If it ever makes sense to document musical instruments with CD recordings, it is in the case of organs. Such instruments were never part of serial production; each instrument has its own character, and one has to hope that this is preserved through the inevitable process of adaptation, extension and restoration. The two recordings which are discussed here, are devoted to two German organ builders of the 18th and 19th centuries. One of the interesting features is that the year an organ was built, does not always says much about its character.
Edoardo Maria Bellotti plays two organs built by the dynasty Stumm [1]. Johann Michael Stumm (1683-1747) and five generations of his descendants built around four hundred organs in Germany and Luxembourg. The earliest surviving organ dates from 1723, the last Stumm organ was built in 1895. Bellotti plays organs from 1739 and 1767.
The former instrument is located in the Matthiaskirche in Bad Sobernheim. It has two manuals, a Hauptwerk and a Rückpositiv; the latter serves as an Echowerk. Between 2003 and 2005 it was restored. The pitch is a=466 Hz, the temperature is Vallotti. On this instrument Bellotti plays a programme of mostly German music from the baroque period. It includes two pieces based on a basso ostinato (Johann Caspar Kerll, Passacaglia; Johann Pachelbel, Ciacona ex d), which do especially well on the organ due to the presence of a pedalboard. It is nice that we get three arrangements of the chorale Christus, der uns selig macht, by Johann Gottfried Walther and Georg Philipp Telemann respectively. It allows for a comparison, but also shows that Telemann's organ works, though small in number, don't deserve to be neglected. In Walther's arrangement the cantus firmus is played on the pedal with the Posaunbass 16', which produces a very strong sound. In analogy to Bach's arrangements of Italian instrumental concertos, Bellotti plays his own arrangement of Vivaldi's concerto La Notte (Op. 10, No. 2). That is the least satisfying part of the programme; this is not the most suitable piece to be adapted to the organ.
The second disc focuses on the later organ by Stumm. At Advent 1767 the brothers Johann Philipp and Johann Heinrich Stumm completed the construction of an organ in the Schlosskirche Meisenheim am Glan. It consists of two manuals and pedal board and has 29 stops. The organ is almost completely in its original state. Notable are the placement of the console at the side, the use of the Rückpositiv as an Echowerk and the labial stops. The pitch is Chorton (here called Cornet-Ton), and the temperature Neidhart III. The later year of construction was reason for Bellotti to focus on classical repertoire, although he starts with pieces by Handel (his Suite in d minor (HWV 448) works very well on the organ), Bach and Telemann. The Fantasia à gusto italiano by Johann Ludwig Krebs marks the passage to classical music: two movements from Haydn's Sieben letzen Worte, a fugue by Johann Georg Albrechtsberger, and Johann Christian Bach's arrangement of Haydn's Symphony No. 53. The larger palette of colours, in comparison with the organ of 1739, fits the performance of the classical repertoire, doing justice to the original orchestral scoring.
Edoardo Bellotti has presented a fine portrait of two beautiful instruments that I hade never heard before and by builders that were unknown to me, and probably to many other organ aficionados, especially from outside Germany. The programmes are generally well-chosen and excellently performed. It is sad to note that this is probably Bellotti's last recording as last February he died at the age of just 67. He has been an active promoter of historical organs and literature for such instruments. This set of discs is a fine testimony of his activities and skills.
The organ builder dynasty Kreutzbach [2] was also unknown to me, until I received the recording by Gregor Meyer. The first of the dynasty was Urban Kreutzbach (1796-1868), who started in the firm of Carl Gottlob Häcker, from 1822 seated in Borna. Six years later Kreutzbach started a firm of his own. Gregor Meyer plays three instruments by Kreutzbach. The first is the one in Wiederau, a village near Leipzig, which is one of the earliest instruments by Kreutzbach, dating from 1831. What is notable here is that this is still built largely in baroque style, under the influence of Gottfried Silbermann, also due to Kreutzbach's repair work on two of the latter's instruments. It is a relatively small instrument with one manual (10 stops) and pedalboard (3 stops), which can be attached to the manual. Given the characteristics of this organ, Bach's Prelude and fugue in c minor (BWV 546) and Georg Böhm's partita Ach wie nichtig, ach wie flüchtig are well-chosen.
The second instrument is located in Johanngeorgenstadt, and was built in 1872 by Richard and Bernhard Kreutzbach, Urban's sons. It sticks to the tradition established by their father. Despite the year of construction, it does not include late Romantic elements. "We still have a setup similar to that of many baroque organs: there is still no swell, no roll or combination stops, and the only playing aid is the deactivation of the grand pedal. Otherwise, it is a typical baroque organ – with Oberwerk, Hauptwerk, and Pedal. It originally had 36 stops." (Meyer) Romantic elements were added later, such as the Aeoline in 1893. This justifies the choice of two works by Bach, the Fantasia and fugue in g minor (BWV 542) and the Partite diverse sopra O Gott, du frommer Gott.
In 1891 Richard Kreutzbach built an organ in the Pauluskirche in Zwickau-Marienthal, which is much more a typical romantic instrument, with two manuals and pedalboard. Here we find some typical romantic registers, such as the Aeoline mentioned above, and a Klarinette, and also roll, swell, octave couplers, and other playing aids. It is an organ of the symphonic type, which is perfectly suited for Max Reger's Phantasie über den Choral 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme', op. 52,2.
The documentation of the activities of an organ builders' dynasty like that of the Kreutzbach's is of great importance. It shows how organ building developed stylistically, but also that the year that an organ was built in itself does say little about its characteristics. Influences of tradition manifested themselves in instruments of the 19th century. In that respect there is much more continuity in organ building than in the construction of fortepianos during the 19th century. Gregor Meyer is a knowledgeable and eloquent guide through the history of the Kreutzbach dynasty, and demonstrates three fine specimens of its activities in a most convincing manner. I can't say anything about the performance of Reger, as this is music I usually avoid. I like his performances of the baroque repertoire; the organs allow for a 'baroque' style of playing. In the two partitas I found the tempi sometimes a bit too fast, but that is a minor detail.
Organ aficionados should investigate both recordings, which may well expand their horizon.
[1] "Stumm"
Edoardo Maria Bellotti, organ
Hänssler Classic HC22073 (© 2022) details
[2] "The Kreutzbach Organs"
Gregor Meyer, organ
Genuin GEN 24862 (© 2024) details
Saturday, May 24, 2025
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