Josef Ferdinand Norbert Seger, Mobile Perpetum (L 10)

by admin · January 14, 2023

The title of this composition suggests that it offers the possibility to play it endlessly. And indeed, the manuscript indicates with numbers three points suitable for a repeat or a skip. The numbers “1” and “2” are both notated in two spots in the manuscript, suggesting that the player could jump back or skip ahead in these two spots. The number “3” is notated only in one place, but the harmonic surrounding suggest that the player could jump back to the beginning of the piece, or alternatively, to jump back from the end of the piece to this spot. Though only three spots are indicated in the manuscript, there are more likely spots that can be used to jump backwards and forwards in the piece. Four of these points are indicated in the score I created with letters. By repeating sections, jumping backwards and forwards through the piece, one can create an almost endless and yet varied piece of music.

In my performance I make a bit of a show of all these possibilities by playing a piece of almost 12 minutes. The route I follow through the score is as follows:

Start and play to the second”1″, jump back to first “1”
play to the first “2” and skip ahead to second “2”
play to the second “D” and skip back to the first “D”
play to the second “B” and jump back to the first “B”
play to the first “C” and skip to the seond “C”
play to the second “A” and skip back to the first “A”
play till the end and Fini

And this is just one of many many possibilities. It’s a handy composition to have available when you have to play something and you don’t know how much time tou should fill with your playing.

The recording was done with the Hauptwerk software and the sampleset, made by Sonus Paradisi, of the Schnittger organ in the St. Martini-kerk, Groningen (https://www.sonusparadisi.cz/en/organs/netherlands/groningen-st-martini.html).

Score
Seger, Mobile Perpetum (L 10)