This week on the Organ Loft you'll hear selections from “Be Still My Soul”, a recent disc from the choir of All Saints Beverly Hills, and Bach’s Mass in F with the Washington Bach Consort.
Program
Percy Whitlock: "Be Still, My Soul“1
Harold Friedell: "Jesus, so lowly“1
Gabriel Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine1
J.S. Bach: O Lamm Gottes, unschuldig, S. 6562
F. Melius Christiansen: Lamb of God3
J.S. Bach: Mass in F major, BWV 2334
Recordings Used:
“Be Still, My Soul” Choir of All Saints’ Church, Beverly Hills, CA, Dale Adelmann, conductor, Craig Phillips, organist, Gothic G-49251
“The Leipzig Chorales/J.S. Bach” Christa Rakich, organ; Loft LRCD-1078-79
“Eternity” National Lutheran Choir, David Cherwien, director, NLCA02022 (available from The Gothic Catalog)
“The Bach Masses, v.1” Washington Bach Consort, Reilly Lewis, dir. Loft LRCD-1068
Have you ever wanted a recording from any of the labels in The Gothic Catalog, and it's either out of print or out of stock? Well, we have some suggestions for you.
ArkivMusic is stocking out of print releases from both Gothic Records and Loft Recordings. Here are links to these albums:
And, if the album you're looking for is simply out of stock, make sure to send us an email at info@gothic-catalog.com. You can also check ClassicsOnline for the CD, or if it's not in stock there either, you can download the MP3s there as well. Here are the links to our recordings on ClassicsOnline:
"Audiophile Best Find" of 2007, "Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com) http://www.clofo.com/
"Davidsson is a very musical player with a virtuosic flair well suited to this music. The phrasing in the chorale preludes is exquisitely sensitive. His interpretation of the Passacaglia is one of the best I’ve heard. This is an outstanding recording from every point of view. Bravo!"
—American Record Guide
STAR RECORDING (Record of the month) (review of both Volumes 1 and 2)
"It is difficult to know where to begin with these four CDs. This is a monumental recording in all sorts of ways. It is special because of the mean-tone tuning and the effect that this has on the music and the way it sounds. While we cannot be sure how the music would have sounded originally, the Baroque Organ project led by GOArt and sited in the Örgryte nya kyrka has done so much to foster interest in, and knowledge of, organ building at the time. It is good that we now have these recordings so that we can hear for ourselves.
There are some delicious sounds throughout – partly the registers, partly the tuning – often challenging the listener, especially when the choice of stops is not what we might think of today – as for example playing fugues on reed stops in a kind of Grand Jeu. But it is the vast range of colour that is most impressive, including a delightful cymbelstern. The CDs use the ULSI recording technique, which certainly gives the listener a feeling of intimacy and contact with player and instrument and adds much to the overall quality of the recordings.
The second two CD set focusses on music which JS Bach and his circle studied, shared and admired. There is thus an added fascination when listening to these pieces for the insight that they give with regard to later organ music.
Hans Davidsson – such a fine player, especially in this context – is to be congratulated, as are all the team involved. The sleeve notes are full and well produced, though there is also a significant amount of additional material, including notes on each piece and a complete listing of all registrations used at www.gothic-catalog.com. These CDs are most highly recommended, and have to be a star recording of star recordings as far as I am concerned; they are an absolute must to buy." —The Organ (UK)
Classical Lost and Found:
"Strange and wondrous sounding things happen when you hear early Baroque organ music performed on a mean-tone tempered instrument like the one here. That's because this method of tuning produces pure major thirds, which were all the rage in Dieterich Buxtehude's day (1637-1707) as they were thought to be the musical equivalent of "heavenly harmony." Not only that, but they intensify the contrast between consonances and dissonances in music thereby giving it greater emotional impact. So it's quite likely this is what you would have heard at the prestigious St. Mary's Church in Lubeck, Germany, when the composer was organist there. However, these "heavenly thirds" come at a cost, because pieces in certain keys can sound harsh or even dissonant on mean-tone instruments. So steps must be taken to ameliorate these incompatibilities. The most radical solution is to transpose the work in question to a more listener-friendly key, and in Buxtehude’s day organists did this all the time. Besides transposition though, there are several other ways to accomplish this. For instance, the organ for this recording has additional sub-semitone black keys and pedals just for this purpose (see the excellent album notes for an explanation and picture of them). These are necessitated by the fact that accidentals like d-sharp and e-flat, which are the same identical note and represented by just one black key on a conventionally tuned instrument, must take on slightly different pitches on a mean-tone one in order to minimize the problems mentioned above. Additionally the performer can downplay dissonant notes by shortening their length, camouflaging them with ornaments and/or even opting for leaner registrations that make them less apparent.
The highly versatile and talented soloist here, Hans Davidsson, uses every trick at his disposal to come up with some of the most colorful Baroque music that ever emanated from an organ pipe. As a matter of fact, after you've heard this album, Buxtehude on a conventionally tuned instrument comes off sounding rather drab! The one Davidsson plays here is located in Gothenberg, Sweden and it’s absolutely spectacular. That’s because it’s a modern day synthesis of the finest North German Baroque instruments from such builders as the great Arp Schnitger. Not only that, but this is one of the best sounding recordings of "The Pope of Instruments" to come along in some time. It utilizes Erik Sikkema's new ULSI recording technology, which does for church spaces what Ray Kimber's IsoMike does for the concert hall (see the 17 February 2007 newsletter). Accordingly, audiophiles who love organ music must have this release, and are encouraged to read about ULSI. (click here for details)
Musically, artistically and sonically producer Roger Sherman has a “Triple Crown” winner with this, the first of three albums from Loft Recordings devoted to the composer's complete organ works a la mean-tone. This one contains all of his better known ones, so it's perfect for those wanting a single highlights album. However, a word of warning, after you hear it, you may well find "you can't eat just one!" Those desiring more detailed information about what’s included can find it on the new, beautifully appointed Gothic Web Site."
-- Bob McQuiston, Classical Lost and Found (CLOFO.com) www.CLOFO.COM
Buxtehude Organ Works—Hans Davidsson (7 CDs total)
Recent research shows that Buxtehude had only mean-tone organs at his disposal during his life. Although there are many good recordings on well-tempered organs (including some antiques), performing these works on mean-tone instruments requires both a radical re-assessment of traditional performance ideas and a large and extraordinary organ. Hans Davidsson is the ideal performer for this task, and he plays the huge “North German Baroque Organ” of Gothenburg, Sweden. The complete organ works are recorded here in three volumes totaling seven compact discs.
Bach: One of a Kind
William Porter, organist
Fritts organ, Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, Washington
This is the first nationally released CD recorded on the new Paul Fritts organ at PLU. Fritts' magnum opus, this spectacular organ has 54 stops/ 80 ranks on three manuals. The pedal division includes a full length 32' Posuane as well as a 32' Subbass. The combination of one of the finest organ builders and organists in the United States, 24-bit recording technology, and Lagerquist Hall's four-second reverberation time, make this CD a must-have!
Our number one selling Bach organ CD.
"Star Recording!" Recording of the month, The Organ magazine, UK
"This disk is highly recommended as one of the best single Bach organ recording I've heard in quite a while. An organ recording for Bach lovers."—BachCantatas.com
Joan Lippincott marked a few milestones recently. First, she celebrated her 75th Birthday, and second she celebrated 30 Years of recordings on Gothic Records.
Recent research shows that Buxtehude had only mean-tone organs at his disposal during his life. Although there are many good recordings on well-tempered organs (including some antiques), performing these works on mean-tone instruments requires both a radical re-assessment of traditional performance ideas and a large and extraordinary organ. Hans Davidsson is the ideal performer for this task, and he plays the huge “North German Baroque Organ” of Gothenburg, Sweden. The complete organ works are recorded here in three volumes totaling seven compact discs.
Dieterich Buxtehude and His Organ Music
Diderich “Hansen” Buxtehude (1637–1707) was born in Denmark, and was active as an organist, composer, and cultural entrepreneur in Denmark and Sweden as well as in Germany where he became known as Dieterich Buxtehude. His father, Johannes (Hans) Buxtehude, who started his career as organist in Helsingborg but soon moved to Helsingør, taught Dieterich the foundations of organ playing and introduced him to Johan Lorentz, Jr., the famous organist at St. Nicolai in Copenhagen. It is possible that Dieterich studied with Lorentz or that he was sent to Franz Tunder in Lübeck or Heinrich Scheidemann or, perhaps, Matthias Weckman in Hamburg (although we have no evidence for this). In 1657, he became organist in St. Mary’s church in Helsingborg and, in 1660, he assumed the same responsibility at St. Mary’s in Helsingør. When Franz Tunder died on the 5th of November 1667, the attractive position at St. Mary’s in Lübeck became vacant. In April of 1668, Buxtehude succeeded Tunder there and was formally appointed organist and Werkmeister. This prestigious position in the significant Hanseatic League city of Lübeck became the primary arena for his activities as organist, composer, chief administrator, and cultural entrepreneur for the next forty years.
Buxtehude continued Tunder’s concerts for the opening of the stock market, and further developed them into a series of “Abendmusiken” that occurred after the Vespers on the last two Sundays of Trinity and the second, third, and fourth Sundays of Advent. These soon- famous “Abendmusiken” were directed from the large organ. With its six surrounding balconies it could accommodate about forty singers and musicians, which presented an amazing visual effect and created a magnificent acoustical and symbolic representation of the “Macrocosm,” the music of the heavenly choirs and the medieval concept of the harmony of the spheres. The large ensemble performed new music by Buxtehude and other important composers in the Italian-German concerto or multi-choral style. Like Matthias Weckman with his Collegium Musicum in Hamburg (1660-1674), Buxtehude developed a significant forum for the performance of new music, previously reserved for relatively small audiences at courts, and created a new public function and demand for this representative music in the core of the Hanseatic city culture. The many manuscripts of his music, of central German to Scandinavian origin, bear witness to the Abendmusiken’s significant influence. The collection is the largest body of organ, vocal and instrumental music of any musician active in Northern Europe in the seventeenth century. Truly a musicus perfectus, Buxtehude composed vocal, instrumental, and keyboard music of all categories, and in his music we find such a variety of styles and genres that we must inevitably approach his work from a general cultural perspective; the organ music, in particular, must be viewed through the lens of the monumental organs of the cities of the Hanseatic League.
List Price: $84.98 Our Price:$59.98 You save $25.00!
To celebrate, here is one of our fantastic choral releases featuring World Premier Recordings of Randall Thompson's "Five Love Songs". Enjoy one of these "The Happy Shore" courtesy of The Organ Loft.
The Light of Stars
The Choral Music of Randall Thompson
Choral Arts, directed by Richard Sparks
Randall Thompson is one of the most important American composers of choral music. Writing in an unabashed Romantic style, this music is ideal for a choir like Choral Arts, which prides themselves in purity and breadth of choral sound.
This recording contains Thompson’s “Alleluia,” probably the most popular American choral work ever written, as well as six works never before recorded.
Op. 19, of Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
Houston, TX
This week on The Organ Loft, we have our second program featuring the new Martin Pasi organ at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Houston. This week featured organist is David Higgs, chair of the organ department at Eastman, and he plays three large works, in concert. Martin builds organs in the Pacific Northwest, and you can find pictures and links to the organ at his website http://www.pasiorgans.com.
Program
J.S. Bach: Passacaglia in c minor, BWV 582
César Franck: Pièce Héroïque
Julius Reubke: The Ninety-fourth Psalm
Recordings Used:
Live recording, supplied by Martin Pasi and used with permission of David Higgs.
Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and we have a wonderful album to share that will make any Valentine's Day celebration even better.
Evening Wind
Choral Music of J.A.C. Redford
Los Angeles Chamber Singers (Grammy winner!)
Peter Rutenberg, Conductor
Evening Wind is a new collection of Choral Music by J.A.C. Redford. With texts by E. E. Cummings and William Wordsworth, this music weaves starswept skies and sunflecked seas around the theme of love.
J.A.C. Redford is an accomplished composer of concert, chamber and choral music, whose works have been performed by Cantus, The Debussy Trio, Los Angeles Chamber Singers, Los Angeles Master Choral, St. Martin's Chamber Choir, Utah Chamber Artists and Utah Symphony. In films, Redford is best known for scores to The Trip to Bountiful, Oliver & Company, and Newsies, as well as the television series Coach and St. Elsewhere for which he received Emmy® nominations.
The Los Angeles Chamber Singers have been one of L.A.'s premier ensembles for 16 years. This brilliant choral organization guided by Peter Rutenberg, specializes in contemporary choral literature and works closely with Los Angeles composers to develop and encourage new repertoire. Evening Wind is their fifth release, their first for the Clarion Label.
“Upon hearing a performance of Love is the Only Every God, I was struck by the evocative, colorful settings of these E. E. Cummings texts. This is music that every college/professional conductor should know.” —Jerry McCoy, University of North Texas
If you missed this Sunday's broadcast of The Organ loft, don't despair. You can still listen to William Averitt's "The Dream Keeper" in our newest Organ Loft YouTube Video:
February is Black History month, and we begin this month with spirituals and a suite by William Averitt of the poetry of Langston Hughes. Also, this week we'll hear a rarely heard version of the Frank Fantasie in C and a performance of a concerto by Leopold Mozart played on trumpet and organ at King's College in Cambridge.
“The Spirituals of William L. Dawson” St. Olaf Choir, Anton Armstrong, conductor; St. Olaf Records E-2159
“A Fantasy through Time” Kimberly Marshall, Loft LRCD-1108
“The King’s Trumpeter: Music for Trumpet and Organ from King’s College, Cambridge” Crispian Steele Perkins, trumpet, Stephen Cleobury, organ; Priory PRCD 189
“Mornings Like This” Choral Arts, Robert Bode, director; Gothic G-49273
Frederick Swann will be live in concert at the Church of Good Shepherd in Arcadia, California on Sunday, February 13th at 3pm! The concert is to dedicate the newly installed Rogers 5-Manual Masterpieces Series Classical Organ, the largest digital drawknob organ on the West Coast.
An incredible series of events has led to the installation of the largest all-digital drawknob organ in California - and it happened virtually overnight. Reverend Dr. Philip Bertolo Wood serves as Senior Pastor, a position he has held since 1996. Timothy Durkovic is Director of Music, Principal Organist and Carol Choir Director. The music ministry involves over 130 people. In 2010, a new 3-manual Rodgers organ was installed in the Chapel chancel area. and Antiphonal Division and Festival Trumpet were mounted high in the rear to great aural effect. The results in the Chapel were so successful that the church developed a renewed and immediate interest in installing a new organ in the Sanctuary. Through a generous donation, funds were immediately available and plans were made for the installation of a new 5-manual Rodgers in time for Easter - just two weeks away.
The Masterpiece organ selected for the Sanctuary is a state-of-the-art digital instrument that is equivalent to 195 pipe ranks, larger than any other all-digital drawknob instrument in Southern California, according to Dr. Robert Tall. A handsome dark oak casework for the rear gallery is under construction and will be installed mid-summer. The new casework will be visually pleasing with its new facade pipes and a new flamed copper Trumpet en Chamade. The existing Moller pipe organ served the congregation well, but it was in need of rebuilding and was not adequate for the size of the building. The church opted not to incorporate the Moller instrument into the new organ. Instead, the pipes were removed and given to several organ builders to be reused in local projects.
Frederick L. Swann (born 1931) is a prominent Americam church and concert organist, recording artist, choral conductor, and former president of the American Guild of Organists (2002–2008). During his career spanning more than a half-century, he has performed on most of the well-known pipe organs in the world and made numerous compact disc recordings.[1] Swann has been called "one of the country's most distinguished organists".[2] He is Organist Emeritus of the Crystal Cathedral and the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. He has appeared at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, St. Paul's Cathedral in London; and Passau Cathedral in Germany. He played the inaugural concert of the 6,125-pipe organ of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall.[5]
The Los Angeles Times called Swann's playing "Splendid, probing, brilliant and entertaining ... As always, Swann is an inspiration". Baltimore Sun music critic Tim Smith has called him "one of the country's most distinguished organists".
For further information, please visit the church website at www.goodshepherdarcadia.org and call Timothy Durkovic, Music Director, at 626-447-2181.
Mendelssohn Organ Sonatas
Holzhey Organ (1787)
Abbey church of Weißenau, Germany
Jonathan Dimmock, organist
Recorded on the spectacular Holzhey organ at Weißenau Abbey (Bavaria)—an organ which Mendelssohn loved—these Sonatas synthesize Baroque and Classical style with Romantic sentiment, establishing the musical vocabulary later used by Schumann, Brahms and Liszt.
“Dimmock's recording succeeds in illustrating Mendelssohn's lineage to the great Bach tradition with extremely persuasive performances of the six organ sonatas." —Choir and Organ
