholm, Sweden [broadcast of recording] - 17/08/1992 John Ogdon (piano) [x-xii]
Channel 2, Swedish Broadcasting Corporation, Stockholm, Sweden [broadcast of recording] - 29/10/1992 John Ogdon (piano) [vi(extract), ix(extract)]
École de Musique, Salle Henri-Gagnon Université Laval, Québec, Canada [recording]
Sorabji centenary lecture (Marc-André Roberge) - 04/09/2001 John Ogdon (piano) [extract]
WDR (Radio), Köln, Germany [broadcast of recording]
Atlas der Moderne 166: presentation by Jens Hagestedt - 04/09/2001 John Ogdon (piano), Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [extract]
WDR (Radio), Köln, Germany [broadcast of recording]
Atlas der Moderne 166: presentation by Jens Hagestedt - 12/11/2002 John Ogdon (piano) [extract]
WDR (Radio), Köln, Germany [broadcast of recording]
Atlas der Moderne 166: presentation by Jens Hagestedt - 12/11/2002 John Ogdon (piano), Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [extract]
WDR (Radio), Köln, Germany [broadcast of recording]
Atlas der Moderne 166: presentation by Jens Hagestedt - 23/06/2004 John Ogdon (piano) [i, v]
WPRB, Princeton NJ, USA [broadcast of recording]
“Classical Discoveries” programme - 11/07/2005 John Ogdon (piano)
WPRB, Princeton NJ, USA [broadcast of recording]
“Classical Discoveries” programme - 07/10/2007 John Ogdon (piano) [extract]
BBC Radio 3, London, UK [broadcast of recording]
Iain Burnside’s playlist - 19/01/2011 John Ogdon (piano)
CJUM, Winnipeg, Canada [broadcast of recording] - 13/11/2011 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [vi-ix]
Filodiffusione (“Canale 5”), , Italy [broadcast of recording] - 15/10/2017 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [i extract]
BBC Radio 4, London, UK [broadcast of recording]
“Something understood: Simplicity”, presented by Mark Tully - 02/03/2018 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [iv/v]
De Concertzender, Utrecht, Netherlands [broadcast of recording] - 30/05/2019 John Ogdon (piano) [1/6x/9x/12x]
ORF Austrian Radio, Vienna, Austria [broadcast of recording]
Faszinosum Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji: Opus - das Musikkolloquium - 25/02/2023 Geoffrey Douglas Madge (piano) [extracts from i, v, vii, xi, xii]
Radio-France: https://www.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/podcasts/musicopolis/kaikhosru-sorabji-un-compositeur-bien-secret-6078820, Paris, France [broadcast of recording]
Musicopolis