Bach and the Romanticist

• Main performer: Lorenzo Ghielmi
• Booklet languages: English, German, Italian, French, Japanese
• Time: 69:12
• Release Date: 2005

Review

On Bach and the Romanticist, brilliant organist and scholar Lorenzo Ghielmi draws direct parallels between the organ works of J.S. Bach and Johannes Brahms by dividing his program into equal, corresponding halves: both composers' chorale preludes -- 11 taken from the Orgelbüchlein and the Elf Choralvorspiele, Op. posth. 122 -- take up the lion's share of the CD; but to make the comparison even neater, Brahms' Prelude and Fugue in A minor, WoO9, is matched by Bach's Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543, and these pieces introduce their respective portions of the program. Where Ghielmi makes the strongest distinctions is in his choice of instruments: Bach's music is appropriately performed on the brightly colored, Baroque-styled Ahrend organ (1991) of the church of San Simpliciano, Milan, Italy; and Brahms' works are played on the richer, Romantic Walcker organ (1887-1888, restored 1982-1984) of the Stadtkirche Winterthur, Switzerland. Their different registrations give a proper period flavor to each composer's works, and contribute more depth and interest than the CD's quid pro quo arrangement might suggest. Edel's digital reproduction is skillfully engineered and unprocessed, so the sound is wonderfully alive and clean, and apparently recorded at floor level to eliminate the noises of the organs' mechanisms. ~ Blair Sanderson, Rovi

Performances

Composer	Title	Time
Johann Sebastian Bach	Prelude and Fugue, for organ in A minor "The Great," BWV 543 (BC J42)	9:00
Johann Sebastian Bach	Nun komm der Heiden Heiland (I), chorale prelude for organ (Orgel-Büchlein No. 1), BWV 599 (BC K28)	1:17
Johann Sebastian Bach	Das alte Jahr vergangen ist (I), chorale prelude for organ (Orgel-Büchlein No. 16), BWV 614 (BC K43)	1:55
Johann Sebastian Bach	Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (I), chorale prelude for organ (Achtzehn Choräle No. 4), BWV 654 (BC K77)	7:37
Johann Sebastian Bach	O Lamm Gottes unschuldig (I), chorale prelude for organ (Orgel-Büchlein No. 20), BWV 618 (BC K47)	4:04
Johann Sebastian Bach	Vater unser im Himmelreich (I), chorale prelude for organ (Orgel-Büchlein No. 38), BWV 636 (BC K65)	1:23
Johann Sebastian Bach	Jesu, meine Freude (I), chorale prelude for organ (Orgel-Büchlein No. 12), BWV 610 (BC K39)	2:50
Johann Sebastian Bach	Herzlich tut mich verlangen, chorale prelude for organ, BWV 727 (BC K109)	2:17
Johann Sebastian Bach	Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ (I), chorale prelude for organ (Orgel-Büchlein No. 41), BWV 639 (BC K68)	2:15
Johann Sebastian Bach	Alle Menschen müssen sterben (I), chorale prelude for organ (Orgel-Büchlein No. 45), BWV 643 (BC K72)	1:31
Johann Sebastian Bach	Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt (I), chorale prelude for organ (Orgel-Büchlein No. 39), BWV 637 (BC K66)	1:36
Johann Sebastian Bach	Alle Menschen müssen sterben (I), chorale prelude for organ (Orgel-Büchlein No. 45), BWV 643 (BC K72)	1:54
Johannes Brahms	Prelude and fugue for organ in A minor, WoO posth. 9	5:25
Johannes Brahms	Choral prelude for organ ("Mein Jesu, der du mich"), Op. posth. 122/1	3:48
Johannes Brahms	Choral prelude for organ ("Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele"), Op. posth. 122/5	2:30
Johannes Brahms	Choral prelude for organ ("Herzliebster Jesu"), Op. posth. 122/2	2:09
Johannes Brahms	Choral prelude for organ ("O, wie selig seid Ihr doch, Ihr Frommen"), Op. posth. 122/6	1:35
Johannes Brahms	Choral prelude for organ ("O Gott, du frommer Gott"), Op. posth. 122/7	4:00
Johannes Brahms	Choral prelude for organ ("O Welt, ich muß dich lassen (I)"), Op. posth. 122/3	2:04
Johannes Brahms	Work(s) (Herzlich tut mieh erfreuen)	2:00
Johannes Brahms	Choral prelude for organ ("Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen"), Op. posth. 122/8	1:56
Johannes Brahms	Choral prelude for organ ("Herzlich tut mich verlangen I"), Op. posth. 122/9	1:25
Johannes Brahms	Choral prelude for organ ("Herzlich tut mich verlangen II"), Op. posth. 122/10	2:35
Johannes Brahms	Choral prelude for organ ("O Welt, ich muß dich lassen (I)"), Op. posth. 122/3	2:06

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