The Organ, Master of them all - general organ thread

[bioluminescentsquid]

Since you asked (also sort of as a response to the Sweelinck pupils thread), here's a non-comprehensive list of recordings I've particularly enjoyed of 17th century North German organ music - definitely the one type of organ music that I love to both listen to an play.

- Anything by Hans Davidsson - so far he has recorded the complete works of Böhm, Weckmann (twice!), and Buxtehude and is still going strong.
- Franz Tunder by Pamela Ruiter Feenstra or Wolfram Syre
- "Music of a Father and Son" by David Yearsley ("Father and Son" being Delphin Strungk and Nicolaus Adam Strungk)
- "Alt-Hamburgischer Organistenspiegel" by Jens Wollenschläger
- "Arp Schnitger and the Hamburg Organ Tradition" by Harald Vogel
- Jacob Praetorius and Schildt by Bernard Foccroulle
- Scheidemann by Bernard Coudurier or Leo van Doeselaar
- Scheidemann and Scheidt by Klaus Eichhorn
- The "Norddeutsche Orgelkunst" series by Martin Rost, played on the 1659 Stellwagen organ in Stralsund

As a bonus, Sietze de Vries playing Reincken's 20-minute chorale fantasia on An Wasserflüssen Babylon, arguably the single most important work we have from this whole school of organists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuQqebKAJwM

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I go through phases with organ music, times that I really like it, and other times that I can't stand the sound of the instrument at all. I'm in a pro-organ phase and have generally been starting my days recently with organ music by Max Reger. I have Vols. 1 & 4 from the Naxos series and they both sound incredible—which others are worth a listen?

The Naxos "Organ Encyclopedia" series is amazing. Some other favorites include a disc by Jean Langlais, a blind French organist-composer of the 20th century, and Julia Brown's Buxtehude recordings.

Anyone else listening to organ music lately, on Naxos or otherwise...?

I like Lubeck, Bruhns, and Muffat.

[Mandryka]

https://youtube.com/v/oAoCLMb7PHA

This rare recording from Leonhardt (Norddeutschland) features one of my favourite Scheidemann sequences, a handful of pieces at the end played at Marienhafe. Unfortunately there's no track listing on the YouTube upload, they're the last half dozen or so pieces, starting with a jaunty galliard (at Uttum) followed by six pieces with more gravitas at Marienhafe. This discogs tracklist should make it possible to navigate the upload with a bit of effort, and anyway I can always let anyone who wants it have the CD rip,

https://www.discogs.com/Gustav-Leonhardt-Renaissance-Und-Barock-Orgeln-Norddeutschland/release/13484802

[vers la flamme]

^If you swear it's all as good as this sequence I might just spring for the box...:



(FWIW, I'm seeing a track listing here on the Youtube upload. I skipped to the end.)

[Mandryka]

^If you swear it's all as good as this sequence I might just spring for the box...:



(FWIW, I'm seeing a track listing here on the Youtube upload. I skipped to the end.)

Just buy everything that Leonhardt ever recorded.

I can't swear that just because I don't remember everything in there,  but I do remember that the box is consistently high standard. Of course, not all the music in it will please you equally - Leonhardt has a huge repertoire.



But I don't think that the Scheidemann at Marienhafe is in that box, I could be wrong. (Just checked, it isn't.)

This is a good site to know about if you get interested in organ music -

https://france-orgue.fr/disque/index.php?zpg=dsq.fra.rch&org=Leonhardt+&tit=&oeu=Scheidemann+&ins=&cdo=1&dvo=1&vno=1&cmd=Rechercher&edi=

(I'm smiling to myself because I'm doing for you now what Premont and Marc did for me 10 years ago!)

[bioluminescentsquid]

Scheidemann at Marienhafe isn't in that set, and neither are his wonderful performances at St. Jacobi Hamburg.
You can preview the first 2 discs of the set here - note these are South German organs, quite a different horse from their Northern brethren! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lc8pFgaqJo7baXgj0v0z1CBK-YznlzDD0

The music in the video posted comes from this set, I think only available in the huge SEON box. (Or from Mandryka )


My personal favorite is the Schildt Magnificat! I think this was also a "world premiere recording" of it at the time - and a real good one! A bit of a "tadpole" though - after the amazing first three verses the fourth one sounds a bit pathetic.
The Scheidemann at the end I admit I have never listened closely to and I should revisit it.

This is also a wonderful disc, that can also be picked up for cheap.


Something really distinctly "Leonhardt" that I have not heard many other people do is play the first verses of these choral cycles quietly, rather than on full organ. He does this in the Schildt Magnificat, Scheidemann Magnificat on the 6th tone on the Hamburg disc*, and also on the Weckmann magnificat above. Not "authentic" as far as we know, but extremely effective.

*Here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzgZE_3-K8U

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

- Franz Tunder by Pamela Ruiter

+1. Any opinion on Emanuele Cardi/Brilliant C ?

[bioluminescentsquid]

+1. Any opinion on Emanuele Cardi/Brilliant C ?

Rather watery playing, gentle and indifferent. I also don't really like the organ, not eccentric and "mean" enough.
Same goes for Tomadin for me. I prefer my Tunder with some more mystery and bite
Ruiter-Feenstra and Foccroulle have the mystery, Syré has the bite I think.
I remember saying that I liked Sietze de Vries playing Tunder but took it back, it's way too happy and witty to be Tunder.

Tunder is one of my favorite composers, but I haven't found a fully satisfactory recording of his works. Although Syré comes close. His Christ lag in Todesbanden fantasy is killer, but in other places his playing can come off a bit too monochrome.

Edit: A very good, bold and brash Tunder from a certain Cor de Jong on my favorite organ on the planet (1634 van Hagerbeer in Leiden). I've posted it before but I think it's well worth hearing again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTsEncFYZAI

[Mandryka]

Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra. Spiritual; poetic; like Scheidemann in fact.

[Mandryka]

Bernard Foccroulle.
Friedhelm Flamme.


Both Tunder à la stylus fantasticus.

[bioluminescentsquid]

Bernard Foccroulle.
Friedhelm Flamme.


Both Tunder à la stylus fantasticus.

I thought of Flamme as less successful Syre carbon copy - rather brisk tempo and without half of the magic. But I've only heard the Todesbanden fantasy from him.

Peter Westerbrink has a series, Franz Tunder in perspectief, naturally only available in the Netherlands (as all great organ CD's are). Anyone familiar with it?

[Mandryka]

I thought of Flamme as less successful Syre carbon copy - rather brisk tempo and without half of the magic. But I've only heard the Todesbanden fantasy from him.

I quite like Flamme's organ. Colourful, it never sounds chaotic, it's never hard.

But ultimately my heart isn't in stylus fantasticus. So I like most of all Davidson for Buxtehude, Reeter Feenstra for Tunder. You could say that I'm missing the point of the music, but I don't care.

[bioluminescentsquid]

I quite like Flamme's organ. Colourful, it never sounds chaotic, it's never hard.

But ultimately my heart isn't in stylus fantasticus. So I like most of all Davidson for Buxtehude, Reeter Feenstra for Tunder. You could say that I'm missing the point of the music, but I don't care.

I'll check out the rest of Flamme and report back.

What do you mean by "stylus fantasticus?" Virtuosic, unsubtle playing, more style than substance?
(of course, the original "stylus fantasticus" as mentioned by Kircher simply means free, non tactus-bound music, like Froberger Toccatas or the start of Buxtehude praeludia)

[Mandryka]

I'll check out the rest of Flamme and report back.

What do you mean by "stylus fantasticus?" Virtuosic, unsubtle playing, more style than substance?
(of course, the original "stylus fantasticus" as mentioned by Kircher simply means free, non tactus-bound music, like Froberger Toccatas or the start of Buxtehude praeludia)

What I mean is, I like it heavy with mystery, light on bite.  Fluid but not watery.

(I've always had a problem with Bux. Davidson was an ear opener.)

[prémont]

My personal favorite is the Schildt Magnificat! I think this was also a "world premiere recording" of it at the time - and a real good one!

About the same time Harald Vogel made a recording of the Magnificat also on the Stade organ, I am not sure if it wasn't made before Leonhardt's recording.

[Mandryka]

About the same time Harald Vogel made a recording of the Magnificat also on the Stade organ, I am not sure if it wasn't made before Leonhardt's recording.

That looks to have disappeared without trace, at least from the world wide web.

[prémont]

That looks to have disappeared without trace, at least from the world wide web.

Not completely, but it must have been OOP since long.

https://www.worldcat.org/title/norddeutsche-orgelkunst-i-harald-vogel-spielt-werke-von-h-scheidemann-und-m-schildt-an-der-st-cosmae-orgel-1675-instade/oclc/13071201

https://www.arpschnitger.nl/cd-norddeutsche-orgelkunst-01.jpg

[bioluminescentsquid]

Just found this today - a series of recording excerpts from Vogel back in the 1980's, including what is presumably is OOP material on the Organa label as well as some unreleased stuff.
https://www.pipedreams.org/episode/1986/01/27/the-sound-of-history-i?fbclid=IwAR2VeCZDwIaEpYnzHuORMUyo3gLkBRIk_O-lQhMmABq3BcqONddX74xPidM

Edit: The Hieronymus Praetorius A solis ortus cardine is wonderful, colossal and brooding. I know it from Ablitzer's Gröningen recording but that lightweight little organ can't compete! The Buxheimer examples on Rysum sound a bit dated, not as fluid as playing we hear today.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Rather watery playing, gentle and indifferent. I also don't really like the organ, not eccentric and "mean" enough.
Same goes for Tomadin for me. I prefer my Tunder with some more mystery and bite
Ruiter-Feenstra and Foccroulle have the mystery, Syré has the bite I think.
I remember saying that I liked Sietze de Vries playing Tunder but took it back, it's way too happy and witty to be Tunder.

Tunder is one of my favorite composers, but I haven't found a fully satisfactory recording of his works. Although Syré comes close. His Christ lag in Todesbanden fantasy is killer, but in other places his playing can come off a bit too monochrome.

Edit: A very good, bold and brash Tunder from a certain Cor de Jong on my favorite organ on the planet (1634 van Hagerbeer in Leiden). I've posted it before but I think it's well worth hearing again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTsEncFYZAI

Thanks a lot for your insights. I will check the suggested players. 

[André Le Nôtre]

Many intriguing suggestions here to investigate--thanks gentlemen! (any ladies here? ). I am still currently enjoying the Daniele Boccaccio Sweelinck set and Organic Creatures by Catalina Vicens.

I would like recommendations for Frescobaldi organ music. I bought the complete set on Tactus years ago, and I found it incredibly boring (I listened to every single disc). Given that he was such an important composer for the instrument and that others have also complained about that set, I am still curious to investigate the music--on historical instruments!

Thanks.