BACH
Organ Works volume 6.
Prelude and Fugue in C BWV 545, chorale Preludes BWV 720, 721,727,
741. Fantasia BWV 735, Prelude and Fugue in D BWV 532,Partita BWV 768, Prelude
and Fugue in E minor, BWV 543.
Gerhard Weinberger at the
Christoph Treutmann Organ at Grauhof Monastery.
CPO 999 700 -2 (DDD)
(77.26)
Crotchet
Amazon
UK bargain price
This is another splendid recording from Weinberger on a superb and faultless
instrument and the recording engineers have greatly contributed to volume
six of the organ works of Bach.
As I indicated in my previous review Bach should always be played like this.
Weinberger's performances are untramelled by the annoying weirdisms of baroque
indulgences which only serve to ridicule the music. There are too many players
and orchestras who play Bach in a prissy, effeminate way with ghastly grinding
rallentandoes and other affectations. Here is Bach in his glory, rich,
impressive, strong, masculine and very exciting and not in nauseating pastel
shades but rich colours. And what is so fine about these performances is
that the cerebral and emotive qualities of the music come through.
The C major Prelude and Fugue is a gem played with a majestic power
that is never allowed to be Edwardian or pompous. The stately fugue is notable
for its clarity at each time the subject appears. The organist maintains
the tempo and his pedal work is so good that you think it is manual work.
Ein Feste Berg is the first of the chorale preludes and reminds us
how Bach used to be bored playing hymn tunes for the congregation and would
elaborate on them to the confusion of the people assembled, It is, however,
a very clever exploration of the Lutheran chorale. In the next prelude,
Erbarn dich mein, I have never experienced a performance with such
atmosphere. it is quite unlike anything else that Bach wrote, in fact, it
is ahead of its time suggesting that other genius of contrapuntal technique,
Max Reger, a much-maligned composer but whose work is simply astonishing.
The emotive quality that Weinberger finds here is almost out of this world.
Herzlich tut mich verlangen will be recognised as 0 Sacred Head,
sore wounded. Here is another extraordinarily moving performance in which
the organist shows great sensitivity which terminology one does not usually
associate with Bach. Ach Gott von Himmel was very rewarding. So much
so that I found the music and went to the local church to play it.. In this
excellent performance the music builds up gradually with the organist's wonderful
control. Nothing is extreme or fanciful and there is no prissy playing. The
Fantasia Valet will ich dir gleben has the cantus firmus in the pedal
and the chorale itself is a hymn tune about death but you may recognise the
music as All glory, laud and honour. Or is it? It has
a chamber music feel about it and, although the music is not fast, it has
florid lines in which the organist reveals his secure fingerwork. The
D major Prelude and Fugue is a very important work. The prelude
opens with the scale of D played on the pedals. This is repeated twice before
the moderately paced alla breve section appears. The pedal work is
a great feature of this piece. I was tempted to say feeture! Note
the passage at bar 38, for example. The prelude ends with an impressive
adagio of eleven and a half bars but there is so much activity that
the music does not sound slow at all. Here is a quasi-chromaticism that predicts
Reger. The fugue is really a toccata in that touch is so important. Again
when the pedal appears at bar 20 it is so well played that you think it is
played on the manuals. The build up to the athletic pedal parts of the last
twenty bars or so is very impressive. A change of registration may have helped
and a slightly quicker tempo but the organist has enough to do without these
ultra-fussy points. Bach needs great skill and co-ordination and well as
Herculean concentration.
The Partita Sei gegrubet, Jesu gutig is a chorale with eleven variatons
lasting just over 22 minutes. . It is a piece that I did not know and would
have to learn. The quality of the playing I found more admirable than the
piece.
And the final item was the real joy. The Eminor Prelude and Fugue is
given a temendous performance. The prelude is very fine and occasionally
has an infectious swagger. It reminds me that very often the preludes were
far better in content and design that the fugues. Again there is some splendid
pedal work and, sadly, a hint of a rallentando at the end. As in the D major
the fugue subject is not inspiring but the variety in the B minor makes it
a winner. The scalic passages in the manuals are very joyous and the 16 foot
on the pedal is magnificent. But, as in many of Bach's fugues , one wonders
where the music is going
Nonetheless I sat spellbound at the genius of Bach and his most worthy of
advocates.
Bach should always be played like this.
David Wright
Performances
Recording
