Sigfrid KARG-ELERT (1877-1933)
The Complete Organ Works - Vol. 6
Sempre Semplice, op.142 (1931) [44:37]
Sequenz no.2 in C minor, WoO.12 (1910) [6:38]
Sequenz no.1 in A minor, WoO.8 (1908) [4:24]
Sonatina in A minor, op.74 (1909) [19:19]
Stefan Engels (organ)
rec. St Bartholomew's Church, Armley, Leeds, England, 23 February 2011. DDD
PRIORY PRCD 1059 [76:16]
The German composer Sigfrid Karg-Elert was no great organist, but he did write
a lot of magnificent music for the organ, most of which still suffers from
unforgivable neglect. There are many transcriptions and arrangements, of his
own and others' works: his complete tribute to his outstanding predecessor
and fellow Leipziger Johann Sebastian Bach, for example, featured on a recent
and excellent Toccata Classics release - see review.
Karg-Elert also wrote dozens of original works for the instrument, and since
2005 German organist Stefan Engels has been recording the lot of them on various
organs for the ecclesiastical label Priory Records. This is volume six, but
seven and eight have just been released (PRCD 1062, 1063).
Engels is remembered by some perhaps for his two volumes of Marcel Dupré's
organ music for Naxos in the 1990s (8.554210, 8.553920). Funnily enough, Engels'
edition is in direct competition with that of fellow German Elke Völker
on the Aeolus label - volume 6 of her series, subtitled 'Ultimate Organ Works',
came out earlier this year (AE 10721). The last three Aeolus discs do have
the advantage of Hybrid Super-Audio quality. The four works on Engels' volume
6, however, have not appeared so far in Völker's traversal, the completion
of which is by no means certain.
The works in this volume are generally of a slower, softer, more reflective
nature than some of Karg-Elert's best-known 'fireworks' pieces, most notably
the grandiloquent Passacaglia and Fugue on B.A.C.H. op.150, which has rounded
off a few recitals in its time (this
one by Hans Fagius, for example). Many of Karg-Elert's works were published
with misleading opus numbers, sometimes deliberately. There are thus two opp.142,
the suite of character pieces he labelled 'Sempre Semplice' and Three Pieces
for organ from the previous year. At any rate, Karg-Elert's music should appeal
to anyone comfortable with the harmonic language of, say, Widor, Reger or
Vierne, although his style is his own. Engels gives a thoughtful, sympathetic
reading.
Though not Super-Audio, recording quality here is very good, Priory's experience
and expertise in this area readily apparent. The marvellous Edmund Schulze
organ dates back to 1869, with a new console and pneumatic actions added in
1905, the date to which it has in recent times been restored. The accompanying
booklet is a paragon. A long biography of the composer and as much again on
the works heard in volume 6 by Anthony Caldicott, chairman of the Karg-Elert
Archive, followed by a detailed description and full specification of
the organ. A biography and cheery photo of Engels, plus details of previous
releases in the series, round off nicely.
Byzantion
Collected reviews and contact at reviews.gramma.co.uk
Karg-Elert represented by works that are generally of a slower, softer, more
reflective nature.