Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
Handel Organ Concerti Vol 1 with Rudolf Ewerhart and Collegium Aureum
- Handel Organ Concerti Vol. 2 with Rudolf Ewerhart and Collegium Aureum
Even today listeners are captivated by the vitality, inspiration and dignity of the Organ Concerti of George Frideric Handel. Although Handel’s compositional style is rooted in the Central German cantoral practice of his homeland, his music is strongly influenced by the impressions gathered during his stay in Italy. The organ concerto form itself came into maturity when Handel began focusing on it in 1735. This came about when he inserted one of his organ concerti as entr’acte music during a performance of one of his oratorios. Its popularity prompted Handel to concentrate on the organ concerto as a viable composition form.
Rudolf Ewerhart performs on four different organs in this 2 volume, 4-CD release on Klassic Haus Restorations, transcribed from a Musical Heritage Society 4-LP set. I have kept the LP track sequence on these transcriptions, to facilitate the presentation of the four organs represented on the recording. I am offering each volume at a special price.
Following are the short comments found on my website:
KHCD-2011-031-2CD (STEREO) – Handel – Organ Concerti, Vol. 1: The Baroque Organ of the Parish Church in Körbecke (Concerti Nos. 4 in F, 10 in d minor & 16 in F) and the Gabler Organ of Weingarten Abbey (Concerti Nos. 5 in F, 6 in B-flat, 7 in B-flat, & 8 in A) – Rudolf Ewerhart, organist; Collegium Aureum/Reinhart Peters – These recordings made by Harmonia Mundi were guided by the idea of presenting Handel’s Concerti for Organ in performances on several instruments of varying sizes and types. Since Handel’s organ style shows elements of the South German – Italian manner as well as French techniques, the instruments chosen for this volume serve well the wealth of forms and variety of structure in Handel’s works on these discs. Rudolf Ewerhart chooses tempi and registers appropriate for each movements of the concerti, as well as attention to the venues’ acoustics (all four churches recorded in this 2-volume set are very reverberant). The Collegium Aureum on original instruments play with verve and stylistic attention to detail. The source for this collection is a 4-LP Musical Heritage Society set in near-mint condition. A specially priced, 2-CD set.
KHCD-2011-032-2CD (STEREO) – Handel – Organ Concerti, Vol. 2: The “Trinity” Organ by Karl Joseph Riepp in Ottobeuren (Concerti Nos. 3 in g minor, 9 in B-flat, 11 in g minor, & 14 in A)and the Cabinet Organ of the Geertekerk in Utrecht (Concerti Nos. 1 in g minor, 2 in B-flat, 12 in F, 13 in B-flat, & 15 in d minor) – Rudolf Ewerhart, organist; Collegium Aureum/Reinhart Peters – Comments for Volume 1 apply as well for this set. Both volumes are specially priced, 2-CD sets.
I will begin work afresh in April on more Nonesuch recordings by Karl Ristenpart and the Saar Chamber Orchestra, some Command LPs with Pierre Dervaux and L’Orchestre de Concerts Colonne and L’Orchestra De La Societe Des Concerts Du Conservatoire with Andre Vandernoot, and Charles Munchconducting the Boston Symphony in a mono RCA collection of music by Wagner. Exciting stuff! – Cheers – Curt Timmons