The two discs of Handel organ concertos offer nine of the 16 published concertos: all six from op. 4, two from op.7 and the concerto in F, HWV 308. Daniel Chorzempa’s readings with Schröder and the period instrument Concerto Amsterdam were highly regarded when they were new and hold up 28 years down the road.

Mozart, the innovator, wrote for organ only out of necessity or for commission. The three most interesting pieces on this Accord CD are the two Fantasies (K608 & K594) (12:55 & 10:50)and the Andante (K616) (6:25) that he wrote for an organ that was built into a clock in the waxwork museum owned by Count Deym, alias Muller. Though that organ was limited both in tone & pitch, Mozart wrote for it some of his finest music, in 1790 and 1791, near the end of his life. The other nine works on this CD, recorded in France in 1991, are Sonates "all'epistola" which he wrote while employed as court organist in Salsburg between 1772 and 1780. Ranging from 3 to 5-1/2 minutes in length, they are church sonatas, written for two violins, cello, contrabasse, and organ.

During his years at Weimar Bach made a number of keyboard arrangements of concertos and instrumental movements by other composers. His arrangements of concertos by Vivaldi, six of them for harpsichord and three for organ, remind us of the strong influence Vivaldi exercised over Bach's Instrumental compositions. The sixteen arrangements for harpsichord include a keyboard version of an oboe concerto by Alessandro Marcello, a violin concerto by Telemann and three concertos by Prince Johann Ernst of Saxe-Weimar. The six concertos transcribed for organ also include arrangements of two concertos by Duke Johann Ernst. The latter was a nephew of Bach's employer and a pupil for keyboard and for composition of Johann Gottfried Walther, organist of the Weimar Stadtkirche. His principal instrument was the violin and Telemann wrote for him a set of six sonatas for violin and clavier. Johann Ernst died in 1715 at the age of nineteen, leaving nineteen instrumental works. Of these six concertos were published posthumously by Telemann in 1718.

Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710‐1784) was the first son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach. He was taught by his father and soon he became proficient on several instruments. Although he was an organist for 20 years in Halle, he was one of the first musicians who strived for an independent life, trying to earn his living as a composer, performer and teacher. He struggled all his life, not helped by his difficult character, and he died in poverty in Berlin, totally forgotten.

The Organ Mass continues with the Our Father, Vater unser im Himmelreich (Our Father in Heaven). Here a much ornamented subject appears immediately in the upper part, to be imitated by the second voice. The chorale melody itself is presented in canon between the upper part and the fourth of the five voices. There is a shorter alternative working of the Vater unser, for manuals, its melody in the upper part.

The third volume of the Clavierübung, a collection of various chorale preludes described as on the catechism and other songs, was assembled in 1739 in Leipzig. Known as the Organ Mass, corresponding as it does, in part, to the movements of the Mass, the work is framed by the Prelude and Fugue in E flat major, BWV 552, the fugue known to English audiences as the St. Anne Fugue, because of the resemblance of the opening of the fugal subject to the well known Croft hymn-tune of that name usually coupled with the words O God, our help in ages past. The dotted rhythms of the Prelude make an impressive opening, with its concerto grosso contrasts of dynamics.

Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Now come, Saviour of the Heathen) appears in three versions. The chorale on which it is based is Martin Luther's adaptation of the original Ambrosian hymn Veni Redemptor gentium. The first of these, for two manuals and pedals, opens with the first measures of the chorale theme in the tenor, imitated at once in the alto register, over a constantly moving pedal bass. The melody is then elaborated in the upper part to form an ornamented line.

The works collected and revised by Bach probably between 1744 and 1747 and included in the so-called Leipzig Autograph, the Leipziger Originalhandschrift, were largely composed between 1708 and 1717, the years spent in Weimar. The chorale, the congregational hymn of the German Protestant church, had its roots in pre-Reformation practices. Its importance in Lutheran church music may in some respects be compared with the importance in Catholic tradition of plainchant, itself a source for some chorale melodies. As in other fields of music, Bach's varied treatment of the chorale sums up and crowns a long tradition.

Clérambault was born in 1676 in Paris in a musical family whose members had served the kings of France since the 15th century. His father Dominique was a violinist and a member of the 24 violons du roi. Louis-Nicolas probably received his first music lessons from him. His organ teacher was André Raison to whom he dedicated his Livre d'orgue. His oeuvre is not very sizeable, but of consistently high quality. He was a major contributor to the genre of the chamber cantata which became popular in the early decades of the 18th century under the influence of the Italian style. Five books of such cantatas were published between 1710 and 1726.

It's a pity that this recording has become somewhat hard to find- the arrangements are simply lovely (as well as some of the original works for organ and cello such as the Prayer by Saint-Saens). Although Rostropovich's lush sound does not completely match well to this recording's rather harsh harpsichord, the effect is quite wonderful on the pieces with organ. Highly recommended if you love the cello.

Padre Davide da Bergamo was one of Italy’s most famous and prolific organists and organ composers (besides being a monk). His lifespan, 1791- 1863, encompassed the Romantic Era, in which organ music detached itself from purely liturgical use. He introduced the symphonic form in his organ works, especially in his “Sinfonias”, which are substantial structures in classical/romantic style and form. This recording features the first recording of his “6 Sonatas & Sinfonias”. Organist Marco Ruggeri chose two organs from Da Bergamo’s time, magnificent instruments which do full justice to the colours and virtuosity of Da Bergamo’s works. Booklet contains liner notes, biography and information on the instruments.

Pour son premier enregistrement chez Ligia, l’organiste Jean-Charles Ablitzer a choisi de revenir à l’un de ses orgues préférés, celui du temple de Belfort. En effet, par le passé, il nous avait proposé déjà deux enregistrements sur cet instrument, évoquant au travers des titres le Nord, par le voyage, le souffle ou son école avec le présent album. Il est vrai que l’orgue du temple Saint-Jean de Belfort est exceptionnel. Construit en 1984 par Marc Garnier, suivant les principes de la facture d’orgue nord-allemande magnifiée au XVII° par Arp Schnitger, cet orgue représente un modèle magnifique et sans compromis, de ce que furent ces instruments, portés au sommet par une école d’organites d’une incroyable fertilité et d’une immense variété. De plus le buffet a été copié sur des originaux, et celui ci n’est pas sans rappeler tel ou tel orgue célèbre. On pense à Altenbruch (près d’Hambourg) en particulier.

This recording revives long-forgotten sonorities that once would have been very familiar: the sound of piano and organ being played together. It also presents a Sibelius premiere: the arrangement by Sigfird Karg-Elert of the suite from Pelléas and Mélisande. As the popularity of domestic music-making grew through the nineteenth century, it brought first the piano and, then, often the harmonium into well-off living-rooms across the western world. Composers naturally responded, with original works and arrangements: Sibelius Andante cantabile was written after a visit to relatives who had both instruments in their salon.

In his ninth and tenth of a total of fourteen releases of Bach’s collected organ works, Kåre Nordstoga pulls together much of what was not collected from the composer’s side — preludes and fugues.

In the last 20 years of his life, Bach focused on publishing works for posterity. This period brings us the Mass in B Minor, the Great Eighteen and the Schubler chorales, the Musical Offering, and the Art of Fugue. Bach also published four sets called Clavier-Ubung, or "keyboard interpretation," including the 6 partitas (Part I), Italian Concerto and French Overture (Part II), and Goldberg Variations (Part IV). Part III of the Clavier-Ubung, recorded here, comprises 21 chorale preludes based on the Lutheran mass and catechism (BWV 669-689) and 4 duets (BWV 802-805). These are flanked by the "St. Anne" prelude and fugue in E-flat major (BWV 552a & b), making 27 pieces in all.