Roger Steptoe: Sonatine III: Orgue

This work for organ solo continues the musical flavour established in the first two Sonatines - No. 1 for solo viola (Editions Bim VA28), and No. II for cello and piano (Editions Bim VC16). The Sonatine III draws on one of Bach's Chorales: ''Verleih' uns Frieden gnädiglich'' (Mercifully grant us peace). By freely using, integrating, fragmenting and constantly developing thematic references to this Chorale in a rich variety of ways the work exposes an extract of the original Chorale at the end, and in the Chorale's tonic key of G major. In a way the Sonatine can be considered as a set of free variations on an imaginary theme. Roger Steptoe, Uzerche, France, April 2010