Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue in A major, BWV536

The works on this CD include the third and last section of J S Bach’s early works, composed before the Weimar period. Helga Schauerte performs the works on the Trost organ at the Walpurgiskirche in Grossengottern.

Hyperion’s Bach Piano Transcriptions series reaches volume 8, and continues to surprise and delight with a disc containing many first recordings. The controversial figure of Eugen d’Albert was one of the greatest pianists of his day and, although largely forgotten now, a composer of genuinely international renown. A sometime student at the Royal College of Music, d’Albert rejected his British upbringing and nailed his colours to the mast of German music. Bach was an important part of his performing career—and like other great nineteeth-century pianists, d’Albert saw in the monumental scale of the organ works an opportunity to synthesize the works of the Master with the expanded capabilities of the modern piano.

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.

This disc includes transcriptions by W. Braunfels, C. Tausig, Vaughan Williams, I. Iljin, C. Lucas, S. W. Didenko, I. Philipp, A. Malheiro Prado, and A. Brieskier performed by German pianist Angelika Nebel and includes some premiere recordings.

Organist Peter Kofler performs the works of JS Bach, Bruhns, CPE Bach, Mendelssohn, Dupre and Widor on this recording played on the organ of the Jesuitenkirche St Michael zu Munich.