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Review by gonzostick November 8, 2009 (3 of 4 found this review helpful)
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If you love great organ music recordings, DO NOT MISS THIS DISC.
This is a great recording of obscure north German Baroque repertoire on a beautifully restored period instrument built in 1724 by Friedhelm Flamme. He is a stunning organist, uses the color resources of his instrument beautifully, uses informed historical practice but avoids the registration idiocy of staying on a full organ plenum for complete movements of baroque works. These are the complete works for organ of the two composers listed.
The works by Bruhns are always great music for listening and playing. He is very adventurous harmonically and texturally, showing some characteristics of the great north German master Diderik Buxthehude, but with more artistic daring.
A few things are especially nice about the instrument. It is pitched higher than normal pitch and tuned in one of the variants of meantone, Chorton, which is the reason why Flamme plays some of the works one full step lower (from e minor to d minor) in order to avoid howling 6th problems caused by the lack of equal temperament. Of course, there are many that argue that such intervallic howls were expected by the composers and that is why they put their music in such keys.
Still, this disc, like Flamme's Durufle's discs, is excellent. The bass response and the rasp of the reeds on this instrument are nothing short of beautiful.
There is plenty of bass on this recording as this instrument has a very solid bottom end, though there are NO 32 foot stops in the Pedal division. The 16 footers are very solid and the overall blend of the instrument, built by a man in the tradition of the Arp Schnitger shop, is breathtaking in its blend and tone. The mixtures never scream, as happens with some instruments.
Great recital with very musical playing. Again, worth every penny. You will find yourself tapping your toes to the dance-inspired preludes and fugues on this disc.
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