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RENAISSANCE The earliest surviving organ compositions are from Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, which shared a common style due to musicians travelling among the three countries. Early English keyboard music (1550-1650) was not instrument specific and was composed mainly for the harpsichord and virginal, c.f. Fitzwilliam Virginal Book . Tumult in the English church resulted in waxing and waning interest in organ literature, and varying styles. There was essentially no organ literature written in England between 1650 and 1800. BAROQUE France In France, baroque organ music (referred to as French classical music, despite being from the Baroque period) was almost exclusively liturgical in nature and composed and performed in a very systemized manner. In addition, the organs were built along standardized lines. The compositions were smaller scale compared with those in other countries. Some of the forms (the Plein jeu, the Récit de Cromorne, and the Tierce en Taille, for example) utilized almost no counterpoint, while others (the Duo, the Trio, and the Fugue) were contrapuntal in nature (though the counterpoint was never as sophisticated or complex as in Germany and Austria). Germany In Germany and Austria, baroque organ music utilized increasing amounts of counterpoint. The primary musical forms for organ music in the baroque period were the Praeludium (roughly, prelude) and the '''Choralvorspiel''' (chorale prelude). The praeludium began as a simple piece in a relatively free form, but over time it evolved into the sophisticated form seen in the works of and J.T. Krebs --> It was at this time that literature with a required pedal part became common. Earlier music utilized either a Pedal Point or had no pedal part at all. Many instruments built prior to the classical era lacked a separate pedal division, with the larger instruments in northern Germany and Austria being the exception. CLASSICAL ERA The great composers of the classical era wrote sparingly if at all for the organ: Haydn wrote nothing at all, and Beethoven and Mozart wrote only a handful of works, none of them significant. The classical style relied upon expressive control, both in dynamics and tone color, and until the end of the classical era the organ lacked the facilities for this kind of expression. English composers John Stanley and William Boyce wrote a number of important works at this time. ROMANTIC ERA France During the Romantic era, technological advances allowed new features to be added to the organ, increasing its potential for expression. The work of the French organ builder . For this reason, both the organs and the literature of this time period are considered ''symphonic''. tunes; Vierne composed ''24 pièces de fantaisie'', of which the ''Carillon de Westminster'' is perhaps the most well-known. The influence of these composers has persisted through generations of composers for the organ through history, all the way to the modern-day composers Olivier Messiaen and Naji Hakim . Germany In Germany, Felix Mendelssohn wrote extensively for the organ. Josef Rheinberger wrote a number of important works that blend the romantic style with the contrapuntal complexity of the old German masters. Some composers best known for their compositions for piano or orchestra also turned their efforts to the organ, including Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms . United States In the United States, Dudley Buck was a prominent composer, although his work has remained largely unknown outside of the U.S. During this time, Transcriptions of other music—usually Orchestral music or Piano Solos —for organ became popular. Often the transcriptions would utilize only an excerpt of the original piece. 20TH CENTURY During the 20th century, there were a number of independent trends in organ repertoire:
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