Déjà Review: this review was first published in November 2002 and the recording is still available.
Georg Böhm (1661-1733)
Works for Organ
Chorale Partitas
Prelude, Fugue and Postlude in G Minor
Christiaan Teeuwsen (Reil Organ)
rec. 2001, Bovenkerk, Kampen, The Netherlands
Naxos 8.555857 [79]
Georg Böhm was born in Hohenkirchen near Ohrdruf in Thuringia way back in 1661. His early music training was given to him by his father, who was a local schoolmaster and organist in Ernstroda and, from 1660, in Hohenkirchen. After the death of his father in 1675, Georg continued his education at the Lateinschule in Goldbach until 1678, when he moved to the Gymnasium at Gotha. In 1684 he matriculated at the University at Jena and by 1693 he was to be found in Hamburg where, by 1697, three of his children had been baptised. In 1698, the organist Christian Flor had died, and the position of organist became available at the Johanniskirche in Luneberg. Georg Böhm applied for the vacancy, and was the unanimous choice, maintaining the position until his death in 1733.
In Luneberg, it is said that Böhm met a young 12-year-old musician by the name of Johann Sebastian Bach, who was at school in near-by Ohrdruf, this meeting is said to have taken place between 1700 and 1702. Whether Böhm actually taught J S Bach music is not known; in fact, not much information regarding Georg Böhm’s employment is known. What is quite clear is that the compositions of Georg Böhm had a strong influence on the later compositions of J S Bach. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Sebastian’s second son, often referred to Böhm as his Father’s teacher.
In Böhm’s more free-form compositions, there is a distinct influence of Buxtehude and the general North German School of compositional form.
The fairly extensive booklet notes are largely based on the notes by the organist Christiaan Teeuwsen, who just happens to be the organist on this very fine Naxos recording. Booklet details are also given appertaining to the Reil Organ at Bovenkerk that is also used. The photograph on the front cover, is of this fine instrument, which it appears was “created” on the 27th May 1999; just goes to show that the modern organ builders are still capable of creating fine instruments.
The pieces included on this disc cover a cross-section of Böhm’s compositional career as an organist and, apart from being very well played, are recorded in a beautiful clean, clear acoustic. Given the budget price of this excellent Naxos CD, I can only give it the very highest of recommendations. Buy a copy, sit back and smile.
Scott Montague
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