It’s ironic that the world’s greatest composer of organ music never had at his disposal an instrument that he considered first-rate. However, if he had such an instrument, it likely would have equalled the magnificent 60-stop, four-manual Schnitger organ of St. Jacob’s Church, Hamburg, an organ that he certainly played and admired both as a teenager and when he auditioned for a position there at age 35. This excellent recording features that renowned St. Jacob’s organ, the largest surviving Baroque organ in Northern Europe, restored as closely as possible to its 1693 specifications, in a program of period works, from Buxtehude and Pachelbel to Reincken and Bach himself. The Buxtehude and Pachelbel works are world-premiere recordings–in spite of that dreaded “canon”, Pachelbel was a very fine composer–and the other selections are rarely heard on disc.
Organist Jean-Claude Zehnder achieves an approach to registration that respects Baroque tradition while imprinting his own imaginatively considered colors and textures on each work. He clearly highlights melodic lines while providing tastefully orchestrated accompaniments and well-defined counterpoint. The sound is full, natural, and pleasingly resonant. Organ fans shouldn’t hesitate.
