Most instrumentalists, when they make a CD recording, do
so because of a desire to record a particular part of the repertoire. An
organist, however, is faced with an additional choice: the choice of an
instrument. Which choice comes first is sometimes a matter of
circumstance. In the case of this recording, the circumstance was that of
encountering an organ of almost magical beauty nestled in the rolling
farmlands of eastern Sweden. The extraordinary tonal character of this
instrument points the organist in two directions: on the one hand its
strong, reedy ensemble is ideal for congregational singing on the other
hand it possesses a wealth of highly colorful flute and string registers
of intense sweetness that also invite the organist to improvise. This is
hardly surprising, since the organs of Pehr Schiörlin were intended for
just such a dual use. In the case of the instrument at Gammalkil,
Schiörlin’s largest, its internal layout, wind system, and its pipework
all combine to produce a highly melodic organ, appropriate for polyphony
provided that the texture is not too thick (duos and trios work especially
well), but ideal for the simple expressivity of much of the organ music of
the mid-eighteenth century and later.
Accordingly, the Clavier-Übung of Johann Ludwig Krebs,
published in two volumes in 1752 and 1753, provides ample material to
bring the organ’s tonal resources to life, and the organ reciprocates by
clothing these pieces with gesture, speech, and melodic charm. The
Clavier-Übung is a collection of 39 pieces based upon 13 chorales in
standard use in the eighteenth century. Each chorale is given a
Praeambulum, followed by either a bicinium or tricinium, and concludes
with a figured bass harmonization of the chorale. The two- and three-part
settings allow the “chamber music” registrations of the Gammalkil
organ to be heard to good effect, and they reflect the improvisational
style of their era, while the concluding harmonizations allow for a
display of the various ways in which this organ produces sounds for
congregational singing.
In addition to the Clavier-Übung, the two chorale
preludes “Von Gott will ich nicht lassen” and “Herzlich lieb hab ich
dich, o Herr,” were among the favorites of the late Carl-Gustaf
Lewenhaupt, who supervised the organ’s recent restoration; it is to his
memory that this recording is dedicated, with deep gratitude for his life
and work.
– William Porter
The Composer
“The bearer, Mr. Johann Ludwig Krebs, [is] one who has
so distinguished himself here particularly ‘in musicis,’ having
qualified himself in respect to the clavier, the violin, and the lute, as
well as composition…I wish him accordingly Divine Support in his
advancement, and herewith recommend him again most heartily.” -
The New Bach Reader, ed. David, Mendel, Wolff
With these words Johann Sebastian Bach recommended one
of his prized pupils. Especially noteworthy is his use of the words “in
musicis”—a special term used by Bach to indicate those students who
understood music at an intuitive level. Krebs’s connection with Bach was
a deep one; Johann Ludwig's father had also studied organ with Bach when
at Weimar. As part of Bach’s inner circle for nine years, Krebs learned
a variety of musical skills and undoubtedly performed on the organ,
harpsichord, violin, and lute in many performances led by Bach. Many of
Bach’s compositions have come down to us in Krebs’s hand, including
cantatas 142 (“Nun danket”) and 140 (“Wachet auf”) and a number of
organ works. Following his studies with Bach in Leipzig Krebs went on to
hold three successive positions as organist: at the Marienkirche of
Zwickau, at the castle in Zeitz, and at the castle in Altenburg. At
Altenburg he presided over the large Trost organ of 1739 in the castle’s
chapel, an instrument whose silvery elegant sounds cause organists to
marvel to this day. He stayed there for forty-five years until his death
at the age of eighty-six.
Although it is impossible today to view Krebs outside of
the shadow of his musical mentor, Krebs established an independent
reputation as a virtuoso organist, organ expert, and organ teacher. When
Bach died, Krebs was immediately considered as his possible successor at
Leipzig. Like Bach, Krebs perpetuated his career through his children: his
son succeeded him as organist in Altenburg, as did his grandson.
– Roger Sherman
About the Recording
The organ of Gammalkil, Sweden, is located in the rear
gallery of the church, close to a curved, wooden, barrel-vaulted ceiling.
The opposite end of the church is also curved and acoustically reflective.
The church is made of stone and covered with plaster on the interior.
These properties are ideal for the organ and for congregational singing,
but present challenges to the recording engineer. Curved reflective
surfaces can change the apparent direction of the sound in a stereo
recording, creating a confusing stereo image. The voicing of the organ,
which is optimized for the melodic treble-range, consequently reduces
somewhat the level of the tenor range. In our approach to recording this
beautiful instrument, we wanted to present its natural sound as well as
its effect in the room. Placing the microphones close to the organ
produces the clearest sound, particularly in the tenor range. But this
close placement also sounds antiseptic and emphasizes the noise of the
keyboard action. If the microphones had been too far away, the organ would
have sounded remote, undersized, and muddy. Two DPA omni-directional
microphones were carefully placed to capture the instrument’s natural
sound on the main floor. The resulting sound is well blended, particularly
in the tenor and bass, as the organ sounds in person. The treble is clear
and vocal, yet benefits from the acoustical aura of the room. The shortest
possible lengths of microphone cable and twenty four-bit analog-to-digital
converters captured the minutest detail of the organ and its reverberation
in the room.
– Roger Sherman
