Dominy Clements has been following this cycle with great interest
and enthusiasm; indeed, he says this latest volume is a ‘must
have’, adding that the organ sound here is more detailed than
it is in the first two instalments (review).
Quite apart from matters of interpretation, I often find the sonics
of such recordings to be something of a ‘wall of sound’,
which hardly conveys the organ’s depth and scale. I make no
secret of my admiration for engineer/producer Mika Koivusalo, whose
organ SACDs for Fuga and Alba strike me as the most immersive and
sophisticated available.
Koivusalo is the man behind fellow Finn Jan Lehtola’s SACD of
Widor’s 3rd and 8th organ symphonies, the many splendours of
which could well make it my Recording of the Year 2013 (review).
Organist Joseph Nolan is new to me, but the great Cavaillé-Coll
of La Madeleine, Paris, is an old friend. It’s not the most
refined or subtle of beasts, but it can make the most thrilling noises.
By contrast the Cavaillé-Coll of St François-de-Sales,
Lyon - used in the Lehtola recording - has a gentler disposition;
it also has a liquid loveliness that’s especially welcome in
the floated detail of quieter passages.
In Nolan’s hands the Prélude of No. 3 strikes
me as a little opaque, although the less-than-forensic recording may
have something to do with that. Alongside Lehtola he also seems a
trifle measured; he certainly doesn’t tease out as much colour
or nuance as Lehtola does. He’s not as supple either, and that
makes for an ever so slightly dulled opener. The Menuetto is
more characterful - there are some shiversome sounds here - and I
found myself warming to the soft-aged sound.
That said, the imposing Marcia looms large and bright, whereas
the Lehtola recording - on both the vanilla and Super Audio layers
- has a presence, a three-dimensionality, that brings out the range
and depth of the composer’s writing in the most astonishing
way. As for the Adagio - surely one of M. Widor’s loveliest
creations - Nolan is wonderfully mobile, and he’s alive to the
jewelled qualities of this music too. If anything Lehtola is even
more lustrous, and his gentle, underpinning pedals are a joy to hear.
Make no mistake, Nolan’s 3rd is very accomplished indeed, and
the engineering is far better than you’ll hear on a run-of-the-mill
organ CD; still, if you want a supremely sensitive, finely calibrated
reading in top-notch sound Lehtola is your man. His disc is exceptional,
one of those rare occasions where the acoustic, instrument, musical
and technical prowess conspire to create something very special. It
really is that good; what a pity it’s a one-off, for a complete
cycle from this partnership would be hard to beat.
Rather than ponder on what-might-have-been I pressed on with the 4th.
The Toccata, while less of a showpiece than that of the ubiquitous
5th, is still very imposing; Nolan despatches it with commendable
clarity and vigour, all of it caught in a big, bold soundscape. The
fugal second movement is a delight; this music is so colourful and
Nolan ensures it has the rhythmic agility it needs to avoid coagulation.
Even more rewarding is the filigreed writing of the Andante cantabile,
which has seldom sounded so light and tactile. Indeed, the range of
voices here reminds one that these pieces were written with an orchestral
palette in mind. Nolan’s delicate, singing line is simply gorgeous,
and I’m astonished at the refined and diaphanous sounds he draws
from this oft unruly instrument.
The skittish Scherzo is no less appealing, and I found myself
marvelling anew at the movement’s Ariel-like mobility and mischief.
It seems the recording is most beguiling in the symphony’s intimate
moments; yes, one might yearn for greater definition in those quiet,
fleeting details, but Nolan’s playing both here and in the elusive
Adagio is beyond reproach. As Caliban would have it, these
‘sweet airs … give delight and hurt not’. Indeed,
such will-o’-the-wispery is welcome in the midst of Widor/Prospero’s
more extravagant gestures, of which the surging Finale is a
good example.
In the wake of Nolan’s fine musicianship it seems impudent to
extol the virtues of the competition; that said, it would be remiss
of me not to, as Lehtola’s pairing of the 3rd and 8th
is a mandatory purchase for Widor fans and audiophiles alike. I can
see why Dominy rates Nolan’s cycle so highly though, and those
who invested in the first two volumes need not hesitate over this
one. The liner-notes - very detailed, but eminently readable - round
off a most desirable package.
Nolan is not without competition in the 3rd, but his 4th is superb;
roll on Volume 4.
Dan Morgan
http://twitter.com/mahlerei
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