Organ Symphony No. 3 in E minor, Op. 13/3 (1872) [33:23]
Organ Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 13/4 (1872) [31:36]
Joseph Nolan (organ)
rec. 4-8 August 2011, L’église de la Madeleine, Paris
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD334 [65:01]
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
Nolan is not without competition in the 3rd, but his 4th is superb; roll
on Volume 4.
Previous review: Dominy
Clements
Support
us financially by purchasing this disc from |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|