Producers note:
Somehow producing church organ recordings rarely crossed my path. It always fascinated me however, because the HQMM Immersive recording principle (see page left) would suit the setting perfectly. From an early age on, organ was in my life because my best friend is a true aficionado and he insisted for ages that I would - have a go on it -. Now after all these years the perfect opportunity presented itself with Aart Bergwerff at the helm on the most suitable organ imaginable for this repertoire, the pinnacle of organ literature.
I dedicate this recording warmheartedly to my old buddy Johan Smelt who kept my interest for and knowledge about the organ alive for half a century.
2024 Bert van der Wolf-Oude Avenhuis
(Low Resolution excerpts)
Adrian Quanjer and HRAudio.net
"I for one would, if I could, value this album at a level of 6 rather than 5 stars for both interpretation and recording. No wonder, noting that, once more, Northstar Recording Services have been hired for the job"
In Johann Sebastian Bach’s six organ sonatas, three independent voices sound interchangeably. The right hand plays the highest voice, the left hand the middle voice and the feet the bass. A true musician wants to play each voice as if for the first time, responding spontaneously to what the others bring up. To bring such a sung conversation to life with hands and feet, he listens with equal attention and love to all the voices simultaneously. It is a miracle that it can be done. When it succeeds, it all seems simple and natural. A world opens up to the listener, in which it is hardly imaginable that there is anything more beautiful than a trio sonata by Bach.
Album Tracks
CD1
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Sonata No. 1 in E flat Major BWV 525
[1] - 3:14
Reg.: I: P8 (rh) - II: Pr4 B4 (lh,8va) - P: O8
[2] Adagio 5:35
Reg.: I: FT8 (rh) - II: B4 R4 (lh,8va) - P: V16
[3] Allegro 4:18
Reg.: II: GG8 Q8 R4 B4 F2 Q1 ½ (rh) - I: GG8 G8 O4 F4 Q3 - P: QB16 V16 O8 B4
Sonata No. 2 in C Minor BWV 526
[4] Vivace 4:04
Reg.: I: P8 F4 (rh) - II: Pr4 B4 W2 (lh,8va) - P: QB16 V16 O8
[5] Largo 4:09
Reg.: I: G8 (rh) - II: R4 II+III (lh,8va) - III: S4 - P: QB16 P+I
[6] Allegro 4:53
Reg.: I: P8 O4 Q3 (rh) - II: Pr4 B4 Q 1 ½ II+III (lh,8va) - III: Pr4 P4 S2 - P: QB16 O8 P+I
Sonata No. 3 in D Minor BWV 527
[7] Andante 6:27
Reg.: II: GG8 R4 (rh) - III: S4 N2 (lh,8va) - P: P+I - I: G8
[8] Adagio e dolce 4:27
Reg.: II: F8 (rh) - III: P4 (lh,8va) - P: P+I - I: G8
[9] Vivace 4:26
Reg.: I: P8 O8 (rh) - III: Pr4 P4 S4 (lh,8va) - P: QB16 O8 B4
CD2
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
Sonata No. 4 in E Minor BWV 528
[1] Adagio-vivace 3:02
Reg.: I: G8 S8 O8 (rh) - II: Pr4 (lh,8va) - P: O8
[2] Andante 5:58
Reg.: I: G8 (rh) - II: R4 II+III (lh,8va) - III: S4 - P: V16 - Tremulant
[3] Un poc’ allegro 2:49
Reg.: I: GG8 FT8 F4 Q3 (rh) - II: Pr4 B4 O2 F2 (lh,8va) - P: QB16 V16 O8 B4
Sonata No. 5 in C Major BWV 529
[4] Allegro 5:14
Reg.: II: GG8 R4 W2 (rh) - I: GG8 FT8 F4 (lh) - P: O8 B4
[5] Largo 6:20
Reg.: I: FT8 (rh) - II: Q8 F8 - P: V16
[6] Allegro 4:18
Reg.: II: F16 GG8 Q8 F8 Pr4 SO2 II+III (rh) - III: Q8 Pr4 P4 N3 S2
I: Q16 P8 O4 Q3 O2 O8 - P: P16 QB16 O8 Q6 B4 CBII
Sonata No. 6 in G Major BWV 530
[7] Vivace 4:24
Reg.: I: G8 V8 S8 FT8 O4 (rh) - II: Pr4 II+III (lh,8va) - III: S4 S2 - P: QB16 V16 P+I
[8] Lente 6:29
Reg.: II: B4 (rh,8va) - III: P4 (lh,8va) - P: P+I - I: G8
[9] Allegro 4:10
Reg.: I: P8 O4 SO2 (rh) - II: Pr4 Q1 ½ II+III (lh,8va) - III: Pr4 P4 S2 - P: QB16 V16 O8 B4
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