Raven Recordings OAR-914.
Ravencd.com. This is an excellent documentary of the last organ built by a member of the Schnitger family, Arp’s grandson. Arp Schnitger had two sons, Franz Caspar and Johann Jürgen, who apprenticed with him. Following Arp’s death in 1719, the brothers established an or- ganbuilding firm in Zwolle, The Nether- lands, which Franz Caspar continued to run until his death in 1729. His widow merged the workshop with that of Albert Anthoni Hinsz, whom she subsequently married. This workshop, located in Groningen, con- tinued the Schnitger organbuilding tradi- tion. In due time, the couple produced a son, Franz Caspar Jr., who learned the organ- building craft and inherited the Groningen workshop following Hinsz’s death in 1785. Caspar Jr. initiated a partnership with Hein- rich Hermann Freytag, who had also worked in the Hinsz workshop. Together they con- tinued producing organs in the Schnitger tra- dition, including the instrument for the Mag- nuskirche in Bellingwolde, completed two years before Caspar Jr.’s death in 1799. Housed within an agreeable acoustical envi- ronment, it remains in nearly original condi- tion. With 17 stops over two manuals with a pulldown pedal, this beautiful organ has much to tell about the genuine Schnitger sound, and how that sound evolved through the generations. The principals sing with a liquid transparency. The flutes are round, warm, and distinctive. The Dulciaan and Vox Humana possess a charming nasal, al- most vocal quality, while the Trompet as- serts itself in the plenum. The mutations and upperwork are bold yet unaggressive; the plenumis bright, piquant, andwell balanced. Elizabeth Harrison, who is a leading au-
thority on Baroque organ pedagogy and ex- ecutive director of the Historic Organ Re- source Program, expertly demonstrates the many tonal possibilities of the Bellingwolde organ with a program that spans nearly three centuries. She opens with music predating J.S. Bach, including works by Sweelinck (Toccata in A Minor), Scheidemann (O Gott, wir danken deiner Güt), Steigleder (Vater unser, Variation 40 auf Toccata Manier), and Böhm (Partita on Ach wie nichtig, ach wie flüchtig). J.S. Bach is represented by his Pre- lude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 539. The remainder of the program demonstrates that the organ is equally effective in performance of 18th-century music, providing valuable insights into how this genre may be authen- tically presented. Works include Beetho- ven’s “Adagio” from Drei Stücke für eine Mechanische Orgel, C.P.E. Bach’s Sonata in F, “Jesu, meine Freude” from the Clavier- übung of Krebs, and his Fugue in A Minor. Harrison plays with historic authenticity, clear phrasing, strong rhythm, and an unaf- fected yet engaging style. She chooses regis- trations that are consonant with the given character of the music, and at the same time provides an aural tour of the instrument. Specific registrations are printed in the program booklet. Organ historians and gen- eral audiences alike will appreciate this recording.
HUMBLED. Paul Melley, composer, vocals, piano, keyboard, drums, and guitar, with supporting instrumentalists and vocalists. GIA Publications CD-707.
Giamusic.com.
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Paul Melley is a gifted song writer and per- former who here presents twelve of his sa- cred songs created in the pop/contemporary Christian idiom. In addition to creating his own texts, he draws upon Scripture and other religious writers. His mellow, pleasant baritone voice is accompanied by attractive, varied instrumentation, including piano, guitar, drums, violin, viola and cello, bass, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, Wurlitzer or- gan, and background treble vocals. He em- ploys a variety of styles within the popular idiom. In the ongoing conversations con- cerning Traditional and Contemporary Christian music, there are at least two com- monfactors that determine viability: musical quality and excellence of presentation. This recording is exemplary in both. Paul Melley has created music that represents contempo- rary Christian at its best, packaged and per- formed in a manner that is in keeping with that of well-trained classical musicians. While maintaining excellence, he also sings from the heart, demonstrating a sincere, strong faith rooted in the Catholic tradition. In addition to providing a pleasurable listen- ing experience, this recording (and the cor- responding printed material published by GIA Publications) will be useful for many as a resource for worship and personal devo- tions, as well as for leaders of worship teams.
DIETERICH BUXTEHUDE: A 300TH AN- NIVERSARY CELEBRATION. Gregory M. Peterson, organist. III/61 Robert Sipe organ (Opus 49, 1978) of the Center for Faith and Life, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa. Avail- able from MorningStar Music Publishers, CD-05-DB,
www.morningstarmusic.com. Gregory Peterson, an internationally ac- claimed recitalist, is assistant professor of music and college organist at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He produced this fine CD sampling of Buxtehude’s organ music in 2007, in commemoration of the 300th an- niversary of the composer’s death. The pro- gram features a nice mix of free and chorale- based works. The former group includes Praeludium in C, BuxWV 137; Canzonetta in G, BuxWV 171; Toccata in D Minor, BuxWV 155; Ciacona in E Minor, BuxWV 160; and Praeludium in G Minor, BuxWV 149. Inter- spersed among these are chorale settings that represent seasons of the Liturgical Year: Komm, heiliger Geist, Herr Gott (BuxWV 199), Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (BuxWV 211), In dulci jubilo (BuxWV 197), Ach Herr, mich armen Sünder (BuxWV 179), Jesus Christus, unser Heiland (BuxWV 198), Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern(BuxWV 223), and Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott (BuxWV 184). Peterson’s performances are commendable for their stylistic integrity, en- ergy, strength, clarity, crisp articulation, clear phrasing, and well-controlled rhythm. His playing style meshes well with the in- strument, with its bold, bright, clear, trans- parent voicing. His registrations demonstrate the various colors of the instrument’s solo voices as well as its ensembles and plenums, all the while being appropriate to the re- spective works. This is an excellent combi- nation of exciting playing, repertoire, and a fine representation of a historically based modern tonal aesthetic by one of our leading organbuilders.
JAMES HILDRETH
BOOKS
ORGELPUNKT: DIE GESCHICHTE UND DIE ORGELN DER SCHLOSSKIRCHE ZU BONN, ed. Thomas Hübner and Reinhard Schmidt-Rost. Rheinbach: CMZ-Verlag Winrich C.-W. Clasen, 2012. 357 pp., ill. ISBN 9783-870621261. €39.80. A new two- manual organ is lucky to be described in a 16-page booklet. When the new instrument is built by an organbuilder of international reputation in its hometown and found in a church where Beethoven spent eight years as organist, however, the rules are different and a beautiful book is justified. The Schlosskirche at the University of
Bonn dates from 1779 and is used for Protes- tant worship. Builders of the five previous organs in the Schlosskirche are Gottlieb Friedrich Riedler (instrument extant in Bonn from 1784 to 1822), Johann Christian Weil (1822–1913), E.F. Walcker & Cie. (1913–29), Paul Faust (1930–44), and Paul Ott (1960– 2011). The gap between the fourth and fifth organs is attributable to the fact that the Schlosskirche was destroyed in 1944 but re- built in 1957. Johannes Klais Orgelbau built the current instrument with mechanical key and stop action as its Opus 1882. This opus number is special, because the Klais firm, now in its fourth generation, was founded in 1882. The stoplist of the organ, completed in 2012, is Hauptwerk 8.8.8.8.4.4.22
1.II.8.Glockenspiel; Oberwerk 8.8.4.4.22 13
/5.II(11 /3
/3.2.III.11 /3
/3 . .2. ).8; Pedal 16.8.8.4.16. The case is in
a modern style but harmonizes nicely with the classical design of the Schlosskirche in- terior and does not block the windows of the back wall as some of the earlier organs had. Thomas Hübner writes the major essay of
this book, a massive account filling 192 pages that survey the history of the six organs of the Schlosskirche. He unravels the story around the organ by Riedler, the one played by Beethoven, and the source of some confu- sion in the literature on Beethoven. The cor- rect family name is Riedler, not Riedlen or Riedeln (admittedly, spelling was somewhat fluid in the late 18th century), and the in- strument was a true church organ, not a posi- tive. Unfortunately, no stoplist has been transmitted. Beethoven was appointed the second court organist in Bonn in 1784 when he was in his 14th year; he moved to Vienna eight years later. Other articles in the book are by Miguel Prestia, the director of music at the Schloss- kirche (music at the Bonn Schlosskirche; re- flections on the Ott organ), Hübner (pho- tographs from the archives of a local firm), Reinhard Schmidt-Rost (reflections of a uni- versity clergyman), Guido Krawinkel (Bee- thoven and the organ), Thomas Becker (the Bonn Schlosskirche), and Gisbert Knopp (history of the Schlosskirche building). In- troductory matter includes greetings from dignitaries, the order of service at the dedi- cation of the new organ, and programs from dedicatory recitals. A series of 22 full-color plates showing the organ construction to completed instrument are distributed throughout the book. Back matter consists of biographies of the authors, notes on illustra- tions, an index of Bible citations, and an in- dex of names. The front and back endpapers contain “Dates in history from the articles in this festschrift” and provide a convenient
THE AMERICAN ORGANIST
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