Bach, J S: Fantasia con imitatione in B minor BWV563

The discrepancy between virtuosity, artistry and genius on the one hand and the reality of the musical profession on the other has probably never been more aptly expressed than in the Arnstadt church council´s criticism of the young Johann Sebastian Bach:" He confuses the congregation." He confused them with his chorale arrangements full of brilliant and ingenious ideas and his free organ works. Fortunately, posterity mostly sees Bach in quite a different light than his immediate contemporaries!

The final volume in Margaret Phillips’ critically-acclaimed survey of the complete Bach organ works, includes the rarely-recorded ‘Neumeister’ chorale preludes, together with a selection of other works, including some of Bach’s best-loved organ music, such as the 4th Trio Sonata, and the brilliant and virtuoso Preludes & Fugues in D major (BWV 532) and A minor (BWV 543).

The ‘Neumeister’ chorale preludes, discovered at Yale University in 1985, encompass a wonderful variety of techniques, with many opportunities to exploit the colours of a large historic instrument, such as this one in the Grote Kerk, Leeuwarden, in the Netherlands, which was built by Christian Müller in 1727, and is one the world’s finest historic organs, set in a perfect acoustic.

A magnificent conclusion to a series being hailed as one of the finest recordings of Bach’s organ music on disc.

Any collection of recordings of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) must include a good proportion of his compositions for the organ on which he must have been a master-performer and for which he provided a treasure trove of works. With organs requiring large acoustics they are usually to be found in churches, but such is the expense of maintaining them and the buildings in which they are housed that some are falling in to a state of disrepair or are being removed to be replaced by modern electrical or electronic instruments which, for all their good workmanship, completely fail to match the majesty of the original. Recordings, therefore, on a fine Hi-fi system are a superb alternative to travelling long distances to sit on often uncomfortable pews in cold churches (however that is not to say that they should completely replace the chance of hearing an original in real life, like other forms of music a live performance has added dimensions, it is just that it is becoming harder to attend such occasions). Lionel Rogg, in this second of several planned sets, brings together the remainder of the more extended works which are either a Fantasia, Prelude or Toccata followed by a Fugue, together with works which are Fantasias and Preludes without Fugues and some Fugues on their own.

Played on Silbermann organs.