Ernő Dohnányi (1877-1960)
Fantasie in C minor (1892)
Vítězslav Novák (1870-1949)
Preludium na valašskou píseň (1949 or before)
Bedřich Antonín Wiedermann (1883-1951)
Pastorale dorico (1942)
Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) (1929-2022)
Epigrammák (Epigrams) (1954 arr. arr. Gábor Trajtler, 1969)
Praeludium in D flat major (1931)
Csendes mise (‘Low Mass’) ‘Organoedia ad missam lectam’ (1940-42 rev. 1966)
Miloš Sokola (1913-1976)
Passacaglia quasi toccata na téma B-A-C-H
Iain Quinn (organ)
rec. 2023, Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, Atlanta, USA
Naxos 8.574544 [71]

There is always a sense of anticipation when encountering a disc of completely unfamiliar music – all the more so when three of the composers represented are personal favourites. It is unusual, too, when a single disc can claim to contain the complete works for organ by those three composers; Zoltán Kodály, Ernő Dohnányi and Vítězslav Novák. As it happens, in the case of Dohnányi and Novák ‘complete’ means a single rather inconsequential piece and for Kodály the set of nine Epigrams are in fact arrangements by another composer of some voice and piano songs, so a degree of disappointment in terms of repertoire is balanced by a superb performance of the large-scale and impressive Csendes mise (‘Low Mass’).

Indeed, the whole disc is marked by performing and recording excellence. Organist Iain Quinn plays throughout with a musical authority and technical ease that is wholly convincing. Andrés Villalta is credited as producer, engineer and editor and I mention him early in the review because he has captured the organ of the Peachtree Road United Methodist Church Atlanta absolutely superbly – one of the finest, most natural but impactful recorded organ sounds I have heard in recent times – helped in no small part, I imagine, by the fact that the instrument itself sounds in magnificent condition. The English-only liner includes a complete specification for the organ which I must admit means little to me but by ear alone the balance and evenness of the organ across all dynamics and registrations is notably even and stable. One other notable feature is although this is a church recording location there is little of the resonance and acoustic overhang that can challenge recording big instruments in large spaces. Here the church is clearly present and acoustically supportive but Quinn’s passagework and counterpoint can be easily and satisfyingly appreciated.

The disc opens with Ernő Dohnányi’s quite substantial [8:38] Fantasie in C minor which is listed as a world premiere recording. As is my preference when encountering unknown music, I listen before I read any of the detail, so my surprise as to why this work should sound so unlike this composer’s other music is easily explained, as it is a student work by a fifteen year old. For sure, there is talent and confidence and no little skill but this does sound rather like a test or exercise piece where some Bachian passages jostle with imposing hymn-like melodies and some rather broad-brush Romantic gestures. The liner notes tell us that this was written three years before Dohnányi wrote a piece that he felt was worthy of the nomenclature “Op.1”. Despite Quinn’s efforts, it sounds like it. The liner also suggests measured expectations of Vítězslav Novák’s Preludium na valašskou píseň [Prelude to a Wallachian Folk Song 3:11] which it describes as a “study in subdued tonal contrasts that would be highly effective in smaller church acoustics”. The suggestion is that this was written right at the end of Novák’s life and it was not published until after his death. If, like me, you know Novák via his grandly scaled orchestral, choral and chamber works, this emerges as a very small chip off that mighty block.

Sandwiched between music by familiar composers are a couple of pieces by less well-known names. Bedřich Antonín Wiedermann was a Czech organist, composer and teacher with – according to the liner – some 350 compositions to his name including many for solo organ. His Pastorale dorico given here is another modest [6:12] rather unassuming work with a conservative outlook that belies its 1942 composition. Given the essentially restrained nature of the programme to this point with the following nine Epigrams similarly low-key, I wonder why a more dynamic example of Wiedermann’s output was not chosen.  

Some sets of music benefit from being heard in totality. For me the set of nine Epigrammák do not. As mentioned they are in fact transcriptions for solo organ made by Gábor Trajtler of songs by Kodály written originally in 1954. These are consciously unaffected and simple pieces. What the original songs were about is not elaborated in the liner. Of the nine pieces, seven are sub-two minutes (one just 0:51) with the longest – No.8 – 3:49. Seven of the nine are essentially reflective, almost monochrome pieces with No.5 the only dance-like movement. No.7 is the most musically interesting with a nagging ostinato figure bringing a degree of musical interest absent elsewhere. I can well imagine one or two of these pieces working attractively in an ecclesiastical setting to ‘under-score’ a part of the Mass. As a sequence they make for too unvaried a musical landscape. I cannot imagine a better case being made for them than here by Iain Quinn but he cannot save the sense of ennui pervading. The early (1931) Praeludium in D flat major is another reflective work although one very brief passage allows the wonderful organ to flex its mighty muscles.

Just in time the work around which the whole disc was planned arrives. This is Kodály’s quite wonderful Csendes mise (‘Low Mass’) ‘Organoedia ad missam lectam’.  The work was originally written in 1940-42 and revised in the year before the composer’s death.  The liner does not make clear the degree or manner of the revision. As is usual in an organ mass, six of the main sections of the mass are framed by an Introitus and an Ite missa est which makes the work suitable for secular performances. Richard Whitehouse in the liner note considers this – alongside the Symphony in C major – the most important of Kodály’s non choral works written after World War II. There is an immediate substance and stature to the music here that has been absent up until this point; also, there is a variety of expressive and musical style that makes for a far more compelling experience – and this is most definitely a work that benefits from being heard complete. The eight movements run for a total of 25:51 so it is a substantial but not overly ‘big’ work. There is still much reflective music here – the pensive Kyrie flowing fairly directly from the Introitus which itself is a serious slow-moving piece but overall the emotional ‘contours’, the expressive range is far greater than the earlier music on the disc. One aspect that I became more aware of when listening to this piece is the ‘accent’ of the instrument itself: recalling central European organs performing this type of repertoire, there is a reedy sound to the pedal notes that is significantly different from the more rounded and even tone of the organ used here. This becomes apparent in the third movement Gloria where the controlled weight and power of this Mander organ is evident. Again, the quality of both instrument and recording register with the dynamic range able to expand comfortably and without any sense of strain or congestion. In the following Credo the supportive but not overly resonant acoustic again works to the benefit of the music and recording so that the inner detail of Kodály’s contrapuntal writing is clean and clear with the final bars allowing the impressive power of the Peartree Road organ to register. The three remaining mass movements; Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei are again essentially reflective before the powerful closing Ite missa est which seems to thematically refer back to earlier movements.

The disc is completed by another unfamiliar name and work: Miloš Sokola’s Passacaglia quasi toccata na téma B-A-C-H. Sokola was a Czech musician whose main career was as a violinist although a quick search online reveals a fairly substantial body of compositions across most genres. Dating from 1963 this 5:54 work makes for an interesting and energetic ‘recessional’ piece for this programme. The clarity and precision of Quinn’s playing is greatly aided by the precision of the organ’s action and the sophistication of the recording. The work is essentially one long slow crescendo with the pedals outlining the passacaglia BACH motif over rustling complex passagework. Sokola’s discography seems to be mainly represented by Czech labels, although I see this organ work did feature on a Hyperion disc played by Nicolas Kynaston recorded as far back as 1988.

Connoisseurs of fine organs very well-played and beautifully recorded will find much to enjoy and admire on this disc. Clearly Iain Quinn understands and appreciates this music with far greater knowledge and insight than I could ever hope to have – but I must admit that except for the last two works I felt this was more an opportunity missed programme-wise rather than the hoped for discoveries.

Nick Barnard

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