Liszt’s B minor Sonata proves not only plausible but also surprisingly expressive as transcribed for organ by Bernhard Haas. Haas circumvents the organ’s lack of a sustain pedal by employing frequent and cannily deployed changes in registration. Some of his interpretive ideas defy convention, such as his brisk, arguably perfunctory treatment of the large section prior to the fughetta. On piano, of course, the famous octave passages retain a certain “stunt” value that disappears via the music’s “organ-i-zation”. Similarly, the organ cannot really reproduce Stravinsky’s percussive arsenal in The Rite of Spring. The instrument’s very nature results in a softening of the music’s jagged edges and a pacification of the rhythmic momentum. Still, Haas’ registrations impressively approximate Stravinsky’s innovative scoring, and his performance is a genuine tour de force of hands/feet coordination. If you love organ transcriptions, you’ll want this disc. [2/25/2003]
