The Organ
May - July 2002
Once again Loft goes to great efforts to match player,
organ and repertoire and comes up with a model release as only they seem
able! This is the debut CD recording of an organ built in 1806 as
the largest instrument (2/29) from the prolific workshop of Pehr Schiørlin
(1736-1815), latterly the foremost of the Linkøping organ building
school. Its forthright sound, the mixture compositions in particular
obviously conceived to support congregational singing, makes its presence
felt in the small village church of Gammalkil with its wooden
barrel-vaulted ceiling. The organ also features singing, robust
principals, as well as, colourful flutes and strings. The wind is
provided by four wedge bellows, reconstructed by Akerman and Lund in their
1996 restoration.
William Porter, internationally respected organ
professor at New England Conservatory in Boston here presents the Clavier-übung
of Krebs. Each of the 13 chorals is set firstly as a brief
praeambulum, then in 2 or 3 parts (the non cantus-firmus voice often very
simple, for example a series of arpeggios), and finally as a harmonisation
of the choral over a figured bass. The many short movements allow
Porter every opportunity to show off all the possibilities of the
instrument, and it responds wonderfully to the music and to his typically
profound interpretations which make even the weakest pieces sound
thoroughly worthwhile. As a bonus he throws in two of Krebs' more
substantial choral preludes, Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr,
and Von Gott will ich nicht lassen.
The recording is good if perhaps a little close and the
booklet features essays on the music, the organ and full registrations
together with comments by the recording's producer, Roger Sherman.
It's a real privilege to be able to review a disc which
so clearly displays a profound understanding of what is relevant in the
organ art, both in terms of instrument and music and the relationship
between them (particularly when as here, that relationship is not
immediately obvious), especially when so many releases still miss the mark
so frustratingly. Congratulations to all involved.
