The organ works of Ned Rorem

Ned Rorem is one of America's most esteemed living composers and authors. His compositions span every genre of music. Although he had composed little organ music until he was in his 50's, his output since that time has been considerable for the instrument. To date, there are forty-three compositions for organ solo. He is the most prolific living American composer for the organ. Rorem says he writes music he wants to hear. He composes out of necessity because no one else is making what he needs. This document examines Rorem's organ works, identifying the features that make them unique and discussing their importance to the organ repertoire. It looks at his major organ works such as the large suites (A Quaker Reader, Views from the Oldest House) and the Organ Concerto , but also at the collections of shorter works (Organbooks I, II, III and Six Pieces for Organ) that are more accessible to the average organist. To my knowledge, no other written analysis of the organ works exist. A discography is included for those desiring to hear recordings of some of the organ works