Organ

For this hybrid SACD of famous organ works by J.S. Bach, Masaaki Suzuki plays the restored Schnitger-Hinz organ in the Martinikerk (Martin's Church), in Groningen, one of the most celebrated instruments in the Netherlands and one which dates back to Bach's time. Its bright, Baroque sonorities and Suzuki's historically informed interpretations give these performances a compelling sense of authenticity and period style. The pieces are among Bach's greatest hits, particularly the Toccata and Fugue in D minor, which gives the program a decisive opening. Following that flashy demonstration, Suzuki is relaxed and almost contemplative in the Pastorale in F major, and continues his thoughtful readings in the Partita on "O Gott, du frommer Gott," the Prelude and Fugue in G minor, and the Canonic Variations on "Vom Himmel hoch da komm' ich her." Yet he includes two sparkling virtuoso performances in the Fantasia in G major and the Prelude and Fugue in E minor, which keep the album from being too soft and subdued. BIS' super audio sound is crisp and detailed, which is no mean feat in a church recording.

With this two-disc set, Friedhelm Flamme brings us Volume 13 in his impressive and valuable coverage of the work of the North German baroque organ masters. Here he turns his attention to the complete organ works of Michael Praetorius of Wolfenbüttel. Praetorius is well known to many early-music lovers for his delightful dance music arrangements from "Terpsichore"; but in fact he was also a choral and organ composer of the very first rank, as well as contributing invaluable theoretical and practical material to our knowledge of music history in his writings.

Amid the never ending list of available recordings of Bach's organ works, it's nice to see a new SACD being released that brings all of his brilliant Toccatas together on one disc. These works, which capture a snapshot of Bach letting his hair down, showcase the essence of the composer at his best. Highly spirited music, brimming with expressive freedom bordering on the ecstatic. Organist Christoph Schoener certainly perceives these elements within the music and delivers up-tempo, animated and exuberant readings of all the pieces that call for it. The highlight for me on this disc is the account of the Toccata in F, BWV 540. A brilliant work, even by Bach's standards, with outstanding harmonic development throughout, underpinned by solid and long-sustained pedal notes upon which Bach constructed cathedrals of sound.

Carl Philipp Emanuel Bachs interest in the organ would seem to be fairly limited, at least judging by the number of pieces he composed for the instrument. The reasons for this attitude could be personal and professional, but could also reflect the changing affections and the new sensibility of the period, since during his lifetime the organ underwent a phase of relative decline. Indeed, following the acme reached by Johann Sebastian Bach, the instrument sank into a phase of neglect in Germany during the second half of the 1700s.

It may be news to many readers that these composers wrote organ music at all, and in the case of Dvorak he virtually didn't, for these are composition exercises from his student days which remained in the archives of Prague Conservatoire until they were found and edited by Jarmil Burghauser in 1980. Some of the world's most boring music has been written as before-service preludes and Dvorak's student exercises are more engaging than many a more professional job, but it would be unwise to read more into them than that. Occasionally Mr. Ericsson seems to be trying too hard, but generally he leaves their homely charm to speak for itself.

A companion to Jan Lehtolas previous recording of Kalevi Ahos monumental organ symphony Alles Vergängliche, the present disc includes five smaller pieces by Aho for organ solo, as well as three compositions for organ and one or two other instruments. First performed at the wedding of his sister, the two brief wedding marches were the first pieces that Aho wrote for the organ, and like the later Wedding Music they are kept in a tonal idiom as the composer writes in his own liner notes: I did not want to distract attention from the bride and groom, but rather to create a suitable atmosphere.

Franz Liszt certainly would have been very pleased with Zuzana Ferjen 269;íkovás selection of the Aloys Mooser organ in the Fribourg Cathedral for the first release of her complete recording of his organ works. Liszt himself travelled to Fribourg with George Sand in 1836 in order to have this instrument presented to him. Inspired by this marvellous organ, he then repeatedly wrote compositions and transcriptions for performance on the organ, constantly expanding the sound panorama to keep up with the advances in organ design.