3 little organ pieces (Bach, Brahms)

Here are 3 litte organ pieces I recorded today in "my" little church.

The two Brahms items belong to the last opus Brahms composed before his death, and all pieces have already some otherworldy character.

The piece "Herzlich thut mich verlangen" (My inmost heart doth yearn, op. 122 No 10) has the melody in the pedal part. The melody comes from the Bach St Matthew choral "O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden". Brahms puts a total different harmony system around that melody.

The piece "Herzliebster Jesu" (Saviour of my heart, op. 122 No 2) takes also the melody from a Bach St. Matthew choral, also with completely different harmonies.

The piece "Nun komm der Heiden Heiland" (I cannot translate that, sorry) is the first item in the Orgelbüchlein from Bach and is sung as choral still today in Germany, just now, before the X-Mas time. I am not really satisfied with the recording of that piece, maybe I rerecord that anytime.

I did not add additional reverb, it is just as it sounds in the church at the altar.

Brahms - Choral Preludes, Op. 122, No. 2 "Herzliebster Jesu"

Brahms - Choral Preludes, Op. 122, No. 10 "Herzlich thut mich verlangen"

Bach - BWV 599 - Nun komm der Heiden Heiland

 

Thanks, Olaf. I'm really not familiar with a whole lot of Brahms, and that first one in particular was really nice - a perfect blend of 19th century style and of course the obvious Bach influence.

 

Thumbs up, Olaf, I liked especially Brahms.

I've got a CD by BIS Records, very dear to me, with the complete organ music by Brahms played by Jacques van Oortmerssen.

 

I think Techneut will be very happy to hear these because 1) it's Brahms and 2) it's the organ :wink:

As with your other organ recordings, you have done a nice job balancing technicality and musicality.

You're almost as good as E. Power Biggs

 

Wow, a class job Olaf. These Brahms chorales are incredibly well composed for the organ. I toyed with some of them, like the no.10 but decided to put them aside - the lure of Bach is too strong to attempt anything else. I am not convinced of your subdued registration for the no.10, but it's splendily played, as is the no.2 which I did not know.

The Bach item is great too, nothing to be dissatisfied about. Only thing is that the chorale melody could use a little more air around the notes - it seems too legato. The accompaning voices are very nicely done. You are progressing enormously on the organ. Is this the organ you have lessons on too ?

 

Thank you all very much for listening and the kind comments!

Yes, Chris, I agree, that the melody on the Bach item could come out more clearly through more articulation - I took care for the articulation of the underlying voices, that has put the melody a bit in the background. It is a danger especially for those Orgelbüchlein pieces for which the melody has no separate manual like in this case.

The organ is not the one I have lessons, it is where I can practise, in my near - the same for all my organ recordings beside the Buxtehude recording (no big organ, 2 manuals with 22 stops all together, but in good condition).

The problem is now, that from January on they will switch off the heating. Up to now I had a warm church throughout the year, but this luxury will be over - too expensive. I already see myself playing with muffler, bonnet and gloves with finger tips looking through. :cry: