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Naxos

Walther: Organ Works Vol 2 / Craig Cramer

$19.99 Only 3 left

Details

Composer
WALTHER
Artist
Craig, Cramer
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Feb 01, 2001
Catalog #
8554317
UPC
636943431726

About

This is rather terrific. It is an example of the transcriber's art as high as Bach's and a whole CD of it, full of Italian concertos we never hear, as well as ones we do. What we have here is a kind of super-abundant version of Bach's arrangements of Vivaldi and others. These are 'concertos after' and reflect the transcriber's skill who has turned them into organ sonatas with some degree of freedom. There was a Vol. 1 of transcribed (Albinoni, Gregori, Telemann, Gentili) and original works which I've not yet heard. Walther was a year older than his distant relative, J. S. Bach. The two became friends when Bach spent time in Weimar. Walther was acknowledged as one of the great organists of his day, playing not only his own compositions but, as Vol. 2 shows, collecting those of other composers.

Born in Erfurt he received tuition from Johann Bernhard Bach. Organist at his home city's St Thomas he formed a friendship, based on much travelling, with Werckmeister, studied with Pachelbel's son, Wilhelm Hieronymus, then studied philosophy back at Erfurt university. As often happens to musical philosophy students in Germany around this time, he finally devoted his energy to music from thenceforth, and was organist at St. Paul's Weimar from 1707, joining the court orchestra by invitation of Duke Wilhelm Ernst, around the time Bach was leaving after the death of his wife.

Walther's own chorale preludes are represented, and 'Mache, dich' with its tinkling effects rather like some of Krebs's later efforts, recall one of the occasional stops no longer used in the organ vocabulary. They're very fine pieces and deserve to be better known. Walther's own modesty and low profile as a composer is the key to their comparative neglect. The transcriptions are suitable for the Italian or Italianate originals, the Vivaldi similar to Bach's and the Manzia unexpected in its use of flute stops. The Blamr is gentle, not quite bland, an attractive composition by someone hardly known to us. The Taglietti is full of panache and the three Torelli concerti that close the volume full of a graciousness one doesn't expect. The single movement d minor is full of questing for the home key, reflective and quasi-churchy. The B flat blows this away in brilliant ceremonials. The a minor is full of bright gothic gloom.

A really enjoyable disc, a true addition, beautifully recorded and played.

-- Simon Jenner, MusicWeb International

Tracklist 23 tracks

  1. 1 I. Allegro 02:59
    Track
    1
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    02:59
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  2. 2 II. Adagio 03:03
    Track
    2
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    03:03
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  3. 3 III. Allegro 03:29
    Track
    3
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    03:29
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  4. 4 Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele, LV 52 09:59
    Track
    4
    Title
    Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele, LV 52
    Duration
    09:59
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  5. 5 I. Allegro 03:23
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    03:23
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  6. 6 II. Adagio 04:31
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    04:31
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  7. 7 III. Allegro 02:34
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    02:34
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  8. 8 Es ist das Heil uns kommen her, LV 84 03:02
    Track
    8
    Title
    Es ist das Heil uns kommen her, LV 84
    Duration
    03:02
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  9. 9 Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, LV 104 03:14
    Track
    9
    Title
    Mache dich, mein Geist, bereit, LV 104
    Duration
    03:14
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  10. 10 I. Adagio 01:43
    Track
    10
    Title
    I. Adagio
    Duration
    01:43
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  11. 11 II. Andante allegro 06:22
    Track
    11
    Title
    II. Andante allegro
    Duration
    06:22
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  12. 12 III. Pastorella 05:47
    Track
    12
    Title
    III. Pastorella
    Duration
    05:47
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  13. 13 I. Grave 02:28
    Track
    13
    Title
    I. Grave
    Duration
    02:28
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  14. 14 II. Allegro 02:43
    Track
    14
    Title
    II. Allegro
    Duration
    02:43
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  15. 15 III. Adagio 01:30
    Track
    15
    Title
    III. Adagio
    Duration
    01:30
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  16. 16 IV. Allegro 02:26
    Track
    16
    Title
    IV. Allegro
    Duration
    02:26
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  17. 17 Ach Gott erhor mein Seufzen und Wehklagen 02:02
    Track
    17
    Title
    Ach Gott erhor mein Seufzen und Wehklagen
    Duration
    02:02
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  18. 18 Concerto after Torelli in D Minor, LV 138 03:43
    Track
    18
    Title
    Concerto after Torelli in D Minor, LV 138
    Duration
    03:43
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  19. 19 I. Allegro 03:26
    Track
    19
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    03:26
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  20. 20 II. Adagio 02:06
    Track
    20
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    02:06
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  21. 21 I. Allegro 02:36
    Track
    21
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    02:36
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  22. 22 II. Adagio 02:23
    Track
    22
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    02:23
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer
  23. 23 III. Allegro 03:38
    Track
    23
    Title
    III. Allegro
    Duration
    03:38
    Composer
    Johann Gottfried Walther
    Performer
    Craig Cramer