"Fugue in D Major," transcribed for organ by former Wittenberg professor Jan Bender from a piano piece by Mendelssohn, is among the selections to be performed at a Wittenberg Department of Music Faculty Artist Recital featuring Professor of Music Trudy Faber at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 29, in historic Weaver Chapel. Faber recently learned that she is the only person in the world with the piece by Bender.
"Today I learned that I am indeed the only person in the world with the piece by Jan (pronounced Yahn) Bender. I had determined last week that the two fugues for piano and transcribed by Jan for organ were never printed," Faber said. "I have now been in contact with Bender's son Matthias in Berlin, who contacted the Distler Music Library Archives in Lübeck, Germany, where copies of all Bender's music are kept. They had no record of these fugues."
Faber then contacted Professor David Fienen, at Gustavus Adolphus College, who spent weeks in Germany after Jan's death at the request of Jan's widow, going through every piece of music he could find and setting up a catalogue of all Jan's works. The catalogue is online and is also the basis for the Lübeck archives.
"He could hardly believe that I had an original manuscript in Jan's hand that he did not know about," Faber added. "He has asked that I send him a high-definition scanned copy, so that every tiny mark will show, which he will send on to Lübeck."
An internationally known Lutheran composer of Dutch/German descent who taught at Wittenberg for 10 years, Bender shares a birthdate – Feb. 3 – with Mendelssohn. Bender was born in 1909 and Mendelssohn in 1809. Faber, who describes Bender as a valued colleague and close friend before his passing in 1994, will play the Fugue to honor both.
"I can now state absolutely that no one else in the world has this music and nowhere else can anyone hear this piece except at Weaver Chapel, March 29," Faber said.
Faber will also play pieces by Marco Bossi, Mozart and Bach. Lori Akins, adjunct instructor of music and principal flutist of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, will assist Faber in her recital. The two will perform a piece for harpsichord and flute, "Sonata in D Major," by Ann Valentine and "Rhapsody for Flute and Organ" by John Weaver. Faber will also perform "The Cat's Fugue" by Domenico Scarlatti on the harpsichord.
The recital is free and opened to the public.
