ORGANZ News, December 2010
This is a fascinating and interesting C. D which is certainly not ‘background’ music, or organ music to be played and listened to as with the regular repertoire of organ recitals. It is important to read the notes first about the composer, and then, whilst listening to the C.D. the notes on each of the biblical scenes depicted in the six Sonatas, with their individual movements.
The music, as described very well in the programme notes, is setting each scene through the medium of music, with the expressions, feelings and many different moods of the biblical characters. Examples of these moods are: Prayer, fear, confidence, victory, rejoicing, sobering, calming, positive and negative feelings, questioning, confrontation, awakening to the truth, blessings, lamenting and consultation.
Scenes include battles, weddings, funerals, concerts and deception.
It is also important and fascinating to understand the period and places in which the composer of this music was born, educated and spent his musical career, namely mostly in his position as Kantor in the famous church of Thomaskirche in 1701. His pupils included George Philippe Telemann, but more important is the fact that the position at Thomaskirche was later offered to the ‘mediocre’ man from Kothen: Johann Sebastian Bach.
In several movements in the six Sonatas one can not only appreciate several fugues, ( tracks 13,18 and 33) but also the beginnings of Chorale Preludes based on Lutheran hymns, which had a great influence on J.S.Bach. As stated in the programme notes, it is possible that some of the works of J.S.Bach should be attributed to his predecessor Kuhnau.
Enough said about the music and the composer. The organist-Richard Apperley must be congratulated on his clear and precise playing, with excellent use of the tonal recourses of the Flentrop organ at St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Wellington. Richard has obviously put in a lot of thought to his registrations so as to depict so well the scenes from the bible and the characters, His phasing and accurate playing of the music, in the slow and contrasting fast movements is a joy and pleasure to listen to.
New Zealand is very fortunate to have a musician such as Richard Apperley living here in our country, and producing such music and recordings of a very high standard. We are also very fortunate to have a pipe organ in N.Z capable of producing music from the period of the early 18th century with such clarity and excellent tonal resources, and the excellent clear acoustics of the church.
I hope in the future we can hear more organ music from Richard, played on this fine instrument and other organs.
This C.D. will be launched on 3rd December, and will then be available for sale from Parsons (Wellington), Marbecks (nationwide) or from the website: www.richardapperley.com
Magazine of the New Zealand Association of Organists. Reviewed by David Brookes