Matthias Weckmann(c.1616-1674)
           Organ Works

Naxos 8.553849, Volume 1:
Komm heiliger Geist, Herre Gott
Praeambulum Primi toni a 5
Canzon in D minor
Fantasia Ex D
Ach wir armen Sunder
Gelobet seystu Jesu Christ(II)
Gott sey gelobet und gebenedeiet
Toccata Dal 12 Tuono(in C)
Canzon Dall istesso Tuono(in C)
Es ist das Heyl uns kommen her

Naxos 8.553850, Volume 2:
Magnificat Secundi Toni
Canzon in C
Gelobet seystu Jesu Christ(I)
Canzon in G
Nun freut euch Lieben Christen Gemein
Toccata ex D
Canzon in C minor
Fuga ex D ped Primi Toni
O lux beata trinitas

Wolfgang Zerer, Organ
Recorded September 1996
Arp-Schnitger Organ, St. Jakobi Church, Hamburg
TT Volume 1(75:43) Volume 2(69:48)

Motette 11461(2 Discs):
Praeambulum Primi Toni a 5
Canzon in d
Canzon in G
Fantasia ex D
Gott sey gelobet und gebenedeyet(2 verses)
Gelobet seystu Jesu Christ I(4 verses)
Magnificat(4 verses)
Nun freut euch Lieben Christen Gemein(3 verses)
O Lux Beata Trinitas(6 verses)
Praeludium A 5 Vocum in G
Fuga ex D ped. primi Toni
Canzon in C
Canzon in c
Toccata in a
Kom heiliger Geist, Herre Gott(3 verses)
Ach wir armen Sunder(3 verses)
Gelobet seystu Jesu Christ II(3 verses)
Es ist das Heyl uns kommen her(7 verses)

Hans Davidsson, Organ
Recorded November 1990
Arp Schnitger Organ of the Ludgerikirche, Norden, Germany
TT 155:51

Matthias Weckmann is one of the most significant composers of the 17th
century.  Considered the foremost student of Schutz, Weckmann grew up
in Dresden and was strongly exposed to Italian music in addition to the
strict North German musical culture.  His music is considered quite deep
and complex; some would refer to his works as stern in nature, but I don't
agree with that assessment.  Weckmann was quite lyrical and mysterious
in many of his works for organ.  He was also influenced by listening to
Scheidemann perform his organ music; reliable sources also indicate that
Weckmann and Froberger were close musical comrades.

In 1655, Weckmann and his family moved to Hamburg where he was appointed
organist at the St. Jakobi Church.  Weckmann's wife passed away in 1665,
leaving him with eight children to raise.  He remarried in 1669 and sired
three more children.  In 1671, Weckmann's aging deteriorated to the point
where he was released from his musical responsibilites but still retained
a salary.  He died three years later, having established himself as a
master composer of his century and an exemplary father and husband.

Both Zerer and Davidsson perform on Arp Schnitger organs which were
originally built in the 1500's; Schnitger greatly overhauled and renovated
both organs in the late 1600's.

To the best of my knowledge, the Zerer and Davidsson discs are the only
ones available in the U.S.  entirely devoted to Weckmann's organ music;
of course, the Motette set is much more expensive than the two Naxos discs.
Virgin Veritas has released a Rampe/Weckmann organ disc in Europe, but I
haven't been able to obtain it.

Before starting in with the performances, I'd like to provide my general
opinion of Weckmann's keyboard music.  It is masterful music combining
strength, lyricism, and some of the most lovely and effective musical
themes and passages of any time period.  Weckmann's relatively small
recorded output, as with the master composer Scheidemann, is likely based
on the difficulty many have enjoying organ compositions, particularly those
of the early baroque period.  Regardless, Weckmann's works are revelatory
and fully up to the high standards of his contemporaries and those who
followed such as Buxtehude and Bruhns.

The two sets of performances reveal Weckmann's musical genius and some
significant differences concerning approach and recorded sound:

Bass Response - The bass response is quite thick and can be overwhelming
in the Zerer set.  I prefer the more balanced sound engineering of the
Davidsson set.  A perfect example is the sublime and heroic 2nd verse
of "Komm heiliger Geist, Herre Gott".  Zerer's bass line is booming and
skewing the balance; Davidsson's is distinct and well integrated in
projection with the other voices.

Voice Detail - Voice detail is significantly better with Davidsson.  A fine
example comes from the 'free' sections of the Praeambulum Primi toni a 5
where the swirling rhythms are exceptionally detailed for Davidsson; with
Zerer, it's a hodgepodge of swirls without definiton.

Registrations - There are times when Davidsson uses discrete registrations
which I feel are inherently too weak for the music.  This happens in the
fugue of the Praeambulum Primi toni a 5 where Zerer rings out the music
while Davidsson is reticent.  However, Davidsson tends to offer a greater
variety of registrations throughout the performances.

Rhythmic Vitality - Davidsson has the edge here with greater exuberance
and bounce.  A good example is that 2nd verse of "Komm heiliger Geist"
where Davidsson injects great vitality and makes the piece one of ceremony
and stretching for glory.  Zerer places top priority on the sublime mystery
of the verse, eschewing any trace of majesty.

Power - Both artists supply a good degree of strength, although through
different means.  Zerer has a rich and full acoustic which is advantageous,
while Davidsson depends on the tension of each voice to carry the weight.
The Fantasia Ex D well conveys how each artist approaches the strength
component, and both interpretations are excellent.

Poignancy - This is a crucial element of Weckmann's music, and Zerer has
the advantage.  I sense that he's always trying to zero in on the emotional
core of each work.  Sometimes, Davidsson's penchant for vitality results in
performances of less depth.

Public/Private Environment - Davidsson's performances are more public in
nature than Weckmann's which are on the intimate and poignant side.

Aspirations - Humans aspire and yearn to reach higher planes of love,
security, comfort, knowledge, sprituality, and enlightenment.  A strong
component of Weckmann's organ music is the stretching and reaching for
these higher planes, and the chorale-cycle "Ach wir armen Sunder" finds
Weckmann consistently stretching out for higher territory.  Both Daviddson
and Zerer excellently convey these aspirations with Daviddson again giving
the more public display.  This is one of Weckmann's most inspired organ
works and a monument to human striving.

The Canzon - A brilliant style of music, the Canzon has much drive and
enthusiasm.  Weckmann composed four of them for solo keyboard, and they
play into the strengths of Davidsson's style.  My favorite is the Canzon in
G where Davidsson immediately let's us know that he's going to dive in
head-first, while Zerer tends to test the waters.

The Chorale Cycles - Setting music to verse, Weckmann composed nine
chorale cycles.  Each is stunning, and two are very long for organ works
of the 17th century.  "Est ist" and "O Lux" have seven and six verses
respectively, and each lasts for well over twenty minutes.  These nine
chorale cycles are the pinnacle of Weckmann's inspiration and a thoroughly
uplifting experience for this listener.

Don's Conclusions: Sound quality and vibrancy favor the Davidsson set,
while poignancy and price are to Zerer's advantage.  I'm glad to have these
two sets of Weckmann organ music and recommend acquisition of both; those
on a tight budget should be well satisfied with the Zerer discs.

Just a few days ago, I raved about the organ music of de Cabezon.
Weckmann's not quite in that category, but he's a crucial link in the organ
heritage of Europe and an exceptional composer.  A worthy library of 17th
century organ music is certainly incomplete without Weckmann on hand.

Don Satz
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