Johann Sebastian Bach(1685-1750)
Organ Works from Bach's Weimar Years

"Eight Little Preludes & Fugues", BWV 553-560
Fugue in B minor, BWV 579
Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C major, BWV 564

Hanssler 92.091 - Recorded 1998
Rieger Organ of St. Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main
Martin Lucker, Organ
TT 58:48

I should clear up some confusion about the title of the disc, "Scales from
Weimar".  Are these Bach's scales or not? That's debatable concering the
Eight Little Preludes & Fugues.  Once thought to have been written by Bach,
the current thinking is that Johann Tobias Krebs or his son, Johann Ludwig,
composed the eight pieces.  I'm of the mind that there might have been at
least some collaboration on Bach's part.  As an example, I feel that BWV
553 has the stamp of Bach on it as to flow, phrasing, and majesty.  The
pure joy of the Prelude without sounding ostentatious is very much a Bach
quality as is the brilliant ceremony of the Fugue.  Overall, these are
great pieces of music no matter who wrote them.

Martin Lucker is another of the 'strong, muscular, and vital' organists
that Hanssler used for its complete cycle of Bach works.  Lucker does
not disappoint; he's an absolute warrior who mows down all opposition.
At the same time, Lucker can be as tender, sad, and joyous as any artist
on record.  He handles the "Little" Fugues with an exceptional mix of
muscularity and poignancy; although Kevin Bowyer's performances are mighty
fine, Lucker is on a different plane entirely.  Superior performances
continue with the Fugue in B minor and the Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C
major.  Lucker's glorious C major Fugue is a tremendous way to finish off
the program.

Anyone wanting a good idea of my musical preferences need only listen to
this Lucker recording.  He continuously rises to the top, and I consider
him one of the finest Bach performing artists of our time.

For BWV 553-560, I compared Lucker's readings to the ones by Kevin Bowyer
on Nimbus 5377:

Kevin Bowyer's performance of BWV 553 is excellent, but Lucker brings the
extra dimensions of angularity, detail, and supreme majesty to the table.
This is most evident in the Fugue where Lucker's blend of ceremony and
poetry is exceptional.  In BWV 554, Lucker continues dealing from greater
strength and bite than Bowyer; also, Lucker is much slower in the Prelude
than Bowyer who sounds rushed.

BWV 555 is a lament of suffering.  The Prelude is slow and beautifully
melancholy with radiant passages of hope; the Fugue quickens the pace and
heightens the severity.  Tempo differentials between Lucker and Bowyer are
on the extreme end; Bowyer takes under four minutes while Lucker extends
to over six minutes.  In the Prelude, both convey abundant suffering and
capture all the beauty of the music.  Lucker's Fugue is the slowest I've
ever heard; he intensifies the suffering of the Prelude and turns it into
a magical work of darkness.  Although Bowyer performs the Fugue excellently
with fine energy, he can't compare with Lucker's distinctiveness.

BWV 556 turns us around to cheerful music in the Prelude and joyous
activities in the Fugue.  Lucker dismisses his power and provides a
delightfully light touch in both prelude and fugue.  Bowyer is less
distinctive and can't match the happiness Lucker conveys in the Prelude.

Lucker returns to power and angularity in BWV 557 in G major with superb
results: I've never heard such a magnificently stunning G major Prelude
before.  Negative emotions, although less pervasive than in BWV 555, are
prevalent in BWV 558.  Lucker generally holds his muscularity in check and
concentrates on poignancy to the listener's advantage; the performance is
excellent.  In comparison, Bowyer is a little mushy in the Prelude and
perfumed in the Fugue.

For both BWV 559 & 560, Lucker continues with a fine degree of poetry
and all the muscularity one could possibly want.  His BWV 560 is a force
of nature with the magnitude of a category-four hurricane.  Bowyer can't
possibly compete with this fury.

Fugue in B minor, BWV 579 - This work is based on a theme from Corelli;
however, Bach turns Corelli's energetic allegro into a densely woven
piece of great stature and intense emotions.  Lionel Rogg, as expected,
gives a excellent performance with little angularity.  Gerhard Weinberger
is abundantly angular, but he falls apart when it comes to stature or
conveying the music's beauty.  Martin Lucker delivers the 'total package',
possessing the strength, sharpness, beauty, and intensity required.

Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564 - One of Bach's greatest
works for organ, Lucker provides a powerful and memorable performance the
best of its type.  His Fugue is pure magic as he invests the music with a
strength and majesty that has to be heard.

Don's Conclusion: Don't let the spurious "Eight Little Preludes and
Fugues" turn you off to the Lucker disc.  The music is fabulous, and
Lucker's performances are superb.  Also, Lucker lets us know that he much
more than holds his ground in Bach's most rewarding works such as BWV 564.
This disc is essential and alternately glows and growls with the juices
of life.  Not for the faint-of-heart, Lucker will take you on a majestic
journey full of adventure and deep emotional impact.  I'll soon be
reviewing another Bach/Hanssler disc from Lucker titled "Late Works
from Leipzig" and can hardly wait to sink my teeth into that one.

Don Satz
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