Mdg

Although finally welcomed into the classical canon – with some trepidation late in the 20th century, mostly among the cognoscenti, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach remains a bit of a cipher to many listeners, among the musical sons of Bach whom they've never heard anything from. The experts who love him attest to his high level of enigmatic eccentricity and his sense of stylistic separation from any other Bach son, and this echoes to some extent what Carl Friedrich Zelter remembered about him long after Bach's death; "As a composer he was driven by a need to be original, to distance himself from his father and brothers." But also, as Zelter continued, "he fell into fussiness, pedantry and futility."

Though other Baroque composers had written chorale arrangements for organ in which the cantus firmus was assigned to a solo wind instrument, the idea of writing a Fantasia for the same combination seems to have originated with Johann Krebs. His soulful, eloquent Fantasia in F minor for oboe and organ was celebrated in its day, and when you hear it on this engaging recording, you can well understand why. Though the fantasias are the more intricate works, the chorales with wind obbligato are admirable for their contrapuntal inventiveness and for the various ways in which the composer chooses to set the familiar tunes.

Scots-born composer Eugen d'Albert established his career in Germany, considered himself a German composer, and his 21 operas (written in German) are saturated with the musical language of Germanic post-Romanticism. Der Golem (1926) came from late in his career, and while its Frankfurt premiere was considered a success, it has not held the stage. This MDG recording comes from a first-rate production at Theater Bonn in 2010. The opera is skillfully written, but the recording confirms the judgment of history: Der Golem is just not an especially compelling piece, either musically or dramatically.

The music on this album, sunny in mood and mostly in major keys, does not sound fiery and sublime to the modern listener. But the intent of the historical-performance group La Ricordanza is to put the listener into the frame of mind in which the courtiers of Frederick the Great of Prussia would have heard this music in the middle of the 18th century. In this the group succeeds, even if "the sources of Quantz's inspiration" as a subtitle makes the disc sound as though it's of exclusively academic interest.

Remastered from the original LP recording, this performance is now available on CD.
Leclair was one of the best violinists of his times. The story is told that he had to compete in a musical duel with Locatelli in Kassel - then a most highly popular form of musical entertainment. The chronicler describes his "devilish" playing, contrasting it with the "angelic" style of his Italian rival. His trio sonatas suggest familiarity with the Italian school but also draw on entirely independent French traditions and shine with ingenious inventions and harmonic refinements.

Marcel Dupre - Organ Works, Volume 1 - Ben van Oosten (1999) {MDG 316 0951-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 177 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 142 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 62 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1999 MDG | MDG 316 0951-2
Classical / 20th Century / Organ

Marcel Dupré was the foremost French organ virtuoso of his time, an heir to the great tradition of Romantic French organ playing and composing. Dupré was famed for his ability to improvise; he also composed substantial works and was a widely traveled recitalist and an influential teacher.

Marcel Dupre - Organ Works, Volume 2 - Ben van Oosten (2001) {MDG 316 0952-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 268 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 189 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 89 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2001 MDG | MDG 316 0952-2
Classical / 20th Century / Organ

Marcel Dupré was the foremost French organ virtuoso of his time, an heir to the great tradition of Romantic French organ playing and composing. Dupré was famed for his ability to improvise; he also composed substantial works and was a widely traveled recitalist and an influential teacher.

Marcel Dupre - Organ Works, Volume 3 - Ben van Oosten (2002) {MDG 316 0953-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 196 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 147 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 64 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2002 MDG | MDG 316 0953-2
Classical / 20th Century / Organ

Ben van Oosten is a gifted organist; of that there is no doubt. He understands the art of registration deeply, and is especially adept with the Cavaille-Coll tradition. This recording was the basis for my own study of Le Chemin de la Croix, and I profited considerably from it.

Marcel Dupre - Organ Works, Volume 4 - Ben van Oosten (2002) {MDG 316 0954-2}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 272 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 157 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 60 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2002 MDG | MDG 316 0954-2
Classical / 20th Century / Organ

I have a number of CDs in Ben Van Oosten's complete recordings of Marcel Dupré and this is one of my favourites. The selection of pieces is varied and interesting, but it's the organ and quality of the recording that is most impressive. The Willis organ at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin is a magnificent example of the best in British organ building, and the recording captures the power in a way that showcases some of Dupré's most interesting later works.