J.S. Bach on the Organ

[Que]

Mewants, mewants, mewants.

Seem hard to resist... Though considering the sad fact that Ewald Kooiman wasn't able to complete the series, I wouldn't mind the reissue of his 2nd cycle.
(Where is Brilliant Classics when you you need it? )

Q

[jlaurson]

Seem hard to resist... Though considering the sad fact that Ewald Kooiman wasn't able to complete the series, I wouldn't mind the reissue of his 2nd cycle.
(Where is Brilliant Classics when you you need it? )

Q

Was this project ever intended as a complete Kooiman cycle? (His Third?) And if so, why weren't the missing recordings licensed from his second (or first?) cycle?

[Que]

Was this project ever intended as a complete Kooiman cycle? (His Third?) And if so, why weren't the missing recordings licensed from his second (or first?) cycle?

Yes to the 1st question, but he died before the project could be completed.
Don't know the answer to the 2nd question, just that Aeolus decided to ask former pupils of Kooiman to contribute to the completion.

More here: http://www.aeolus-music.com/ae_en/More/News-and-articles/Future-of-the-big-Bach-organ-music-SACD-project-started-with-Ewald-Kooiman

Q

[jlaurson]

Yes to the 1st question, but he died before the project could be completed.
Don't know the answer to the 2nd question, just that Aeolus decided to ask former pupils of Kooiman to contribute to the completion.

More here: http://www.aeolus-music.com/ae_en/More/News-and-articles/Future-of-the-big-Bach-organ-music-SACD-project-started-with-Ewald-Kooiman

Q

Thanks - I'll ask the good people at Aeolus if I need more background. Cheers. Part of the answer as to why is already in the first sentence of the text you linked to:

Our complete recording of the Bach's organ works on Super Audio CD...

[prémont]

Something tells me that most of the "great" works are recorded by one of Kooiman´s pupils, and that Kooiman´s own contribution was relative sparse (8 of 19 CD´s in all).

http://aeolus-music.com/ae_en/All-Discs/AE10761-Bach-Johann-Sebastian-Complete-Organ-Works

[prémont]

I don't know what to make of this but I enjoyed the read. Thanks for the link. I wonder if you get to listen to organ music while you're getting your cut.

Hopefully not. It would be more interesting to talk with him about organ music.
Unfortunately I live thousands of kilometers from Valparaiso.

One can also mail him on his home page
http://wolfsbarbershop.homestead.com/home.html#

[milk]

Hopefully not. It would be more interesting to talk with him about organ music.
Unfortunately I live thousands of kilometers from Valparaiso.

One can also mail him on his home page
http://wolfsbarbershop.homestead.com/home.html#

This seems to be his main focus now.
I didn't get much of a sense from the article about whether and when he makes music.

[Marc]

Was this project ever intended as a complete Kooiman cycle? (His Third?) And if so, why weren't the missing recordings licensed from his second (or first?) cycle?

Yes, it was intended as a new Kooiman integral.
He wanted to do another cycle on 'Northern French' (Vosges) baroque organs, because they sounded different than the Dutch/German instruments, and therefore cast a different light on this oeuvre.

So, the 2nd cycle was sort of a Bach/Kooiman ode to the Dutch/German baroque organs, and the 3rd was meant to be as an ode the Vosges organs.

http://www.ewaldkooiman.com/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=5&cntnt01origid=22&cntnt01returnid=22

About the license: even though Coronata does not exist anymore, I really wouldn't know if their licenses are available on the market.

[Marc]

I'm enjoying this recording immensely.

Those sonatas sound fresh every time I listen to them, and Ghielmi is a convincing performer of Bach's chorale-free works. So yes: I like this issue very much, too. And the organ (Ahrend, San Siciliano, Milano) is one of the better modern baroque organs IMHO.

[milk]

Those sonatas sound fresh every time I listen to them, and Ghielmi is a convincing performer of Bach's chorale-free works. So yes: I like this issue very much, too. And the organ (Ahrend, San Siciliano, Milano) is one of the better modern baroque organs IMHO.

I have some other Ghielmi organ recordings but one has stuck with me as being particularly notable.

[Marc]

I have some other Ghielmi organ recordings but one has stuck with me as being particularly notable.

Yes, sounds familiar.
Only one small 'problem': pedal parts recorded a bit too distantly, especially in most of the fast movements, which makes them sound like two-part pieces with only a modest accompaniment.
Don't get me wrong though: I do not prefer a thundering bass, just more equivalency of all 3 parts.

[Mandryka]

I'm having a bit of an orgelbuchlein binge at the moment so if there are any records which you think are interesting or which are landmarks in some way, please let me know.

Anyone care to comment on this one?  Jens Christensen is an organist who I only know through an extraordinary AoF

[Marc]

I'm having a bit of an orgelbuchlein binge at the moment so if there are any records which you think are interesting or which are landmarks in some way, please let me know.

Anyone care to comment on this one?  Jens Christensen is an organist who I only know through an extraordinary AoF

I don't think I know that one, I'm really not sure if I have it myself .... I bought too many of Bach's organs during the last few years.

But his initials (J.C.) are promising.

Maybe Premont, who has only 1.532.476 Bach organ discs and is able to remember and summarize each and every one of them, can help?

About the more general question (interesting/landmarks): this is also difficult. Many complete Orgelbüchleins are now only available in integrals, some others are OOP/difficult to get and many of the OB-chorales are recorded in more combined programs (which I prefer, to be honest).

But at least I find the following 'strictly OB' recordings interesting or even very interesting: Anton Heiller (Vanguard), René Saorgin (Harmonia Mundi), Murray Forbes Sommerville (Titanic), Wolfgang Zerer (Hänssler, part of the Hänssler Bach Edition) and Bram Beekman (Prestare).

[Mandryka]

Thanks Marc. It was Saorgin's CD which first made me interested in orgelbuchlein. Another which I'm enjoying just as much as Saorgin's is from Alessio Conti. It was you who first made me aware of Conti ages ago, in a discusson about Art of the Fugue. I'm very glad you did.

[Marc]

Thanks Marc. It was Saorgin's CD which first made me interested in orgelbuchlein. Another which I'm enjoying just as much as Saorgin's is from Alessio Conti. It was you who first made me aware of Conti ages ago, in a discusson about Art of the Fugue. I'm very glad you did.

This might be helpful, too: a review of 5 OB's by Don/Bulldog/Sammy:

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/NonVocal/Organ-Orgelbuchlein-Comp.htm

[Mandryka]

This might be helpful, too: a review of 5 OB's by Don/Bulldog/Sammy:

http://www.bach-cantatas.com/NonVocal/Organ-Orgelbuchlein-Comp.htm

Thanks for pointing that out to me, I have a performance by Rogg in a big box of Bach.

Re your comment about liking to have chunks Of it in mixed programmes. Well you see I kind of feel it's nice to have all 40 odd. In some  performances, like the Saorgin but no doubt in others too, it's like a big journey. There's enough variety of mood and music to keep me Interested for the duration. In fact, I sometimes almost think of it as having several movements - an Easter movement, a Christmas movement etc - each movement with a slightly different ambience.

I have no idea how well this fits in with what Bach was up to when he wrote orgelbuchlein.  I've just ordered a book about it to try and learn a bit more.

[Marc]

Thanks for pointing that out to me, I have a performance by Rogg in a big box of Bach.

Re your comment about liking to have chunks Of it in mixed programmes. Well you see I kind of feel it's nice to have all 40 odd. In some  performances, like the Saorgin but no doubt in others too, it's like a big journey. There's enough variety of mood and music to keep me Interested for the duration. In fact, I sometimes almost think of it as having several movements - an Easter movement, a Christmas movement etc - each movement with a slightly different ambience.

I have no idea how well this fits in with what Bach was up to when he wrote orgelbuchlein.  I've just ordered a book about it to try and learn a bit more.

I know what you mean when you talk about this big journey. It's just that, in general, I myself prefer mixed programs on discs with organ music, as is usually done in organ concerts, too. And from what I read so far the organ concerts in Bach's time were also combined chorale-free and chorale playing, in many cases with improvisations in between.

What Bach was up to with this unfinished organ booklet?

Well, according to the master himself, to give a beginning organist instructions as how to perform a chorale in a multitude of ways, while achieving mastery in the study of the pedal, since in the chorales contained herein the pedal is treated entirely obbligato. In honour of our Lord alone, that my fellow man his skill may hone.

That's all.

So, no instructions from JSB himself about how to listen to these chorales from one's hifi kit.

Btw, if you're interested in the hard-to-get issue of Bram Beekman, here's the official link of the record company:

http://www.zwoferinkcd-productions.nl/pages/catalogusview.php?code=3331562&pagina=index&taal=en

It's a full-priced disc (€ 19,95), but one rarely hears these works played on a Flemish 18th century organ. This one was built for the Oostkerk in Middelburg (NL) between 1780 and 1783 by De Rijckere.
Here are some pictures of the organ:

[prémont]

I bought too many of Bach's organs during the last few years.

Maybe Premont, who has only 1.532.476 Bach organ discs and is able to remember and summarize each and every one of them, can help?

[prémont]

Anyone care to comment on this one?  Jens Christensen is an organist who I only know through an extraordinary AoF

Jens Escherich Christensen is a pupil of Grethe Krogh and Anton Heiller and has been organist in residence at the organ of Vor Frelsers Kirke in Copenhagen (the organ used for the recording) for many years. For "Kontrapunkt" he has recorded three double CD´s: The Art of Fugue, Clavierübung III, The Orgelbüchlein (with a number of Kirnberger chorales and other individual chorales as fillers) and also a single CD with Spanish Baroque organ music. His playing is informed and technically accomplished. His interpretations are marked by a strong individuality, which initially may seem distracting, but which has grown on me by each listening. He plays rather many of the Orgelbüchlein chorales in a very slow pace - slower than I ever heard, and the inner calm which results, leaves room for peaceful meditation, even in a chorale like "Alle Menschen müssen sterben", where he seems to put focus on the peace of death instead of the kind of merciless fate towards which the accompanying restless figuration in the left hand seems to associate. I am not sure, that his interpretation is what Bach thought of, but it works in the way he realizes it. The organ is sonically well caught (I have listened to this organ live several times). The CDs may be recommended to listeners who look for individuality in interpretation.

[prémont]

I'm having a bit of an orgelbuchlein binge at the moment so if there are any records which you think are interesting or which are landmarks in some way, please let me know.

The number of recordings of the Orgelbüchlein I own is incidentally 46, exactly the number of chorales in the cycle.

I do not know, which recordings you know, and before I try to recommend some (others?), I would like to know your point of departure.