Hello all,
Anton Doornhein just released the very first live recordings for the 1904 Wilhelm-Sauer organ:
Max Reger (1873-1916):
Romanze a-moll op.80,8
This is the typical German late romantic organ sound demanded by Reger. Registration details please check the demo web site.
In my youth, I played this piece on a "neo-baroque" 1960 organ and couldn't find the achievable sound very exciting. When listening to this organ today, I know, why...
The second piece is the very famous Toccata d-moll op.59,5 (1901).
Listen to the breathtaking interpretation of Anton Doornhein (where one could think, Reger is easy...).
Toccata d-moll, op.59,5
This medium difficult piece (according to Reger level!) can also be played be talented organ amateurs as well.
If you compare his interpretation with some of the available YouTube videos (or own disks), you hear (not regarding the poor video sound quality), that most of the modern and neo-baroque organs with their screaming sharp mixtures and their missing "singing voices" are not appropriate for his music. Unfortunately we have lost or modified (thus destroyed) most of those late romantic organs.
Although being an organ with profound tenor and bass voices, all musical lines could be heard very clearly.
At last, listen to the Fuge D-Dur op.59,6.
Fuge D-Dur, op.59,6
The Fuga, besides the usual complex Reger polyphony, has the big difficulty, to steadily increase the sound volume and tempo without any big disruption.
For me, working on this project, the Reger perception and understanding has completely changed. It's interesting to know, that the organ workshop of the renowned Sauer organ specialist, Christian Scheffler (who was a great help in so many questions), now again builds new German late romantic organs, using original Sauer pipe measures.
More live demos, featuring a lot of (late) romantic composers, will follow!
Thanks so much, Anton Doornhein!
Anton Doornhein just released the very first live recordings for the 1904 Wilhelm-Sauer organ:
Max Reger (1873-1916):
Romanze a-moll op.80,8
This is the typical German late romantic organ sound demanded by Reger. Registration details please check the demo web site.
In my youth, I played this piece on a "neo-baroque" 1960 organ and couldn't find the achievable sound very exciting. When listening to this organ today, I know, why...
The second piece is the very famous Toccata d-moll op.59,5 (1901).
Listen to the breathtaking interpretation of Anton Doornhein (where one could think, Reger is easy...).
Toccata d-moll, op.59,5
This medium difficult piece (according to Reger level!) can also be played be talented organ amateurs as well.
If you compare his interpretation with some of the available YouTube videos (or own disks), you hear (not regarding the poor video sound quality), that most of the modern and neo-baroque organs with their screaming sharp mixtures and their missing "singing voices" are not appropriate for his music. Unfortunately we have lost or modified (thus destroyed) most of those late romantic organs.
Although being an organ with profound tenor and bass voices, all musical lines could be heard very clearly.
At last, listen to the Fuge D-Dur op.59,6.
Fuge D-Dur, op.59,6
The Fuga, besides the usual complex Reger polyphony, has the big difficulty, to steadily increase the sound volume and tempo without any big disruption.
For me, working on this project, the Reger perception and understanding has completely changed. It's interesting to know, that the organ workshop of the renowned Sauer organ specialist, Christian Scheffler (who was a great help in so many questions), now again builds new German late romantic organs, using original Sauer pipe measures.
More live demos, featuring a lot of (late) romantic composers, will follow!
Thanks so much, Anton Doornhein!
Last edited by OAM on Wed Jul 02, 2008 3:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
Prof. Helmut Maier
OrganArt Media Sound Engineering
D-88662 Überlingen/Lake Constance
http://www.organartmedia.com
OrganArt Media Sound Engineering
D-88662 Überlingen/Lake Constance
http://www.organartmedia.com