Topic: J.S. Bach's Organ Works

[milk]

I attended a Lorenzo Ghielmi Bach organ recital in Osaka tonight. I very much enjoyed it. Organ music in general is new to me. It was a real treat to be able to focus on the music without any distractions. Also, the instrument sounded great. What a contrast between Chorales and prelude/fugues. I feel like I'm really missing some of the context for this music, especially the chorales, not having grown up Christian or attended church and not being familiar with Christian liturgy. The pyrotechnics of BWV543 were dazzling. I know Ghielmi from his fortepiano and harpsichord recordings. I thought Ghielmi was wonderful but I have only my cursory listens at home to a sampling of other performers with which to compare him. For an encore, Ghielmi played a chorale that he dedicated to the victims of the Tsunami. He described it as meditative. However, as it wasn't on the program, I don't know which one it was. I realize now what a treat this was as there are no other notable organists on the calendar as far as I can see. Great performers just don't get to Osaka (and maybe not to Japan) that often.   　

[karlhenning]

Okay, so I've caught a mild case of Bach organ music fever.

Surprises you, how that bug can just take over!

[karlhenning]

. . . And perhaps some Schoenberg-transcribed-Bach.


Schoenberg’s Bach transcriptions of BWV 552, BWV 654, and BWV 631
Christoph Eschenbach’s RCA recording with the Houston Symphony

The Schoenberg Bach transcriptions are great fun!

[Opus106]

I attended a Lorenzo Ghielmi Bach organ recital in Osaka tonight. I very much enjoyed it. Organ music in general is new to me. It was a real treat to be able to focus on the music without any distractions. Also, the instrument sounded great. What a contrast between Chorales and prelude/fugues. I feel like I'm really missing some of the context for this music, especially the chorales, not having grown up Christian or attended church and not being familiar with Christian liturgy. The pyrotechnics of BWV543 were dazzling. I know Ghielmi from his fortepiano and harpsichord recordings. I thought Ghielmi was wonderful but I have only my cursory listens at home to a sampling of other performers with which to compare him. For an encore, Ghielmi played a chorale that he dedicated to the victims of the Tsunami. He described it as meditative. However, as it wasn't on the program, I don't know which one it was. I realize now what a treat this was as there are no other notable organists on the calendar as far as I can see. Great performers just don't get to Osaka (and maybe not to Japan) that often.   　

Nice to know you had a good time.

As for the dearth of organ recitals in Japan, would you mind travelling 30 Km (is that the correct figure?) for one?
http://www.bach.co.jp/MS%20Solo%20concertschedule_En%202005.htm

[PaulSC]

piano bach, on the organ.

What's “piano bach”?

[karlhenning]

What's “piano bach”?

One of the nephews, wasn't he?

[PaulSC]

One of the nephews, wasn't he?

Oh right, middle initials “DQ”…

[Marc]

What's “piano bach”?

It's 'Soft Bach'.

One of the nephews, wasn't he?

Oh right, middle initials “DQ”…

No.
It's that nephew or cousin, whose initials I forgot, nicknamed 'the Soft Bach', who was friends with 'the London Bach' and 'the Bückeburg Bach'.

[karlhenning]

Which was the puffy Bach again? : )

[Marc]

Which was the puffy Bach again? : )

Just pick one of them, it'll do:

[karlhenning]

Rare photograph of “Lips” Bach:

[Marc]

Rare photograph of “Lips” Bach:

Oh man, this thread could go outta hand!

[jlaurson]

piano harpsichord bach, on the organ.





Organic Bach
Clavierübung II
Hansjörg Albrecht
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2012/03/organic-bach.html

What's “piano bach”?

Did I just betray a bias? 

[milk]

Nice to know you had a good time.

As for the dearth of organ recitals in Japan, would you mind travelling 30 Km (is that the correct figure?) for one?
http://www.bach.co.jp/MS%20Solo%20concertschedule_En%202005.htm

Oh thanks. Yeah, I noticed this a while back but had forgotten about it. Yes Kobe is about 45 minutes by train from
Osaka. 30 Km sounds like a slight underestimation but it is very convenient. There is Suzuki's cantata series there also
(the other area of Bach with which I'm unfamiliar). There are some nice concerts in kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara) sometimes (I saw Kristian Bezuidenhout play Mozart and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin play the Brandenburg Concertos) but perhaps not often.

Yes I've also been bitten by the organ bug now.     

[Opus106]

Oh thanks. Yeah, I noticed this a while back but had forgotten about it. Yes Kobe is about 45 minutes by train from
Osaka. 30 Km sounds like a slight underestimation but it is very convenient. There is Suzuki's cantata series there also
(the other area of Bach with which I'm unfamiliar). There are some nice concerts in kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara) sometimes (I saw Kristian Bezuidenhout play Mozart and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin play the Brandenburg Concertos) but perhaps not often.

Yes I've also been bitten by the organ bug now.     

Welcome aboard!

[milk]

I would definitely go for it!
IMO, Ghielmi is a fine and solid Bach interpreter. I value him more in the chorale-free works and my guess is that the final piece of his recital (BWV 543) might end up as the highlight of the concert. The other free work is partly (the fugue) an arrangement of the 2nd movement of Bach's Solo Violin Sonata in G-minor BWV 1001. In most cases, organists opt for a modest and not too massive registration. So there's probably no risk of getting blown away from the start.
The Trio Sonata and The 6 Schübler chorales (BWV 645-650) and are exquisit compositions, too. If you're familiar with Bach cantatas, you might recognize some of those chorales.
The Vivaldi transcription (Concerto BWV 596) has got an intriguing mysterious echoing beginning and delivers very enjoyable music throughout.

If you'd like to check out the specific works beforehand, here's a nice free site:

http://www.blockmrecords.org/bach/index.htm

About the seat you should take: that's a personal matter. It depends on the strength of the organ and also of the acoustics.
In the Martini Church in my hometown I prefer a place in the centre, not too close yet also not too far away from the organ. But I know that other concert-goers prefer to sit as close as possible. It's true, when sitting close, you can hear the switch between the different manuals better. But personally, I prefer a more 'total' sound.

If you decide to go: have a good time!

You were right about BWV 543. Also, I sat back and in the center (row T) and felt, without being able to compare, that it was a good choice. 

[(: premont :)]

What's “piano bach”?


Did I just betray a bias? 

No, you displayed that you are biased yourself. 

[milk]

Welcome aboard!

Well I just downloaded the Bernard Foccroulle set. I'll get back to you in a few years when I have some idea of this music! Sometimes, when I'm listening, I feel like my apartment is going to fly off the building...kind of like at the end of Willie Wonka.

[Opus106]

Well I just downloaded the Bernard Foccroulle set. I'll get back to you in a few years when I have some idea of this music! Sometimes, when I'm listening, I feel like my apartment is going to fly off the building...kind of like at the end of Willie Wonka.

[Marc]

I attended a Lorenzo Ghielmi Bach organ recital in Osaka tonight. I very much enjoyed it. Organ music in general is new to me. It was a real treat to be able to focus on the music without any distractions. Also, the instrument sounded great. What a contrast between Chorales and prelude/fugues. I feel like I'm really missing some of the context for this music, especially the chorales, not having grown up Christian or attended church and not being familiar with Christian liturgy. The pyrotechnics of BWV543 were dazzling. I know Ghielmi from his fortepiano and harpsichord recordings. I thought Ghielmi was wonderful but I have only my cursory listens at home to a sampling of other performers with which to compare him. For an encore, Ghielmi played a chorale that he dedicated to the victims of the Tsunami. He described it as meditative. However, as it wasn't on the program, I don't know which one it was. I realize now what a treat this was as there are no other notable organists on the calendar as far as I can see. Great performers just don't get to Osaka (and maybe not to Japan) that often.   　

Thanks for the report. Good to read you enjoyed it.
Would you be able to recognize the meditative chorale?

My first thought was Erbarm' dich mein, o Herre Gott BWV 721.
But Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland BWV 659 is also a possibility, with a more hopeful basic idea behind it.

Anyway: enjoy your Foccroulle set during the next years .... and maybe some concerts by Suzuki in Kobe!