Sony PS3 SACD to *ISO | DST 1bit-2822,4kHz 2.0, 2+2+2 | 4.50GB
FLAC 24bit 88.2kHZ 2.0 | DR9 (+6dB gain) | 1.34GB
FLAC 24bit 88.2kHZ 2.0 | DR9 (+6dB gain) | 1.34GB
Organ Music | Label: MDG gold | Cat. Number: MDG 914-1690-6 | RAR 3% Rec.
The Schwalbennestorgel is a remarkable survival of a type of organ called "swallow's nest", because of its appearing to have been glued onto the wall of the church - a look at the photograph on the disc cover shows this very well. The distinctive organ case was built between 1586 and 1595 by Dutch organ builders, and the loft and pedal cases were added by a Hamburg company in 1612. Many of their front pipes remain, with even their voicing preserved. A sensitive reconstruction by Altenahr in 2010 has produced an organ which is not only capable of playing music from the Renaissance, but also the high Baroque. Note that the organ's mean-tone temperament with perfect thirds may at times and in some keys seem out of tune to ears used to modern pitches.
Vogel has evidently put a great deal of thought and scholarly preparation into this project, as his detailed notes indicate. His programme for the first in the series consists of a showcase of the types of organ pieces which distinguish Sweelinck's music. Don't expect flashy virtuosity and full organ with 32' pipes; this is music from a generation earlier than J.S. Bach's...
An excellent introduction to the organ music of Sweelinck and to the Swallow's Nest organ of St Marien, stylishly played by Harald Vogel, who is an exemplary messenger for the composer. Recommended.
Vogel has evidently put a great deal of thought and scholarly preparation into this project, as his detailed notes indicate. His programme for the first in the series consists of a showcase of the types of organ pieces which distinguish Sweelinck's music. Don't expect flashy virtuosity and full organ with 32' pipes; this is music from a generation earlier than J.S. Bach's...
.... The disc lasts for a generous 78'42", and is well produced with copious notes and full specifications for the organ.
Not having MDG's 2+2+2 speaker configuration, I found the disc worked quite well with a 5.1 system, although it seems that the absence of that layer of the church ambience captured in the height microphones was missing in 5.1, giving the impression of a closer microphone placing. I understand from Werner Dabringhaus that the microphones were placed at least 12-15m from the console, and that the height speakers (if I had them) would image the organ about 10m above the church floor and also reveal the different locations of Hauptwerck and Oberwerck ranks. This is the first time that I have been aware of a substantial difference when playing a 2+2+2 optimised MC recording in the compromised 5.1 format. Quite possibly I would have awarded a full 5 sonic stars if it were at all possible for my large speaker system could be adapted to the 2+2+2 format. An excellent introduction to the organ music of Sweelinck and to the Swallow's Nest organ of St Marien, stylishly played by Harald Vogel, who is an exemplary messenger for the composer. Recommended.
01.Toccata ex d (SwWV 285)03:42
02.Echo-Fantasia ex d (SwWV 261)04:41
03.Psalm 116 (Tenorsatz von Cl. Goudimel)01:05
04.Psalm 116 (SwWV 313)06:45
05.Fantasie à 4 (SwWV 273)13:53
06.Toccata à 4 (SwWV 298 )02:22
07.Erbarm dich mein o Herre Gott (SwWV 303)13:26
08.Ave maris stella (SwWV 193)02:21
09.Capriccio (SwWV 281)04:11
10.Allemanda (SwWV 330)09:14
11.Toccata ex g (SwWV 295 )02:47
12.Registervorführung (Praestant 8')00:50
13.Registervorführung (Hohlpfeiff 8')00:44
14.Registervorführung (Quintatien 8')00:26
15.Registervorführung (Hohlpfeiff und Quintatien im Wechsel)00:39
16.Registervorführung (Trumpett 8')00:49
17.Registervorführung (Barpfeiff 8')00:27
18.Registervorführung (Trumpett und Barpfeiff im Wechsel)00:35
19.Registervorführung (Zinke 8')00:40
20.Registervorführung (Zinke 8' und Gedackt 8' mit Quintatien 8')01:02
21.Registervorführung (Hohlfloyte 4')00:29
22.Registervorführung (Waltpfeiff 2')00:41
23.Registervorführung (Hohlpfeiff 8' und Waltpfeiff 2')00:36
24.Registervorführung (Nasatt 3')00:22
25.Registervorführung (Hohlpfeiff 8', Nasatt 3' und Gedackt 8')00:25
26.Registervorführung (Praestant 8')00:20
27.Registervorführung (Octave 4')00:07
28.Registervorführung (Mixtur 2-4f)00:30
29.Registervorführung (Scharff 3-6f)00:31
30.Registervorführung (Cimbell 3f)00:31
31.Registervorführung (Hohlpfeiff 8', Praestant 4#, Cimbell, Gedackt 8' und Hohlfloyte 4#)00:58
32.Registervorführung (Bassunen Baß 16')00:23
33.Registervorführung (Trumpeten Baß 8')00:15
34.Registervorführung (Cornet Baß 2')00:22
35.Registervorführung (Alle Pedalzungenstimmen)00:28
36.Registervorführung (Pr8', O4', M, Sch und die drei Pedalzungen)00:44
Stop the presses and press the stops! This CD of works by Jan-Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562–1621) heralds a major and exciting series that, if it fulfills its initial high promise, will be both an exceptional treat and an indispensable acquisition for all lovers of organ music. Perhaps the most noteworthy feature of this release is the instrument employed—the famed “Swallow’s Nest” organ of St. Marien-Kirche in Lemgo in northwestern Germany. The main case was built by the Dutch Siegel family between 1586 and 1595, with the lateral cases for the pedal organ and the front pipes produced by the German Scherer family of Hamburg in 1612–13. It is the only late Renaissance organ of the Dutch-North German style to have survived to the present relatively intact and without major inauthentic modifications. Under the supervision of organist Harald Vogel (who in his photo even looks like a 17th-century personage!), the organ has recently undergone a complete reconstruction, with detailed specifications given in the booklet notes. The approximately 65 minutes of music from 11 compositions is supplemented by 25 tracks totaling about 14 minutes, in which organist Vogel demonstrates (with brief spoken introductions in German) the various registrations of the organ.
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While there are several discs in print of selections from Sweelinck’s oeuvre for organ, there has previously been only one integral series. In 2002 NM Classics released a nine-CD set (NM92119) of the complete keyboard works—six discs for organ, three for harpsichord—performed by 15 different keyboard soloists, including such immediately recognizable names as Pieter Dirksen, Pieter-Jan Belder, and Bob van Asperen; somehow it escaped review in these pages. While still in print, it is rather difficult to track down; those who desire complete details for it (a list of works and their respective performers, timings, disc layouts, etc., plus sound clips and a detailed review by Mark Sealey upon its 2007 reissue) can piece those together from the websites for classical.net, allmusic.com, and mdt.co.uk. That is an excellent set, and comes with a lavishly detailed 200-plus-page hardback book in English, French, Spanish, German, and Dutch, with essays on sources and spurious and apocryphal works. While this series of separate discs will not match that for documentation, and presumably will not include the harpsichord works (though it appears that at least some works performed on harpsichord in the NM set will be included in this series as organ pieces), it bids fair to surpass it for both interpretations and recorded sound, which in the last analysis counts for even more. You can’t go wrong with either alternative, but this initial entry for a new series is simply superlative and has my highest recommendation.
FANFARE: James A. Altena
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While there are several discs in print of selections from Sweelinck’s oeuvre for organ, there has previously been only one integral series. In 2002 NM Classics released a nine-CD set (NM92119) of the complete keyboard works—six discs for organ, three for harpsichord—performed by 15 different keyboard soloists, including such immediately recognizable names as Pieter Dirksen, Pieter-Jan Belder, and Bob van Asperen; somehow it escaped review in these pages. While still in print, it is rather difficult to track down; those who desire complete details for it (a list of works and their respective performers, timings, disc layouts, etc., plus sound clips and a detailed review by Mark Sealey upon its 2007 reissue) can piece those together from the websites for classical.net, allmusic.com, and mdt.co.uk. That is an excellent set, and comes with a lavishly detailed 200-plus-page hardback book in English, French, Spanish, German, and Dutch, with essays on sources and spurious and apocryphal works. While this series of separate discs will not match that for documentation, and presumably will not include the harpsichord works (though it appears that at least some works performed on harpsichord in the NM set will be included in this series as organ pieces), it bids fair to surpass it for both interpretations and recorded sound, which in the last analysis counts for even more. You can’t go wrong with either alternative, but this initial entry for a new series is simply superlative and has my highest recommendation.
FANFARE: James A. Altena
