The Bach Circle, Volume 2
Baroque Organ Music
Toccata & Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 Bach
Partita: Jesu meine Freude Walther
Es its das Heil uns kommen her Walther
Preaeludium in A minor Improvisation
Fugue 14 Telemann
Partita, BWV 770 Bach
Settings on "Wer nur den lieben Gott laft walten":
Duo Telemann
BWV 691 from Anna Magdalena Notebook Bach
BWV 642 from Orgelbuchlein Bach
>From the Harmonische Seelenlust Kauffmann
>From the Clavierbung Krebs
Loft Recordings 2102
Recorded October 1993
Treutmann Organ, Graunhof, Germany(1737)
Harald Vogel, Organ
TT 60:34
The theme of this disc and the two other recordings in the series, Volume
1 and 3, is to present works by Bach, his predecessors, contemporaries,
and students on historic organs. For this disc, the contemporaries are
Telemann, Walther, and Kauffmann; Krebs is the pupil.
I should point out that the three discs in this series from Loft
Recordings are reissues from three original discs released in Europe on
Organeum Recordings in 1998. Harald Vogel, a well known figure in Baroque
historical performance practices, is the artist on the three discs. Vogel
has recorded extensively over the years including the complete Buxtehude
organ works on MDG. My first exposure to him was a DHM/Bach disc which
I still enjoy very much.
Looking at the disc's program, I feel there are three sections to it.
One is the five treatments of the chorale "Wer nur den lieben Gott laft
walten", a second is supplied by the Partitas from Bach and Walthers, and
the third section is made up of the remaining works.
It is both interesting and at the same time musically limiting to have
these five treatments of one chorale. The Telemann is the least attractive
treatment as its potential for being a dreary piece is strong, and Vogel
does not lift it out of the doldrums. The Kauffmann treatment is a short
and pleasing work with a nice rhythmic sway. The Krebs chorale setting
comes in three sections. The first is sprightly and optimistic, while the
second is melancholy with a texture that gets filled out at the conclusion.
The third section is muscular and ceremonial. This sequence tends to apply
to each of the thirteen settings which constitutes the Krebs Clavier-Ubung.
Loft Recordings has another performance of this Krebs chorale setting
from William Porter on a disc devoted to the entire Clavier-Bung. It's
a wonderful reading on a glorious and sweet historical Swedish organ, but
I like the Vogel performance even more. Vogel injects a strong urging and
darkness into the second section resulting in a more diverse interpretation
than Porter's; Vogel is also more vibrant in this section. As for the two
organs, the Treutmann takes no backseat to its Swedish counterpart.
That leaves the two Bach settings. BWV 691 is flat-out gorgeous music
which Vogel performs well, although Christopher Herrick, Lionel Rogg, and
a few others bring to the surface more of its beauty. In BWV 642, a very
strong and energetic piece, Vogel rivals my favorite version which comes
from Rene Saorgin on his complete Orgelbuchlein disc from Harmonia Mundi.
This brings me to what I consider an odd omission on Vogel's part.
Bach's BWV 641 has a natural partner in BWV 640 which is based on the
same chorale. Vogel doesn't include it in his program, and I fail to see
the sense of it. The work is less than two minutes long and would have
easily fit on the disc with still plenty of room for more music.
At any rate, Vogel does excellently with the five treatments, and I have
yet to hear anyone get much out of Telemann's Duo.
Why place the Bach and Krebs Partitas together? Each is a set of 10
variations/movements in a relatively intimate setting except for the last
variation which is muscular, powerful, and ceremonial. The Krebs is fine
music played excellently by Vogel. The Bach Partita is one of four chorale
partitas composed by Bach. It is considered to possibly not be by Bach due
to its thematic limitations, but I think it matters greatly who is playing
the work. Erich Piasetzki on Berlin Classics gives a fantastic reading on
a Silbermann organ; his registrations are masterful and distinctive, and he
carries the day on conveying as much exuberance as the music has to offer.
In fact, I can't think of a better organ version of any Bach work to
highlight the importance of the registrations the performer utilizes.
Harald Vogel takes an intimate approach with much priority on 'atmosphere'.
Although an excellent performance, it simply can't hold up to Piasetzki
whose priority is 'interest'.
Concerning the rest of the program, the short Krebs chorale is another
fine piece played in a serene manner. Vogel's improvisational Praeludium
to Telemann's Fugue 14 is striking and powerful; that also applies to the
Fugue itself which I find much more enjoyable than the Telemann Duo. Vogel
acquits himself well, delivering the strength and poetry inherent in the
music.
Vogel's performance of Bach's 'spurious' BWV 565 moves along splendidly
until the 6:20 mark of the music. All of a sudden, Vogel ups the volume
tremendously, and his organ does not respond well. Actually, it sounds
sour and seems to be boiling over its capacity; I might as well identify
the sound as being analogous to a guy 'flipping his lid'. Personally, the
overall performance just isn't worth having to endure this horrible sound.
Don's Conclusions - There is certainly much to enjoy in this second
volume from Harald Vogel. Yet, the disc does not leave me fully satisfied:
too much of one particular chorale, one partita too many, and a major
screw-up in Bach's BWV 565. My primary reservation is based on a lack
of sufficient diversity of music; there's just too much intimate business
going on. I wish my reaction had been one of increased comfort; instead,
I kept mumbling to myself "Show some life".
And where is a predecessor of Bach? Not on this disc. In summary, I give
Vogel a guarded recommendation.
P.S. - Where's Volume 1? Still on order. Why not wait until it arrives?
Impatience.
Don Satz
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