J.S. Bach on the Organ

[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. 

[prémont]

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!

[milk]

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!

It's unlikely that I would be able to recognize it seeing as how I'm so unfamiliar with the music. It would be easier to find out if this hadn't taken place in Japan. Although, maybe it's possible to get a hold of his email address somehow and ask him.   

[Opus106]

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.

Perhaps you'd have had a little context to go with had you attended the talk by Christoph Wolff on the previous day.

[milk]

Perhaps you'd have had a little context to go with had you attended the talk by Christoph Wolff on the previous day.

Yes that would have been nice. But I believe Wolf was speaking in German with a Japanese translator. My Japanese is pitifully bad and I don't understand German. Unless I'm mistaken, it was Wolff presenting on Thursday night. My friend who came with me understands German and was whispering a rough translation into my ear. Even Ghielmi spoke in German for the translator. But, when he came out for the encore, he quickly explained the dedication in English.
Gosh, now I'd really like attend more organ recitals. There are concerts here by performers who are without international recognition. I've been disappointed by those sorts of events in the past.   

[milk]

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!

I'm going out on a limb here, but I think it could have been BWV 721. Now this is going to drive me a bit crazy.
I sent an email to the University of Utrecht, where, apparently, Ghielmi is currently a Fellow. 

[Marc]

I'm going out on a limb here, but I think it could have been BWV 721. Now this is going to drive me a bit crazy.
I sent an email to the University of Utrecht, where, apparently, Ghielmi is currently a Fellow.

Who knows, maybe he's willing to answer.

Here's a nice clip with BWV 721 played by some young bloke. He's playing the Hinsz organ (built in 1775-1776) of the Grote Kerk in Harlingen, NL.

http://www.youtube.com/v/XfqBVc_juLI

[milk]

I've listened to the first CD of Bernard Foccroulle's box set several times. One piece that has gotten into my head is "In dulci jubilo," BWV 751.
There are some kind of chimes used on the recording. Can someone explain this? Is this connected to the use of this music in Christmas services?

[Marc]

Arp Schnitger, who built this organ in 1693 (Jacobikirche Hamburg), called it Cimbelsterne.

Here's some information about this 'toy' organ stop:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbelstern

The provided eternal links do not work anymore, though. Which is a pity, especially in case of the very informative site http://www.organstops.org.

[jlaurson]

I've listened to the first CD of Bernard Foccroulle's box set several times. One piece that has gotten into my head is "In dulci jubilo," BWV 751.
There are some kind of chimes used on the recording. Can someone explain this? Is this connected to the use of this music in Christmas services?

Some organs have a so-called Cimbelstern, http://www.organstops.org/c/Cymbelstern.html, which may (but not necessarily) be connected to Christmas music.

[milk]

Some organs have a so-called Cimbelstern-s, http://www.organstops.org/c/Cymbelstern.html, which may (but not necessarily) be connected to Christmas music.

Oh thanks. I get it. Hmm...This is employed on BWV 719 as well (and others I imagine). Interesting. 

[Mandryka]

I'm very much enjoying this CD from Felix Friedrich



The instrument sounds wonderful -- noble, not too bright, not to dark and sombre. The sound of the recording is really clear and revealing. In terms of music making, he plays with enormous nobility and poise. There's often a great sense of accumulation. And he tells a story, not just within preludes, but also by the way one prelude follows another. It is, for example, completely unfortorgetably magical the way he has BWV 676, playful, airy, follow directly the enormous climax of  BWV 671.

And yet, despite the aristocratic poise of Friedrich's music making, I defy anyone to find a more poignant rendition of BWV 682.

[Mandryka]

Is this a good one? I've been so impressed by his Mozart that I'd like to explore further, but much of Chorzempa's available  recorded Bach is of music that I'm not really listening to much  right now. But this one has some chorales and BWV 675 too



By the way I've just mamaged to find a download of his trio sonatas record, though I haven't listened to it yet. There must be quite a lot of his Bach which has become hard to find.

[prémont]

I'm very much enjoying this CD from Felix Friedrich

The instrument sounds wonderful -- noble, not too bright, not to dark and sombre. The sound of the recording is really clear and revealing. In terms of music making, he plays with enormous nobility and poise. There's often a great sense of accumulation. And he tells a story, not just within preludes, but also by the way one prelude follows another. It is, for example, completely unfortorgetably magical the way he has BWV 676, playful, airy, follow directly the enormous climax of  BWV 671.

And yet, despite the aristocratic poise of Friedrich's music making, I defy anyone to find a more poignant rendition of BWV 682.

Well put. This recording was one of those, I some time ago planned - but never realized - to recommend to you, because I did not get the time for extended Clavierübung III listening.

Some others were (to put it short):

Wolfgang Stockmeier
Claudio Astronio
Edgar Krapp
Kåre Nordstoga
Walter Kraft

[prémont]

Is this a good one? I've been so impressed by his Mozart that I'd like to explore further, but much of Chorzempa's available  recorded Bach is of music that I'm not really listening to much  right now. But this one has some chorales and BWV 675 too



By the way I've just mamaged to find a download of his trio sonatas record, though I haven't listened to it yet. There must be quite a lot of his Bach which has become hard to find.

This is one of the few Chorzempa Bach organ recordings I got hold of before it was too late. On my part I like his demonstrative informed style sometimes bordering over-articulation. But he is certainly an acquired style. Difficult to say if you will like him or not.