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Reviews
GMCD 7264 Works for Organ and Orchestra
Fanfare, September/October 2006
WORKS FOR ORGAN &
ORCHESTRA
• Franz Hauk (org);
Markus Poschner, cond; Georgian CO, Ingolstadt • GUILD GMCE 7264 (70:54)
PAER Organ Concerto in
D. LANGLAIS Choral medieval,
op. 29. Thème,
Variations, et Final. SCHNEIDER Organ Concerto, "Echo." WIDOR
Salvum fac populum tuum.
BACH Cantata,
BWV 29: Prelude
This release is
noteworthy both for its enlightening Choke of virtually unknown repertoire and
for the enthusiastic and elegantly vervy performances offered by Franz Hauk and
the Georgian Chamber Orchestra under Markus Poschner. To the best of my
knowledge, this is the only recording extant of the Paer and Schneider concertos
and of the two Langlais pieces. In any event, all the music an this offering
receives fine advocacy.
Ferdinando Paer
(1771-1831) was born in Parma, rose to the position of honorary maestro di
capella in that city’s court, and later, in 1797, gained the directorship of
the prestigious Kärnthnertortheater in Vienna. While there, he befriended
Beethoven who, incidentally, thought highly of his music. Paer had already
produced two highly acclaimed operas-Orphee et Euridice and Le astuzie
amorose in Italy, and his fame preceded him. In 1801, he accepted the
appointment of Court Kapellmeister for life in Dresden, where he scored further
operatic triumphs. Six years later Napoleon lured him away and installed him as
maitre de chapelle in Paris, where he also ascended to the position of
co-director (with Rossini) of the Théâtre-Italien. It was a stormy relationship
ultimately leading to his dismissal in 1827. Afterward he was the recipient of
the customary honorary awards. One of his operas, Le mâitre de chapelle
of 1821, held the boards until the early years of the 20th century.
Now Paer can be counted
among the most obscure of the obscure. Given the irrepressible Invention and
fine craftsmanship of his Concerto in D for organ and orchestra, one has to ask
why. The easiest answer is that musical fashions change. After all, from the
mid-to-late 19th century, Joachim Raff was among the most offen performed
composers in the Eurocentric world, and now ... ? The real reasons are
undoubtedly more complex-having more to do with the exigencies of the commercial
propagation of music than with the music's intrinsic worth. Paer's organ
concerto belongs to the highest flowering of the Classical period. It presents
an amalgam of Haydn, Mozart, and early Beethoven occasionally leavened with
Italianate melodic riffs that Gould have been composed by Rossini. In the
precision of his musical utterances and the deployment of his instrumental
resources, he brings Hummel at his Best to mind. This is a two-hands-and-no-feet
organ concerto, with the solo Instrument pitted against a chamber-sized
orchestra (with the addition of festive trumpets and timpani). Hauk's
instrument-the Klais Organ in Liebfrauenmünster, Ingolstadt, Switzerland (built
in 1977)--is a large one capable of realizing repertoire from Widor onward. Here
Hauk appropriately employs registrations that make it sound like a most magic of
calliopes and the result is enchanting, communicating the festive joy that
informs every one of this concerto's bars.
Enjott Schneider's
"Echo" Concerto for Organ and Streng Orchestra, premiered in 2002, is this
offering's most up-to-date piece. Schneider was born in 1950 in Wiel am Rhein,
is German trained, and currently holds the post of professor of music theory and
of film music at the Munich Music Academy. Like most contemporary composers, he
is stylistically eclectic-freely deploying whatever musical isms are available
in order to realize his affective goals. This "Echo" concerto chronicles the
myth of the mountain elf Echo and her doomed love affair with Narcissus. The
echo aspect of the piece is cleverly exploited mach in the Same way as Sweelinck
did in his numerous echo fantasias for organ. Variously minimalistic and
sumptuously Franckian (and all shades in between), this is a narrative piece
par excellence-sonically nuanced and rigorously designed (not a wasted
gesture or note). Everything is symphonically, that is to say, synergistically,
developed over its roughly 23-miaute time span.
I won't dwell an the
Langlais pieces, except to say that these performances are their very first
recorded versions; are sensitive to Langlais's offen modal harmonies; and are,
in the global sense, idiomatically an the mark. Widor's Salvum fac populum
tuum was composed in celebration of the end of World War I. A comparison
with Joan Lippincott's reading with the Philadelphia Brass Ensemble an Gothic
49072 is ear-opening. She sees the simple grandeur of what is, an the surface, a
mere occasional piece. Hauk and his forces project (with their snare drum
contributions not found in Lippincott's recording) a frightening sense of
foreboding. Here Widor suddenly transcends his well-worn neo-Romantic niche and
predicts the horrors of the 20th century yet to come.
The Georgian Chamber
Orchestra hails from Stalin's birthplace. They were an tour back in 1990, found
the Swiss city of Ingolstadt congenial, and chose to stay. They are not the most
svelte of bands in the let's-prettify-everything Karajan mold, bat they play
with a spirit and energy that is both infectious and disarming. Those last
qualities show up most persuasively in the final little Bach prelude to Cantata
No. 29-Bach's own transcription of the opening movement of his Partita in E
Major for solo violin. Here the organ takes the violin live amid the festive
trumpets and timpani, and blows away the listener in an unstoppable wash of
Sound. Next to this performance, Jean Guillou's reading an Dorian DOR-90122
seems absolutely stodgy.
The recorded sound is up to realizing the subtle flute stops found in the Paer
concerto, and the fall wallop of the pedal tones found everywhere else. Balances
between the organ and all the ancillary instruments are
convincing.
William Zagorski
American Guild June 04
Organ & Orchestra
PAER:
Concerto in D; LANGLAIS: Choral Medie- val-Theme, Variations, &
Final; SCHNEIDER: Concerto-Echo; WIDOR: Salvum fac
Populum Tuum
Franz Hauk; Georgian Chamber
Orchestra lngolstadt/Markus Poschner - Guild 7264 - 71 min
This is another in Guild's series (July/Aug 2000, Sept/Oct 2000) of Triumphal
Music for Organ & Orchestra, devoted this time mostly to unfamiliar literature.
Ferdinando Paer (1771- 1839) was a Dresden native who was lucky enough to catch
the appreciative ear of Napoleon, who took him to Paris to work. Later, he and
Rossini were co-directors of the Italian Theatre. His Organ Concerto was
probably written to inaugurate a new Serassi organ in the oratory of SS Trinita
in Parma. For all its length (24 minutes), there is little memorable about it.
It is entirely dominated by orchestral sections, the organ relegated to minor
status, with passages mostly for muted flute stops.
Langlais's extremely brief (2 minutes) Choral begins with a brass fanfare
answered by the organ, not unlike the beginning of his Salve Regina Mass.
It has that kind of parallel fifth medieval quality so prominent in his writing.
Enjott Schneider (b. 1950) is a German musicologist and theory teacher in
Munich. His three-part piece opens with a playful dance based on the
Echo-Narcissus myth. Organ motifs are answered by the orchestra. A dreamy slow
section follows, with plenty of repetition, as befits the story. A much more
forceful finale concludes the work with chord outlines and scale runs, all very
brisk but forgettable.
Widor wrote his contribution in 1916 to celebrate the conclusion of WW I. It is
simple in form and content, with a decidedly martial quality. It is a strong
piece for organ, six brass, and percussion and would be a fine prelude or opener
for some ecclesiastical or military program. The title (Let your people be
saved) is extracted from the Te Deum. Another very respectable performance of
this comes from the Dallas Winds (Reference 58-May/June 1994).
Langlais's Theme & Variations is scored for organ, three trumpets, three
trombones, and strings. Written in 1937, it has remained in manuscript and is
heard here for the first time with permission from the composer's widow. The
chromatic theme heard first is a passacaglia, followed by variations that grow
in speed and intensity. This is a somewhat murky work, full of Langlais's
characteristic musical anger.
The
program closes with the popular overture to Bach's Cantata 29 (Wir Danken
Dir). The piece began life as the Partita in E. Later it was transcribed by
Dupré as an organ solo, and even later by Wendy Carlos for synthesizer. The
tempo here is rather speedy, robbing it of any grandeur.
This is the least appealing entry in the series-a fault of the literature and
not the performers. The organ is not identified, but it is a fine 4-106 Klais in
Liebfrauenmunster, Ingolstadt. METZ
BBC Music Magazine February 2004
COLLECTION:
WORKS FOR ORGAN AND ORCHESTRA
Works by Paër, Langlais, Enjott Schneider, Widor & Bach
Franz Hauk (organ);
Georgian CO, Ingolstadt/Markus Poschner
Guild GMCD 7264 70:53 mins
... £££
One for organ buffs, this, but for
those who are more interested in rare repertoire than judiciously balanced
recordings and tidy ensemble. The tuttis of the unpublished Concerto in D by
Ferdinando Paër (1771- 1839) echo round the Liebfrauenmünster, Ingolstadt, with
all the sonic focus of an empty swimming pool. The mighty Klais organ, tamed to
mouselike proportions, is all but drowned by Markus Poschner's band, though
Franz Hauk scampers around to agreeable effect in a finger-fest of Alberti
basses and insipid themes. After this, its full-throated roar at the discordant
start of Langlais's Choral médieval is like being given a belt between
the shoulder blades. The three-movement Echo Concerto (Premiered 2002) by
Enjott Schneider (b 1950) is a substantial, 24-minute work with some lively
ideas and a viciously whirling presto finale. This, Widor's Salvum fac
populum tuum (written, optimistically, in 1916 to celebrate the end of the
First World War) and Langlais's Thème, variations et final are powerfully
effective and, by contrast, benefit from the majestic organ and its location.
The concluding Sinfonia from Bach's cantata Wir danken dir, Gott (more
recognisable as the Prelude from the solo violin Partita in E, BWV 1006) really
could have done with an other take or three. Jeremy Nicholas
PERFORMANCE
***
SOUND
***
International Record Review February 2004
Organ Round-up by Warwick Cole
Entirely
Satisfying in its execution and intriguing in its conception is Enjott
Schneider’s new (2002) Echo Concerto for organ and string orchestra.
This tree-movement work is based on the classical myth of the nymph Echo’s
unrequited love for Narcissus. Schneider’s music is intelligently written and
scored. The idiom is broadly tonal, although developing in intensity as the
music progresses, and there are some arresting effects. While this is
undoubtedly the most unusual piece on the disc, other works are just as
interesting for their rarity. The apparently unpublished Concerto in D for organ
and orchestra, written in the 1790s by the irrepressibly cheerful Ferdinando
Paër, well deserves its outing. At the other end of the spectrum, indeed
very much more serious, are three works for organ with brass ensemble. Salvum
fac populum tuum, written by Widor in anticipation of the end of the
First World War, is better known that the Choral Médieval and Thème,
Variations et Final of Jean Langlais. Unpublished in these versions,
the Langlais pieces have a novelty value, though there are some problems of
intonation between brass and solo instrument. Organist Franz Hauk deserves
credit for recording this repertoire; this is now the sixth disc of organ and
orchestral music he has made for Guild in collaboration with various Ingolstadt-based
orchestras (Guild GMCD 7264, 1 hour 10 minutes).
MusicWeb Monday November 17 03
Ferdinando PAËR
(1771 – 1839)
Concerto in D major (1795)
Jean LANGLAIS (1907 – 1991)
Choral médiéval Op.29
Thème, Variations et Finale (1937)
Charles-Marie WIDOR (1844 – 1937)
Salvum fac populum tuum (1916)
Johann Sebastian BACH (1685 – 1750)
Prelude from cantata Wir danken dir, Gott BWV 29 (1737)
Franz Hauk (organ)
 The
Georgian Chamber Orchestra, Ingolstadt/Markus Poschner
Recorded: Liebfrauenmünster, Ingolstadt, September-October 2002
GUILD
GMCD 7264 [70:53]
Unlike other instalments in Guild’s ongoing series of recordings of works for
organ and orchestra which I reviewed some time ago, this new release is somewhat
different in that the works recorded here belong to quite different musical
periods. The disc opens with Paër’s Concerto in D major composed
about 1794-1795, probably for the inauguration of a new organ at the Oratorio
della SS. Trinita in Parma, which is cast in a completely traditional mould and
in a classical idiom. It is nonetheless a substantial and attractive work of
some nobility. The closing item is the Prelude from Bach’s cantata Wir
danken dir, Gott BWV 29 which ends this programme in an appropriately
bright, festive mood.
More
recent pieces (i.e. from the 20th Century) are included, which makes
this disc the more desirable. The earliest of these is Widor’s Salvum fac
populum tuum for organ, three trumpets, three trombones and side drum.
This was composed in 1916, possibly in anticipation of the end of World War I.
For obvious reasons, Widor conducted the first performance six days after the
end of the war in Notre-Dame on November 17th, 1918. The title is
borrowed from the Te Deum, but the piece – to the best of my knowledge –
does not quote any plainsong tune. It takes the form of a solemn processional
with strong march rhythms and broad tunes, thankfully full of restraint and free
from any jingoism. A dignified, deeply felt work for all its brevity.
Langlais, whose splendid Third Concerto featured in Guild GMCD 7240 which I
reviewed here
some time ago, is represented by two hitherto unpublished works. His short
Choral médiéval for organ, three trumpets and three trombones (we are
not told when this was composed) is based on the Kyrie of the third choral mass
Deus sempiterne and ends with a brief statement of Victimae paschali
laudes. His Thème, Variations et Final, completed in 1937, is
an altogether more substantial work. It is scored for strings, three trumpets
and three trombones, and is roughly cast as a grand passacaglia opening
with the sombre, brooding theme in the basses. The contrasted variations follow
in quick succession and are capped by the concluding fugue enlivened by the
brilliance of the brass contributions. The insert notes, excellent as usual, do
not make it clear, but it seems that Langlais reworked the piece in 1961 to make
it his Second Organ Concerto (organ and strings, without any brass). Maybe some
reader might prove me wrong... or right? Anyway, this is a worthwhile addition
to Langlais’s discography and one that his admirers will want to have.
The
most recent work here is Enjott Schneider’s Echo – Concerto for Organ and
Strings which was first performed in 2002 and probably completed about
that time. The composer describes his work as an "unproblematic organ concerto"
roughly inspired by the myth of the mountain nymph Echo and her unrequited love
for Narcissus. Echo is in three movements, a long slow movement
("Echo and Narcissus") framed by a lilting Dance and a lively Finale. The music
is clear-cut, direct and accessible in a Neo-classical manner, though the organ
part may not be as easy as expected, particularly so in the outer movements. It
sometimes brought to mind the happy music making displayed in Hans-André Stamm’s
Organ Concerto, another accessible and enjoyable candidate for
Guild’s series of organ concertos.
The
present release is yet another fine instalment in this Guild series which will
hopefully go on exploring this unfamiliar but often quite rewarding repertoire.
Hauk’s readings, more than ably supported by the orchestra and Guild’s overall
production, are superb throughout. Again, the recording team successfully
mastered the reverberating acoustics of Ingolstadt’s Liebfrauenmünster. More of
this, please. Warmly recommended.
Hubert Culot
Classical Net Wednesday October 15 03
-
Ferdinando Paër:
Concerto in D major for Organ & Orchestra
-
Jean Langlais:
Choral medieval for 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones & Organ, op. 29
-
Enjott Schneider:
'Echo' Concerto for Organ & String Orchestra
-
Charles Marie Widor:
Salvum fac populum tuum for 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones & Organ
-
Jean Langlais:
Theme, Variations and Finale for Organ, Strings, 3 Trumpets, 3 Trombones
-
Johann Sebastian Bach:
'Wir danken dir, Gott' Cantata BWV29, Prelude for Organ & Orchestra
Franz Hauk, organ
The Georgian Chamber Orchestra, Ingolstadt/Markus Poschner
Guild GMCD7264 71m DDD
This is the sixth CD in
an excellent series by Guild concentrating on the rarely heard organ and
orchestra genre. Franz Hauk and Markus Poschner team up to provide a series of
showstoppers and barnstormers coupled with some quieter moments.
The Paër concerto is an
interesting document with a typical piano part substituted by the organ. It does
make for some pleasant listening but is definitely nothing to write home about.
Langalis' 'Choral' is a short majestic piece that is better suited to Hauk's
virtuoso powers.
Schneider's 'Echo'
Concert is a very innovative piece that plays on the echoing capabilities of the
instrument and provides an intriguing look at such effects. My favourite piece
on this disc is definitely Widor's bombastic 'Salvum fac populum tuum', really
great stuff that gets quite emotional at its loud end!
Langlais returns with
his Theme and Variations for vast resources that brings the house down but Haul
and Poschner choose a Bach gem to end the disc on a pensive note. The organist
provides suitably detailed notes and the whole project is one to be recommended
wholeheartedly.
Gerald Fenech
Page revised Friday November 24 2006
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