I recently waxed enthsiastically about four Bach discs from Naxos performed
by Wolfgang Rubsam on piano.  Now is the time to discover how well he
performs Bach's organ music.  I have three discs for your consideration;
Part 1 covers the following issue:

Kirnberger Chorales Volume 2 & Other Organ Works:

Kirnberger Chorales BWV 702-713
Toccata & Fugue in F major BWV 540
Fugue in G minor BWV 578
Fugue in G major BWV 576
Partite diverse sopra BWV 770

Naxos 8.553135 - Recorded 1995
Anton Heiller Memorial Organ, John Brombaugh, Southern College
Wolfgang Rubsam, Organ
TT 76:44

Wolfgang Rubsam is an impressive Bach performing artist.  He gravitates
to slow tempos which give him the opportunity to enhance the music's
expressiveness; these slow tempos rarely result in a heavy, solemn, or dull
performance.  Why? Rubsam uses light textures, interesting registrations,
and his rhythms are distinctive.  Mix the high level of expressiveness and
diversity with the light textures and interesting rhythms and
registrations, and you get performances among the best available.

This is certainly the case with the eleven Kirnberger Chorales performed
by Rubsam on the subject disc.  Four of them are the best I've ever heard,
another three are among the best.  Only in one chorale, BWV 709, does
Rubsam allow solemnity to enter his environment.  I should mention that
great strength is not a Rubsam trademark, and BWV 705 and 707/708 strongly
benefit from the muscle that Andrea Marcon provides on Hanssler.  However,
nobody is wonderful in every respect, and nobody is as strong as Marcon.
What Rubsam does convey in these chorales is easily sufficient for an
essential recommendation.

Also essential are Rubsam's performances of the four remaining works on the
disc; he even musters up great strength for BWV 540.  He also makes BWV 576
& 770 sound like masterpieces which Bach surely must have composed.

Waht follows is the offical transcript of my Rubsam journey:

BWV 702 - Majestic music possessing strong inevitability and assurance.
A great performance must be spiritually uplifting; Andrea Marcon at almost
3 minutes on Hanssler and Christopher Herrick at under 1 1/2 minutes for
Hyperion provide a high degree of spirituality.  Rubsam's 2 minute reading
is their equal.  It's vividly projected and maximizes the music's poetry.

BWV 703 - Seven slowly played but assertive notes usher in music which
takes flight quickly and thoroughly.  Rogg is fast and exciting; Rubsam
is a little slower and quite interesting with thoroughly imaginative
registrations.  I call it a 'draw'.

BWV 704 - This music of magnificent stature is excellently served by Kevin
Bowyer and Lionel Rogg.  Again, Rubsam uses interesting registrations; he
also employs some hesitations with perfection.  I'll go with Rubsam for BWV
704.

BWV 705 - If you accumulated all the sadness in the world, it would
perfectly fit into this chorale setting which also conveys strong nobility
and determination.  At any rate, that's what I get from Andrea Marcon's
reading; he's one muscular and dead serious guy.  Also, I think that his
treatment is just right for the music.  Rubsam can't compete with Marcon
for muscles, although there isn't any other version better except for
Marcon.  Rubsam is simply up against a magical performance.

BWV 706 - This setting consists of slow, peaceful, and gorgeous music;
it makes me think of long and comforting arms encompassing and absorbing
all sorrow.  Christopher Herrick provides a beautiful and highly legato
reading with firm foundation.  Rubsam is more angular and would likely be
considered by many to be more interesting.  Although an excellent reading,
I don't feel it has the all-encompassing feature that Herrick possesses.

BWV 707 & 708 - A chorale fugue and a setting on "I have left all to the
Lord".  The ever so slow Andrea Marcon really makes the music into a dirge
of great impact.  In comparison, Herrick is much too smooth and cloying;
the muscular and angular approach works wonders for Marcon.  Rubsam is
certainly angular and well-defined.  He just doesn't possess the strength
of Marcon.  I must admit I'm a big fan of Andrea Marcon.  Any Bach work
that thrives on power and thrust is in excellent hands with him.

BWV 709 - This setting is quite tender, hopeful, and sumptuous.  Gerhard
Weinberger's performance on CPO is mighty fine; he provides the full
complement of comfort and hope with plenty of richness.  In comparison, a
version like Herrick's is so smooth that it sounds sappy.  Rubsam is hardly
the 'smooth' type, but he can be very slow.  That's the case with his BWV
709; it tends to result in a solemn reading not having the hope of the
Weinberger.

BWV 710 - Listening to the different versions I have, what most strikes
me is how the slower ones tend to get too solemn and stale while the
faster ones can sound care-free.  However, Rogg's is one of the few fast
performances that retains some dignity.  Rubsam's tempo is 'moderate' and
the performance a fine and interesting one as good as the Rogg.

BWV 711 - The text concerns God, honor, and glory; the music needs some
lift and joy.  Whereas Weinberger is slow, heavy, and grounded, Rogg and
Herrick easily project lift-off with quick tempos and light textures.
Although Rubsam is as slow as Weinberger, his textures are much lighter.
Also, the slow tempo allows him to provide greater expression than Rogg or
Herrick, and Rubsam takes full advantage.  I do believe he gives the best
of Bach in this chorale setting.

BWV 712 - The text concerns hope, and Bach's music begins with an
infectious and bouncy rhythm enveloped in a sea of optimism.  Weinberger,
to my surprise, conveys all this excellently.  Rubsam slows it down
considerably, but the joy is not diminished.  His textures continue
lightly, he uses hesitations beautifully to increase interest and
poignancy, and the result is a full-course meal.  This is Rubsam at his
best, and he has impacted me much greater through BWV 712 than any other
artist on record.

BWV 713 - This fantasia finds Weinberger too heavy, Rogg too quick and
light, and Werner Jacob just right.  Jacob's tempo is moderate with a great
bouncing rhythm and much transparency.  However, there is more diversity in
the music to be mined, and Rubsam is just the man to do it.  All his best
qualities again come to center-stage.  He's slow, always thinking, uses
attractive textures which retain a fine foundation, and his rhythms are
just unusual enough to be highly distinctive without sounding willful or
perverse.

Toccata & Fugue in F major, BWV 540 - Lionel Rogg 'streaks' through the
sky in the Toccata with great propulsion; Rubsam 'explodes' with intensity.
The Fugue gets an even more exceptional performance from Rubsam; his
stature, strength, and incisiveness are superb.

Fugue in G minor, BWV 578 - I prefer this work played in a 'tough as nails'
manner emphasizing the music's muscle and severity.  Then when the rays of
light enter, the contrast is tremendous.  A version such as Vernet's on
Ligia is much too sweet and optimistic; it's the opposite of tough and the
rays of light have little impact.  Two of my favorite versions have come
from Ton Koopman on Teldec and Albert Schweitzer on Pearl.  Schweitzer is
particularly severe and a blast to listen to.  I can't say that Rubsam
equals the power of Schweitzer or Koopman, but he still comes up with a
strong and very serious reading which possesses more poetry than either
Koopman or Schweitzer.  These are three dynamic interpretations.

Fugue in G major, BWV 576 - This is one of those 'spurious' works that
isn't recorded very much.  The piece is upbeat and rather bubbly in
Christopher Herrick's hands; it's an excellent performance, but Herrick
doesn't really do much except be jolly.  Rubsam takes Herrick's 4 minute
reading and extends it to over 6 minutes with an interpretation of majesty.
In addition, Rubsam is much more angular, diverse, and uses more
imaginative registrations than Herrick.  So it's Rubsam by a healty margin.
Kevin Bowyer's performance isn't even in the running, as it is neither
particularly jolly nor interesting.

Partite diverse sopra, BWV 770 - Another work of dubious Bach authorship
which brings me to an artist who bears much similarity with Rubsam:  Erich
Piasetzki.  I reviewed a few weeks back a Berlin Classics disc of Bach's
organ music from Piasetzki and found him a wonderful Bach performing
artist.

He and Rubsam are like twin brothers concerning registrations, tempos,
textures, and expressiveness.  Their basic difference is that Rubsam is
more serious and severe; Piasetzki is an optimistic man.  In my review, I
indicated that Piasetzki's is the best BWV 770 on record that I've heard.
However, he has to share that distinction with Rubsam who matches him step
for step in presenting highly differentiated and rewarding variations.  If
you have never had much appreciation for this work, either version has a
great chance of changing your opinion.

In summary, the disc is exceptional and often of the magical variety.
At the Naxos price, it's a steal for any wise purchaser.  The sound isn't
state of the art, but it's a trivial concern when the interpretations are
of such high quality.  Rubsam is embedded in my pantheon of great Bach
organists, and I look forward to reviewing the other two Rubsam discs I
have and to buying more of them.  Actually, there are about 17 more to buy;
it's like hitting the motherlode.

Don Satz
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