the United States, in his home country his music was almost completely neglected. All this led to him accepting an invitation for an organ concert tour of America in the spring of 1932. The tour proved to be a disastrous mistake, musically , due to heavy smoking, neuralgia and heart failure. Moreover, he was suffering from the diabetes which would soon kill him, and his limited powers as an organist compared unfavourably to the virtuoso standard of organ performance (set by the likes of Marcel Dupré and Louis Vierne) to which American audiences had grown accustomed. For many years it was thought that Karg-Elert was offered the position of organ chair at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, which he was forced to decline due to his failing health; however there is no evidence for this statement. After his return to Leipzig, his health started deteriorating rapidly. He died there in April 1933, aged 55. His grave is in the Südfriedhof in Leipzig. The popularity of his compositions declined for a period after World War II, before a successful revival in the late 1970s; today his works for the organ are frequently included in recitals. Music Karg-Elert regarded himself as an outsider. Notable influences in his work include composers Johann Sebastian Bach (he often used the BACH motif in Bach's honour), Edvard Grieg, Claude Debussy, Max Reger, Alexander Scriabin, and early Arnold Schoenberg. In general terms, his musical style can be characterised as being late-romantic with impressionistic and expressionistic tendencies. His profound knowledge of music theory allowed him to stretch the limits of traditional harmony without losing tonal coherence. His favourite instruments for composition were the Kunstharmonium and the pipe organ. He also composed for small ensembles or the piano, including vocal music. His music for flute became very popular during his lifetime. He also took a considerable interest in the saxophone. Notable works 66 Chorale improvisations for organ (including no 59 "Nun danket alle Gott") Op 65 Passacaglia in E-flat minor for harmonium or organ Cathedral Windows for organ Symphony in F-sharp minor op. 143 for organ (orchestral version by Franklin Stöver) 33 Stylistic Studies for harmonium Jugend for clarinet, flute, horn & piano 30 Caprices for flute solo Sonata for clarinet solo 20 Chorale Preludes and Postludes for organ 25 Caprices and an Atonal Sonata for saxophone The 30 Caprices for flute were written specifically for a friend of