Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 - 1750)
Organ Works
Prelude and fugue in b minor (BWV 544) [11:54]
Prelude and fugue in E flat (BWV 552) [14:51]
Passacaglia in c minor (BWV 582) [14:59]
Prelude and fugue in c minor (BWV 546)* [12:52]
Prelude and fugue in C (BWV 547)* [09:32]
Fantasia and fugue in g minor (BWV 542)** [12:32]
Prelude and fugue in G (BWV 541)** [07:09]
O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß (BWV 622)**
[04:45]
Vor deinen Thron tret' ich hiermit (BWV 668/668a)** [03:58]
Toccata, adagio and fugue in C (BWV 564)** [15:34]
Prelude and fugue in a minor (BWV 543)* [11:45]
Prelude and fugue in e minor (BWV 548)* [16:52]
Hubert Meister (organ)
rec. 1981, Schutzengelkirche, Eichstatt, Germany; 1983, Pfarrkirche
St Hilarius, Näfels, Switzerland*; 1985, Stadtpfarrkirche St Peter und
Paul, Ried im Innkreis, Austria**
MUSIKPRODUKTION DABRINGHAUS UND GRIMM MDG 606 1708-2 [64:21 + 72:59]
Hubert Meister was a German organist who was born in 1938 and died
in 2010. He studied theology, philosophy and music, worked as a musicologist
for the G. Henle-Verlag, was professor for musicology and music theory and
was also active as a performer. On the occasion of his death three
recordings, were originally released on vinyl, were reissued on CD. One of
his main interests was the role of rhetoric in the music of Johann Sebastian
Bach. "As Hubert Meister acknowledged in one of his articles on musical
rhetoric, it was very important for him 'to loosen the tongue' of Bach's
music and 'to make it speak'. He received profound training as a theologian
and musicologist and much preferred to have Bach's rhetoric make its impact
from the organ than in theoretical writings", according to Alfred Solder in
a programme booklet of the Austrian channel ORF in 1996.
Considering Meister's concern about the true character of Bach's
organ works it is surprising that he made these three recordings on new
instruments, which were built by the Swiss manufacturer Mathis Orgelbau.
These are 'classical' instruments, though, and two of them are in unequal
temperament which - as Meister underlines in his liner-notes - is essential
in bringing out the different characteristics of the various keys which in
Bach's time were closely connected to a specific Affekt.
The earliest recordings, from 1980, are the least convincing. They
were also made using an instrument of which the temperament is not
mentioned, and is probably in equal temperament. In these works the
articulation is mostly not clear enough, and there are too many passages
which are played legato. Meister sees the Prelude in E flat
(BWV 552) as written in the style of the French overture, and that is
reflected by his registration. Notable is the difference in pace between the
three sections of the fugue which follows it: the first is in an average
tempo, the second slow and the third very fast. The playing of the third
fugue's subject is a bit awkward.
In his liner-notes one recognizes his theological schooling as he
pays much attention to the fact that many free organ works are connected to
aspects of Christian - and in particular Lutheran - doctrine. That is, for
instance, the case with the Passacaglia in c minor (BWV 582). The
subject of the fugue is based on the Christe eleison from the
Messe du 12e ton by the French composer André Raison. This is
the basis of Meister's explanation of the various rhetorical figures of
which Bach makes use. I'm not that impressed with the performance. The tempo
is rather slow, and because of the frequent changes in registration it
doesn't come off as a unity.
The recordings from 1983 show that Meister had developed his
interpretation. The articulation is better and the performances are more
speechlike. I have no doubt that part of the greater impact of the pieces
played at the organ in Näfels had to do with the unequal temperament
and also the 'natural' wind-raising, meaning: by manpower. Meister plays
Prelude and fugue in c minor (BWV 546); he sees a similarity between
the prelude and the opening chorus of Cantata 47, Wer sich selbst
erhöhet, der soll erniedriget werden. In the figures in the prelude
he recognizes a depicting of the haughtiness which the cantata refers to. It
is one of Bach's most dramatic organ works, and that is well exposed in
Meister's performance. Even more dramatic is the Prelude and fugue in e
minor (BWV 548) which Meister interprets as a musical expression of God
descending to a world which is in distress and needs redemption. The
performance is one of the best in this set.
One of Bach's most famous organ works is the Toccata, adagio and
fugue in C (BWV 564). The toccata includes a long passage for pedal solo
which unfortunately is seriously underexposed, probably largely due to the
recording. The adagio is very well played, but the fugue is too slow and the
theme is again a bit awkward. The Prelude and fugue in C (BWV 547)
can, according to Meister, be connected to Sunday Epiphany, also because of
the similarity with the opening chorus of Bach's cantata for this Sunday,
Sie werden aus Saba alle kommen (BWV 65). It is played well, but the
opening of the prelude would have been more speechlike if there had been
more differentiation between the notes of every triplet. It may surprise
that Meister plays only two pieces based on a chorale. As I indicated above,
he sees a theological meaning in most of the 'free' organ works, so this
means that basically there is no fundamental difference between the two
categories. O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß (BWV 622) is
from the Orgelbüchlein and one of Bach's most expressive chorale
arrangements. Meister takes a quiet tempo, and the last bars he plays very
slowly, illustrating the closing line of the text: "long on the cross". In
the case of Vor deinen Thron tret' ich hiermit (BWV 668/668a) he
warns against any sentimentality and subjectivity in the interpretation. He
plays it in a pretty straightforward way, in a moderate but certainly not
slow tempo.
I can't tell what kind of impact these recordings had in Germany
when they were first released. At that time the organ world was still pretty
conservative, at least in Germany. In the Netherlands, where I live, the
principles of historical performance practice were much more rapidly
embraced, also by organists. In the 1980s some Dutch organists delivered
better performances - from a historical perspective - of Bach's organ music
than Hubert Meister. That was partly due to the strong influence of Gustav
Leonhardt. In Germany many organists were still playing Bach in the style of
Helmut Walcha. Hubert Meister's performances are quite different and are
therefore interesting from the angle of the developments in performance
practice. Therefore it would not be fair to compare these performances with
the most recent as they are available on disc right now.
Even so, these discs are more than just a documentation of a stage
in the history of Bach interpretation. As I indicated I have problems with
some aspects of Meister's interpretations. The tempi are sometimes slowish,
the articulation isn't always as clear as one would wish and there is a lack
of differentation between notes. Listening to this set I have gained great
respect for Hubert Meister's performances, though, and often I find them
quite captivating. His own liner-notes are very helpful to the understanding
of the character of these pieces. It is a great shame that they are only
printed in German and have not been translated into English. I need to add
that Meister's analyses are not shared by everyone; elsewhere one can find
other analyses. Nevertheless, his liner-notes are interesting and
challenging and should be taken very seriously.
Every lover of Bach's organ music should consider purchasing this
set which is mostly captivating and definitely interesting from the angle of
performance practice.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
More than just a documentation of a stage in the history of Bach interpretation.