Gottfried-August Homilius (1714-1785)
        Choral Preludes for Organ

1.  "Straf Mich Nicht in Deinem Zorn"
2.  "Wer Nur Den Lieben Gott Lasst Walten"
3.  "Schmucke Dich, O Liebe Seele"
4.  "Meine Gott, Das Herz Bring' Ich dir"
5.  "Dies Sind Die Heilgen Zehn Gebote"
6.  Trio in G major
7.  "Wer Nur Den Lieben Gott Lasst Walten"
8.  "Mache Dich Mein Geist Bereit"
9.  "Christ Lag in Todesbanden"
10. "Hilft, Herr Jesu, Lass Gelingen"
11. "Wir Christenleut"
12. "Sei Lob Und Ehr Dem Hochsten Gut"
13. "Erbarm Dich Mein, O Herre Gott"
14. "Christ Lag in Todesbanden"
15. "O Grosser Gott, Du Reines Wesen"
16. "Wo Soll Ich Flihen Hin"
17. "Weg, Mein Herz, Mit Den Gedanken"
18. "Herr Jesu Christ, Du Hohstes Gut"
19. "Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland"
20. "Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme"

Arion 68328
Recorded 1976(tracks 1-16) 1996(tracks 17-20)
Organ of Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Mateaux(tracks 1-16)
Organ of the Church of Saint-Augustin in Bordeaux
Georges Guillard, Organ
TT 58:03

The history of this CD is rather interesting.  The first sixteen tracks
first appeared on LP in the 1970's and were performed by Georges Guillard.
For the CD issue, the LP total time of forty-five minutes was considered
too short.  So Arion got Guillard back to record four additional choral
preludes.  The organ used in the LP release was no longer thought of as
suitable because its temperament was changed in 1989, so the Organ of
Saint-Augustin was utilized.

You've likely noticed that we have two modern French organs and a French
organist for the music of a German composer who studied under Bach.  I'll
address this matter a little later in the review.

Gottfried-August Homilius was a highly successful organist, Cantor, and
music director in Dresden.  His lessons from Bach are evident in his music,
although he hardly offers the severity inherent in many of Bach's organ
works.  Most of the music composed by Homilium have never been published.
He wrote over a hundred sacred cantatas, four Passions, fifteen Magnificat
settings, and sixty motets.  On the organ front, Homilius was no fan of
preludes, fantasias, toccatas, fugues, or any large-scale composition.
He composed seven trio sonatas for organ and sixty-seven choral preludes.
Predominant features of his organ music are light and transparent textures,
flexible phrasing, and emotional levels generally of good cheer.  Anyone
looking for very serious music would be well advised to look past Homilius.

Georges Guillard is the organist at two Paris churches and heads the
department of Ancient Music and teaches organ at the National Conservatory
in Paris; he is also a professor of musicology at the Sorbonne branch of
the University of Paris.  Guillard has authored many musical publications
including one on the works of Homilius and another on the musicography of
Bach's organ works.  Recordings by Guillard have been frequent, and he has
even directed recordings of the instrumental and vocal works of Jehan
Alain.

The disc for review appears to be the only one devoted to the organ works
of Homilius.  I am familiar with a St.  Matthew Passion by Homilius which
is on a Berlin Classics set.  Although not at Bach's St.  Matthew Passion
level(what other Passion is?), I found the music of Homilius well
constructed and even inspiring at times.

The Homilius chorales have two dominant trait that pervades them; each one
is utterly charming with a high degree of transparency.  It took me a few
listenings to catch on to the appeal of these works, and their charm
finally won me over.  Whether melanchoy, sad, majesterial, urgent, or
foreboding, the charming nature of the music always comes through.

Through the first four relatively intimate chorales on the program, I was
yearning for some exuberance, and the fifth chorale, "Dies Sind Die Heilgen
Zehn Gebote", certainly filled the need.  This particular chorale is loaded
with exuberance, good cheer, bold harmonies, and confident strength.  The
following Trio in G major has an irresistable rhythmic flow, and "Mache
Dich Mein Geist Bereit" is a ceremonial piece in the style of a French
Overture with its dotted rhythms.

"Sei Lob Und Ehr Dem Hochsten Gut" is a delicious piece of urgency and
transparency with great rhythmic bounce.  The next piece, "Erbarm Dich
Mein, O Herre Gott", expresses the self-pity possessed by lowly humans;
it's likely the most emotionally deep music on the disc.

"Weg, Mein Herz, Mit Den Gedanken" displays fine contrast as the key keeps
alternating between G major and G minor.  The chorale melody is a haunting
one and is subjected to a four-part elaboration.  The last chorale on the
disc evokes an 'awakening', and its constantly demonstrative rhythm insures
that we stay alert.

I can imagine an organ better suited to the music than the ones used
in the recording; also, Guillard could have employed a wider range of
registrations which would give the pieces greater diversity.  However,
charm and transparency are the keys to these chorales, and Guillard fully
delivers these two qualities.

Don's Conclusions:  Although not any kind of essential acquistion, this
music is delightfully charming throughout and emminently tuneful and
fetching.  Guillard appropriately captures the heart and soul of Homilius
in a rich sound with sufficient detail.  I doubt that another disc devoted
to this repertoire will arrive any time soon, so the Arion disc is the
one to get.  Just don't expect music along the lines of Bach's Leipzig
Chorales.  Homilius presents his own unique qualities and they are
considerable.  The disc is avaiable on-line from sales sites such as CDNOW
and also from Allegro Distribution which provides fine service and quick
delivery.

I liken Homilius a little to Mozart.  Both can be deceptively simple, but
there's gold under those surfaces.  Mozart has more carats, but Homilius is
not flawed at all.  Give him a spin and enjoy.

Don Satz
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