A British Organ Festival

Publisher: RN Audio Bottrop, FS022020-15

Playing time: 55 min

Specifications: half track ¼", stereo, RTM SM900, 1 metal reel, CCIR, 510 nWb/m, 19 cm/s

Homepage: https://www.tapemusic.eu

Translation of the German review:

This tape contains a beautiful showcase of British organ music composed at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. This period is attributed to Romanticism and already shows beginnings of the following musical epoch, New Music. I found hardly anything about the composers on the Internet except for sheet music, so I decided to let this music affect me simply by listening to it. This prompted me to write a small impression for each title.

The organ is difficult to record because of its tonal and dynamic range. The reverberation in the mostly stately churches must be included in the right proportion. Rainer Neuwirth creates a very good compromise with his nine-meter-high tripod in order to position the microphones at an appropriate height and at the correct distance in front of the organ pipes. He managed the balance between direct sound and reverberation perfectly and so listening to this tape is a special pleasure.

1. Festal Song (John Ebenezer West, 1863-1929) is an announcement: clear structures, staccato playing. The composer lets the notes run against each other a bit, which reminds me of jazz.

2. Will O' The Wisp (Gordon Balch Nevin, 1892-1943) is a delicate, sparkling piece with a meditative character. The flowing textures remind me of Smetana's "Moldau".

3. Caprice (Cuthbert C. Harris, 1870-1932). We listen to music that is at rest within itself. A spinning carousel comes to mind.

4. Marche Héroique (Alfred Herbert Brewer, 1865-1928) starts a bit reservedly. Towards the end of the piece, the listener is treated to the fortissimo of the organ. When Friedrich Storfinger touches the keys deeply, the music comes across especially dynamically!

5. Coral Prelude on "Rockingham" (Chares Hubert Hastings Parry, 1848-1894) is a tricky piece, impressing by a special beauty.

6. Coral Prelude on "The Old 104th" (Chares Hubert Hastings Parry, 1848-1894). The composer plays with leaving the basic notes for a long time and building the melody around them, which in turn gets a special touch when the original note falls silent.

7. Convert Fantasia on a Welsh March (William Thomas Best, 1826-1897). This title takes the listener into a variety of musical nuances and shows different dispositions of the organ, masterfully played by Friedrich Storfinger.

8. Scherzo (Edward Bairstow, 1874-1946) retreats to simpler melodic arcs that dance around the theme. With an approach of music box or barrel organ flair.

9. Intermezzo Founded Upon an Irish Air (Charles Villiers Stanford, 1852-1924). This quiet piece thrives on a familiar melody and captivates with its contemplative simplicity.

10. Fantasia And Toccata (Charles Villiers Stanford, 1852-1924). With this piece, we are treated to an excursion into a highly sophisticated composition that celebrates both the musical dimension of its time and the tonal and dynamic range of an organ.

We hear 55 minutes of organ music that should deeply satisfy the fan. This music should also be of interest to normally organ-abstinent listeners because it is reproduced unadulterated by the tape in the best possible original tonal range.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)