The Psalms / Nethsingha, Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge
Signum Classics
CD
$19.99Sep 16, 2022
The Choir of St John’s have received glowing praise for their previous releases, culminating in the choral prize at the 2017 BBC Music Magazine Awards for their debut release of works by Jonathan Harvey. The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world, known and loved by millions from its broadcasts, concert tours and recordings. Founded in the 1670s, the Choir is known for its distinctive rich, warm sound, its expressive interpretations and its breadth of repertoire. Alongside these musical characteristics, the Choir is particularly proud of its happy, relaxed and mutually supportive atmosphere, which as of 2022 invites their first female scholars.
REVIEWS:
One of the consistent features of the St John’s recordings that have come my way has been the excellence of the documentation. This latest release is no exception. The booklet contains a general introductory essay about the Book of Psalms by Rev, Andrew Hammond, the College Chaplain. He also contributes short notes on each of the chose psalms while the organist John Challenger furnishes succinct details about the composer of the chants to which each psalm is sung. As usual, though, at the heart of the booklet is an absorbing essay by Andrew Nethsingha. On this occasion he discusses such matters as how psalm chants should be pointed and, of especial relevance, gives us insights into how the psalmody developed at St John’s.
The recorded sound is very good indeed. It’s also remarkably consistent given that producer Chris Hazell and engineer Simon Eadon recorded the choir in five different sessions over four years.
This is another fine addition to the distinguished discography of Andrew Nethsingha and the Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge.
Arp Schnitger & the Hamburg Organ Tradition / Vogel
MDG
SACD
$24.99May 03, 2019
The grand Arp Schnitger organ in St. Jacobi (Church of St. James) in Hamburg is remarkable in several respects. This instrument with four manuals boasts of the largest extant inventory of original pipes from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and the Trompete 16’ in the great organ is the very oldest of its kind. Harald Vogel, the Nestor of the Northern German organ tradition and the recent recipient of the Buxtehude Prize of the Hansa City of Lübeck, presents this magnificently restored organ in conjunction with an unusual Hamburg “family reunion.” Hieronymus and Jacob Praetorius, Joachim Decker, Matthias Weckmann, Heinrich Scheidemann, and Dietrich Buxtehude- they were all closely associated with St. Jacobi and its organ and stood for the towering significance of Hamburg’s music culture over several generations. And, as luck would have it, Arp Schnitger, certainly the most important organ builder of the Northern German school, refrained from renovating some qualitatively superb stops by his predecessors Scherer and Fritzsche. Consequently, the development of the Northern German style can also be traced with special authenticity in the sound dimension. From individual flute stops to Schnitger’s famous reed-based plenum, Harald Vogel presents this album featuring numerous examples of the special tone-color richness of this extraordinary instrument.
Hailed by Classic FM as "one of today's most exciting young composers" Rebecca Dale is a London based composer, working most often with large orchestral and choral forces in the worlds of cinema and theatre. Night Seasons is an album about hope, looking for the light in difficult times, written during a time of personal dif- ficulty while her father was terminally ill. With works written for choir and cello it strives to be a hopeful album, reaching for the wonder around us. Rebecca Dale says "It's been one of the great privileges of my life to be able to write for cellist heroes of mine to whom I grew up listening. I also got to have fun setting some famous poems... I am indebted to everyone who has created this album with me".
Here is an absolutely dazzling album that I reviewed, more or less, on a whim. Arcangelo Corelli, a fine composer who certainly introduced some innovations (those marvelous and unexpected string slides that take your breath away), wasn’t exactly a Buxtehude or a Bach, yet as this two-CD set amply proves, his music can certainly hold its own in interest and especially in charm with anyone from the Baroque era, even his fellow Italians Scarlatti and Vivaldi.
Of course, as in the case of virtually all music, the aural impact is highly dependent on the performer, and on this recording we have a truly inspired violinist in Elisabeth Zeuthen Schneider. In the booklet she is quoted as saying that Corelli’s sonatas “are an invitation to explore the most sunny and expressive voices of the violin as well as having the fun of the dancing and wild abandon of ‘La Folia’ that closes the whole set of 12 sonatas.” Further on, she makes a distinction between the church sonatas on disc 1, which she feels explore “more profound and spiritual feelings” than the chamber sonatas on disc 2, but even in those first six sonatas Schneider’s playing is sunny, singing, and full of vitality. I think that she just can’t help herself from feeling good while playing this music; I certainly couldn’t help smiling or feeling good all through the sonatas on the first disc. Schneider’s playing has that same rare combination of sweetness, elegance, charm, and sheer sunniness that one heard in the playing of Yehudi Menuhin. Also, different from most historically informed violinists, she is not averse to playing a few notes with a light vibrato, which adds piquancy and charm to her interpretations.
Moving from disc 1 to disc 2, the secular sonatas, one notices very little difference in general layout, tempos, or indeed inflection. I find Schneider’s playing no lighter, more buoyant, or infectious than on CD 1, but then again, there’s no drop-off in quality, either. She’s just plain good.
An interesting observation: All of the church sonatas are in major keys, but half of the secular sonatas are in minor, including, of course, “La Folia.” In the latter, Schneider pulls out all the stops—literally, including double-stops!—and her performance is indeed lively.
Like so many trio sonatas of this era, the accompanying instruments are just that—background to the soloist. As a result, despite the fact that they are well-trained musicians who play well, there’s really not a lot one can say about Viggo Mangor on archlute and theorbo or Ulrik Spang-Hanssen on continuo organ except that they are there, they give good support, and they keep the rhythm light.
In the booklet, it says that Corelli was a quiet man who “never devoted much time to self-promotion” and “didn’t nurse his reputation publicly in his later years.” Apparently, much the same can be said of the Corelli Trio, for although there are bios of all three musicians, there’s not a single word as to how or why they formed or call themselves “Corelli Trio”! But you certainly won’t keep their presence much of a secret once you hear this album.
The monumental third part of the Clavier-Übung (1739) is perhaps one of J S Bach’s greatest musical sequences with its explorations into both Lutheran hymnody and the ‘German Organ Mass’. As a didactic work, it also pursues virtually every contrapuntal device and structure. In giving voice to this immensely varied work, fascinating, inspiring and spiritual in equal measure, it seems particularly apt to make through it an ‘organ tour’ of Saint Thomas Church, with its rich and rewarding instrumental resources.
REVIEW:
Each piece is played with fastidious care, with its mood and scale perfectly matched to an appropriate organ. Jeremy Filsell provides yet another masterclass in manual and pedal dexterity, packed with interpretative insights and always mindful of a sense of flow and grace. Recorded by David Hinitt in the very best sound, this is a Clavier-Übung III to savor and revisit.
Klaus Mertens had long been wanting to record the ‘Geistliche Lieder’ by Johann Sebastian Bach from Schemelli’s Musicalisches Gesangbuch (1736). Ton Koopman had been looking for the right program to showcase the beautiful Teschemacher chamber organ in Oosterland and realised it would actually be an ideal match with the program his friend Klaus Mertens had in mind. So in early 2023 Mertens and Koopman spent some (rather cold but) inspired days in Oosterland to record this selection of 24 songs, interspersed with six organ works.
Jerrick Cavagnaro, the First Prize Winner in the 2024 American Guild of Organists' (AGO) National Competition in Organ Improvisation (NCOI), releases his debut solo album with Pro Organo, performing upon the historic, renovated pipe organ of Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston. The program contains both repertoire selections and several of Mr. Cavagnaro's organ improvisations in a variety of musical styles.
Signum proudly presents Lapwood’s debut solo organ recording following her critically-acclaimed debut choral recording, All things are quite silent, with The Choirs of Pembroke College, Cambridge. This luxurious programme, including some of Lapwood’s world-premiere arrangements, showcases the softer, more subtle side of an instrument more generally regarded for its bombastic nature. “One of my favorite things about being an organist is the exquisite feeling of practicing in a church or cathedral late at night. The door is locked, the lights are often out, and time seems to flow differently. It’s at night that one really gains a sense of the history of the building, getting to know the creaking noises and clicks that make it seem as if the space is breathing. Sound seems to travel differently too, piercing the warm cushion of dark silence like a beam of light. On this disc I’ve tried to capture some of that magic, recording in a chilly Ely Cathedral after hours in January 2021.” (Anna Lapwood) Anna Lapwood is an organist, conductor, and broadcaster, and holds the position of Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge. Lapwood recently presented the 2020 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and is due to perfom at the BBC Proms on 7th September 2021.
The close-knit nature of the Bach musical family is documented in many sources. They met regularly for family celebrations, exchanged experiences and, of course, always had an eye on where there was a vacant position. In baroque Central Germany, the name "Bach" was practically synonymous with the job title "musician". For the Ensemble Polyharmonique and Teatro del Mondo with its director Andreas Küppers, too, the "Old Bach Archive" is the most important starting point for the musical representation of Bach's "Family Affairs". Six compositions from this valuable collection were selected for the present recording. These pieces are complemented by further works from Bach generations up to the late 18th century. A clearly audible connection is revealed not only by the consistent instrumentation of four to six vocal parts and basso continuo, but also by a kind of "family sound". Even when Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach composes a motet in the style of Empfindsamkeit, it may be assumed that he also had the works of his ancestors in mind, which were composed more than 100 years earlier. The "Family Affairs" with 15 works from four generations thus provide an impressive testimony to this unique musical dynasty.
LOOSENING is a double album of five works by award winning composer GRAHAM FITKIN. Each one has the string quartet at it's core but every work includes it's own additional soloist. The string quartet is a really homogenous group, steeped in history and tradition, in which timbrally similar instruments create a well-honed sound through trusted communication and shared purpose. Each work has clearly defined roles for the two protagonists - quartet and solist. Each piece allows for two perspectives, two distinct approaches to the material and yet each protagonist is affected by the other. Approaches often evolve through the works, perhaps the quartet splits their honed homogeneity to focus more on individual constituents or conversely maybe they subsume the incomer into their group creating a larger group. An album of world premiere recordings: Four of the five works have never been recorded before, and the fifth is a new arrangement (also never recorded). DISTIL won the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Prize for Chamber Works in 2015.
Ryan Chan, the First Prize Winner in the 2024 National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance, sponsored by the American Guild of Organists, is featured on his debut release on the Pro Organo label, entitled "Paris Milieu." His all French program spans 3 centuries, with standard organ literature and virtuosic organ transcriptions, performed upon the new Juget-Sinclair pipe organ in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond, Virginia USA.
Vierne: The Complete Organ Symphonies / Eric Plutz
Affetto Records
CD
$26.99Aug 05, 2022
Louis Vierne inhabits a unique place in the development of the Organ Symphony. Following in the footsteps of his teacher, Charles-Marie Widor, Vierne brought the organ symphony to its pinnacle with his six symphonies, written between 1895 and 1930. Symphonic in style, structure, and form rather than forces, these solo organ works are exquisite composition examples of the last great late French Romantic organ composer. As the thirty-one movements of these symphonies offer a staggering variety of character, from majestic to whimsical, and from deep despair to unbridled joy; the venues offer an equally broad variety of organs and acoustics.
Concert Organist Eric Plutz performs the Complete Organ Symphonies of Louis Vierne superbly and spectacularly on six separate organs around the United States from New York to Texas. This album is the culmination of “The Vierne Project,” a series of performances of the complete Vierne organ symphonies in celebration of the composer’s 150th birthday in 2020. The University Organist at Princeton University, Plutz is one of only a handful of organists to embark on such a venture. As an organ concert soloist, he has performed on distinguished and historic instruments across the United States and abroad including in Germany, Austria, and France.
French Organ Music from the Golden Age, Vol. 9 - Claude Balb
Nimbus
CD
$23.99Jun 05, 2026
French organ music from the period of Louis XIV to the Revolution has always held fascination for performers and listeners alike. The kaleidoscope of colours, the rich and varied styles, and the sheer exuberance of the music never fail to captivate. Yet, performance practice of this music has never been fully understood. David Ponsford has spent much of his career studying this repertoire, resulting in his book French Organ Music in the Reign of Louis XIV (Cambridge University Press, 2011). The present series of recordings on the most important historical organs in France is therefore the fruit of many years of research by a seasoned performer whose aim is to combine technical brilliance with intellectual understanding, to bring the music alive with authority and meaning.
Nunkomm, der Heiden Heiland (Now come, Saviour of the Heathen) appears in three versions. The chorale on which it is based is Martin Luther's adaptation of the original Ambrosian hymn Veni Redemptor gentium. The first of these, for two manuals and pedals, opens with the first measures of the chorale theme in the tenor, imitated at once in the alto register, over a constantly moving pedal bass. The melody is then elaborated in the upper part to form an ornamented line. The second treatment of the chorale is in the form of a Trio, three melodic lines, one for each hand and one for the pedals. Here a contrapuntal imitative opening by the two lower parts is followed by the appearance of the ornamented chorale theme, to which the two lower parts provide a postlude in conclusion. The third version of Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland is described as in organo pleno, il canto fermo nel pedale (for full organ, with the chorale melody in the pedal part). An introductory contrapuntal passage derived from the chorale leads to the solemn appearance of the chorale itself in the lowest register, successive pedal entries preceded by similar prefatory passages. The canonic variations on Vom Himmel hoch (From Heaven on high) were apparently written in 1747 and offered by Bach when he was admitted to the polymath Lorenz Christoph Mizler von Kolof's Correspondierenden Societät der Musicalischen Wissenschaften (Corresponding Society of the Musical Sciences). Bach was the fourteenth of a membership limited to twenty scholars and musicians, including, among those now better remembered, Telemann and Handel. The Christmas chorale by Martin Luther first appears in the pedal part of a Canon at the Octave that involves the two upper parts in such canonic imitation. The cantus firmus is again heard in the pedals, in the second Canon at the Fifth, followed by the chorale melody itself in canon at the sixth and in inversion in the lower voice, accompanied by a moving pedal part. Once the chorale has been heard in this form, Bachadds a canon at the third, with the upper part entering first with an inversion of the melody. A canon at the second follows, between the pedal bass and tenor in inversion, and then, at the ninth, between a pedal inversion and the top voice. This varied treatment of the cantus firmus itself leads to a Canon at the Seventh between the pedals and tenor. A Canon in Augmentation sets an augmented tenor part in canon with a more rapid upper part, with the steadier chorale melody introduced by the pedals. The Canonic Variations constitute a remarkable technical and musical tour de force.
The Leipzig Autograph opens with a Fantasia on Komm, Heiliger Geist (Come, Holy Ghost), in organo pleno, il canto fermo nel pedale (for full organ, the chorale melody in the pedal part). The chorale itself is a German version of the antiphon Veni, Sancte Spiritus, devised by Martin Luther for congregational use. An imitative contrapuntal introduction, in which three upper voices enter in turn over a sustained pedal-note, leads to the chorale melody itself, in the lowest register, chorale phrases separated with passages of varying length for the manuals. A second treatment of the same chorale, for two manuals and pedals, is in triple metre, with a fugal subject derived from the chorale, the manuals preceding the pedal entry in each section. This extended composition ends with a particularly splendid coda. An Wasserflüssen Babylon (By the waters of Babylon), for two manuals and pedals, uses a fifteenth century chorale melody from Strasburg. .Here the chorale melody is first heard in the top part, imitated in the tenor, which itself introduces the continuation of the chorale theme. This is followed by Schmücke, dich, o liebe Seele (Deck thyself, beloved soul), much admired by Schumann and based on a mid-seventeenth century chorale, first suggested in the alto part in a contrapuntal introduction, before appearing in the soprano in augmentation, its notes prolonged. The Trio on Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend (Lord Jesus Christ, turn to us) is again based on a mid-seventeenth century chorale. Here the three contrapuntal parts interweave, the left hand entering in canonic imitation of the right over a pedal-part derived from the opening notes of the chorale. This opening figure brings, in conclusion, a pedal statement of the melody, accompanied by the continuing counterpoint of the two upper parts. O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig (O Lamb of God, guiltless, slaughtered on the Cross) is based on a Lutheran version of the Agnus Dei, O Lam Gades unschüldig, by Nikolaus Decius, an early follower of Luther. This, one of the earliest chorales, is itself derived from plainchant. The three sections of the Agnus Dei allow three different treatments of the cantus firmus, which appears first in the top part, then in the middle part and finally in the pedals. Nun danket alle Gott (Now thank we all our God) is based on a seventeenth century chorale. Counterpoint based on the melody precedes the entry of the chorale itself in the upper part, a procedure that is followed throughout, in the manner associated particularly with Bach's elder brother's teacher, Pachelbel. Von Gott will ich nicht lassen (From God I will not part) treats a sixteenth century chorale dating from 1572 in Erfurt. Here again each section of the melody, played on the pedals, is introduced by a preceding contrapuntal section derived from the hymn itself. The C major Toccata, Adagio and Fugue, striking not least in the distinctive nature of the three sections into which it falls, in form the counterpart of the three movement Italian concerto of the period. The work opens with a brilliant improvisatory prelude, display on the manuals followed by a passage for pedal solo, before more elaborate counterpoint involving manuals and pedals. There follows an Adagio aria, slowing in a concluding recitative, before a capricious fugue subject, interrupted by abrupt rests, a characteristic that naturally recurs, as the four parts enter, in descending order.
There is, naturally, only a small region which sings in Danish. The psalms sung by religious communities during the time of the Reformation in Denmark were, for the most part, borrowed from other languages and used with existing melodies. With this recording, the Copenhagen based vocal ensemble Musica Ficta explores the Danish Reformation hymnody from an international perspective, with links to European musical works from the 16th century. Musica Ficta is a professional vocal ensemble, founded in 1996 by the composer and conductor Bo Holten. With this group he has realized his vision of a highly flexible ensemble, where the classical Oxbridge early music ideal is combined with the warmth of the Scandinavian choral sound.
American Classics - Sowerby: Organ Works /Craighead, Mulbury
Naxos
CD
$9.99$19.99Save 50%Jan 01, 1999
One of the first truly American-born and -bred composers, Leo Sowerby wrote organ music that came straight from the heartland. From his early studies in Grand Rapids, Michigan to his successful career in Chicago, Sowerby revitalized organ music with a body of work rivaling Bach in terms of both quantity and quality. Sowerby was fascinated by traditional forms, and his 'Classic Concerto' explores many of these structures. Within its three brief movements, it gives an excellent introduction to Sowerby's playful sense of harmony. 'Medieval Poem' and 'Pageant,' both written earlier, also delve into traditional themes. 'Festival Musick' is an audience favorite, bright and playful. Its sense of humor is evident to occasional listeners as well as those more intimately versed in organ music. Composed during a single week in summer, it is one of Sowerby's last compositions. Both organists involved with this album have the remarkable technical skill and performing panache to bring Sowerby to life. The rich sound of the organ at St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City and accompaniment of the Fairfield Orchestra have been captured masterfully. WORKS FOR ORGAN AND ORCHESTRA is a well-performed and expertly engineered recording.
The Organ Encyclopedia - Pachelbel Vol 1 / Wolfgang Rübsam
Naxos
CD
$19.99Apr 01, 2000
Wolfgang Rübsam, one of the finest, busiest, and most prolifically recorded organists on Planet Earth, launches the first volume of a cycle devoted to the complete organ works of Pachelbel. The first impression you'll get from placing this disc in your trusty CD changer will be the pungency of the bright, reedy stops characterizing the organ by Johann Nepomuk Holzhey at Wiessnau (built in the 1780s). Naxos' transparent, up-close engineering further underscores the instrument's timbral distinctions. Listen, for example, to the registral clarity in the three Christmas Chorale Preludes, the brooding G minor Fantasia (what heartbreakingly gorgeous low-register harmonies!), or the flowing, reflective Komm, Gott Schöpfer, heiliger Geist. The two Toccatas in C major boast snarling pedal-points from which vivid, trumpet-like lines proudly take wing. Rübsam's slight ritards and breath marks throughout the D minor Chaconne, together with his strikingly varied couplings, add welcome drama and color to the score. Some listeners might prefer the steadier rhythm and restrained registration of Joseph Payne's more conservative reading on Centaur, but I lean toward Rübsam.
Payne's Pachelbel cycle, nearly complete at 10 volumes, employs a different organ for each installment. Will Rübsam do the same? That is, if he's been designated to record the whole Naxos Pachelbel cycle himself (remember, the label's Dupré organ music cycle is given over to different players). Artistically speaking, Rübsam and Payne complement rather than compete with each other. Even if you've acquired all or many or some of the Payne volumes, give Rübsam's Pachelbel a fair shot. What can you lose at Naxos' rock bottom price? Stay tuned for Volume 2. --Jed Distler, ClassicsToday.com
Sweelinck Collection - Complete Keyboard Music & Psalms
Brilliant Classics
CD
$44.19$51.99Save 15%Sep 04, 2026
A comprehensive, budget-priced introduction to the world of a Dutch master of the early Baroque, in modern and critically acclaimed recordings. Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562-1621) stands at the head of the North German school of composers which produced Dieterich Buxtehude and the Bach family. We know next to nothing about the specific circumstances for which he wrote most of his music, as organist at Amsterdam's Oude Kerk from the late 1570s until his death over 40 years later. Amsterdam during this time was a colourful, cosmopolitan port, full of international influences and religious diversity, and Sweelinck's keyboard music mirrors this culture. Even more than a contemporary such as William Byrd, Sweelinck delights in dividing and subdividing his melodic material such as chorale hymns, accumulating intensity through rapidly moving variants on a given theme. Faster music sometimes passes by in a virtuoso flourish, and sometimes stretches the musical arc in search of greater expression. In his complete recording, first released in 2020, Daniele Boccaccio pays careful attention to the details of old fingering techniques; the resultant variety in phrasing and articulation gives new life to figurations that with a more modern legato approach can seem plain. At times, he applies discreet ornamentation to enhance the music's impact and elsewhere let's Sweelinck's notes speak for themselves. Particularly in the fantasias, he captures some of the freshness with which Sweelinck's music must have struck it's first listeners. Sweelinck's psalm settings were likely written with professional singers in mind, such as the voices of the Netherlands Chamber Choir. The sense of bejewelled light and brilliance is nearly unrivalled in music of the time save in the Venetian school exemplified by the Gabrieli family. When the NCC undertook the major project of recording Sweelinck's complete psalm settings, they engaged an array of early-music luminaries, each of whom contributes their own refined musical intelligence to the colour and articulation of these pieces. According to Fanfare's original review, 'Less expert ensembles need not apply. Let the Netherlands Chamber Choir do it. Very highly recommended.'
Among the notable musicians born in the city of Pavia, Franco Vittadini is undoubtedly one of the most significant. The city's Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali is named in his honor, and he served as it's director from 1924 until his death. Maria Cecilia Farina uses historical organs on which to perform the author's organ music in a precise and philological manner. Rarely - and always in deference to the liturgical context - does Vittadini employ a grand and solemn language, using organo pleno sonorities or indulging in virtuosic displays. His stylistic hallmark is instead a gentle melancholy: a crepuscular atmosphere - comparable to the poetry of Guido Gozzano or Sergio Corazzini - and a contemplative, idyllic/nostalgic attitude pervade his pages, expressing his sense of faith.
Much of the music of Joan Cabanilles (1644–1712) is as virtuosic and colourfully Baroque as that of his northern contemporary, Dietrich Buxtehude, though it is also touched with a distinctively Spanish intensity. He is claimed as the most prolific of all composers for the organ, and publication of his works, begun in 1927, is still under way. This is the second in an ongoing series of recordings designed to restore a great Valencian master to his unique glory. Timothy Roberts studied with Christopher Kite and Jill Severs, also receiving masterclass tuition from Kenneth Gilbert and Gustav Leonhardt. He worked for about thirty years as a busy touring keyboard player, twenty of them as principal keyboard of the Gabrieli Consort and his Players; he also became director of His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts. In recent years he has also gained experience as a recording engineer and sound editor, composer and music-typesetter.
Over the centuries thousands of musical treasures came to be through the choral tradition of the British cathedrals and universities. Some of the most beautiful motets and anthems have been recorded here in their original language by the figuralchor koln and Richard Mailander. Notable composers such as William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, and Charles Villiers Stanford are contributors to this lineup of English sacred choral music which travels through the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries.
The second installment of Stefano Molardi’s survey of the complete organ works of J.S. Bach offers a program built around the mood and emotional impact of the featured works (either by similarity or contrast), centering around one of the greatest of the master’s cycles, the Dritter Clavierübung, a set of chorale preludes structured as an “organ mass”. Mr. Molardi selected two historical organs that Bach may have known, or at least of a kind he may have been familiar with, for these recordings.
Helmut Walcha was one of the most influential organists of the 20th century. His Chorale Preludes are works of considerable expressiveness and polyphonic clarity, which enrich the Lutheran tradition by combining the characteristics of the Baroque masters with highly individual organ colors and sonorities. This is the final volume of this first complete recording of Walcha's organ works.
