Maestros in the Mirror
Federico Terzi (organ)
rec. 2023, Temple of Boudry, Switzerland
Reviewed as download
Da Vinci Classics C00941 [55]

What a splendid idea to bring Johann Sebastian Bach and Johann Gottfried Walther together in one programme. It is logical, as they were related as distant cousins and for some time both worked in Weimar, Bach as organist and later Konzertmeister at the court, Walther as organist of the Stadtkirche. There are also similarities in their organ oeuvre, as this disc shows. The danger is that such a programme is considered a kind of competition: who was the better? That does not make any sense.

In this programme the influences of the dominant styles of the time come together. Both composers had their roots in the German tradition, and especially the north German organ school. That manifests itself in pieces such as toccatas, preludes and fugues. The programme opens with such a piece, the Toccata con fuga in C by Walther. The toccata includes a passage over a pedal point, a typical feature of the north German organ school. Rather than selecting a comparable piece from Bach’s oeuvre, Federico Terzi decided to play Bach’s Fantasia in G, better known as Pièce d’orgue, as it is written under the influence of the French style. Bach was very interested in French organ music; in 1713 he copied the Livre d’orgue by Nicolas de Grigny. There is a connection with Walther here: Terzi plays this work from a manuscript in the Berlin State Library, which is an autograph by Walther. The latter was also interested in the French style, as he also copied Grigny’s organ book. The difference between this version and the more often performed one is the lack of an independent pedal part in the middle section.

The interest of both composers in the Italian style manifests itself in two genres. The best-known of them is that of the adaptation of instrumental concertos for organ. It was an aristocrat, Johann Ernst Prince of Saxe-Weimar, who was largely responsible for Bach and Walther becoming acquainted with the Italian concerto. He was the second son of Johann Ernst IX of the Ernestine branch of the Saxon house of Wettin. He was trained in the violin and received keyboard lessons from Johan Gottfried Walther. In February 1711 Johann Ernst left for the Netherlands to further his education. In Amsterdam he heard Jan Jacob de Graaf, organist of the Nieuwe Kerk, who used to play Italian solo concertos in his own adaptations for organ. This made such an impression on the young prince that he started to collect Italian concertos. Many of such works were published by Roger in Amsterdam. After his return to Weimar, Johann Ernst started to compose concertos in that style and asked his teacher Walther and Bach to arrange them for organ or harpsichord. It resulted in arrangements not only of his own concertos but also concertos by Italian masters, such as Antonio Vivaldi and Tomaso Albinoni. Walther’s arrangements of are all for the organ, which is understandable as he worked as an organist. Bach, on the other hand, transcribed some for the organ, but most of his arrangements are for the harpsichord, as the one included here. That is no problem; many keyboard works could be played on either instrument.

The second genre in which the two composers show their interest in the Italian style is that of a more free treatment of existing material. Bach, for instance, based several of his fugues on themes by Italian composers, such as Albinoni. Terzi selected two pieces which bear witness of their interest in the oeuvre of Arcangelo Corelli, who was c.1700 the most influential composer in Italy, and set the standard in several genres, such as the concerto grosso, the trio sonata and the solo sonata. Bach’s Fugue BWV 579 is based on a theme from the fourth of Corelli’s trio sonatas Op. 3. Walther turned to the sonatas for violin and basso continuo Op. 5. He took the basso continuo part of the prelude from the Sonata No. 11 for a set of four variations.

The third branch of this confrontation of the two masters regards what had come down to them from their own tradition, and which was part of their education: the hymn, or – as it is generally known – the chorale. Both have left a large corpus of arrangements of different kinds of chorales, often connected to a particular time of the ecclesiastical year, such as Das alte Jahr vergangen ist, a hymn to be sung during the turn of the year. Text and melody are from the pen of Johann Steuerlein (1588). Bach’s arrangement is taken from the Orgelbüchlein; the chorale melody is singled out and strongly ornamented. Notable is the chromaticism which is undoubtedly inspired by the text which refers to danger, sin and death as well as the “false doctrine and idolatry” of the Pope. Walther’s arrangement is different in that he does not use the entire chorale melody, but rather a theme derived from the first line, which is then repeated in different voices, resulting in an arrangement of a markedly vocal character.

Jesu meine Freude is a chorale from a more recent date: the text was written by Johann Franck in 1650; it appeared for the first time in 1653 with a melody by Johann Crüger. It is not connected to a particular time of the ecclesiastical year, and has developed into one of the most beloved chorales, inspiring many composers, among them Bach, whose most famous piece based on it is his motet BWV 227. Here we get his arrangement for organ, again from the Orgelbüchlein. It is notable that there this arrangement is included in the Christmas section. It is not exactly a piece that sounds very joyful: the tempo indication is largo and the final cadence includes strong dissonances. This is often interpreted as a reference to Jesus’ Passion, as predicted by Simeon, meeting Joseph and Mary. Walther’s arrangement is manualiter, with the chorale melody in the upper voice, modestly ornamented.

I don’t know whether previously an organist has brought together Bach and Walther into one programme. It is a splendid idea, and it may also help to make Walther’s organ oeuvre better-known. His name certainly regularly appears in organ recitals and on organ discs, but most organists play his concerto arrangements, whereas the free organ works and the pieces based on chorales are far less-known. In 2015 Brilliant Classics released a complete recording of Walther’s organ oeuvre, played by Simone Stella (review). That was probably the very first recording of his entire output (only one vocal work has been preserved). Not all lovers of organ music may be tempted to purchase a set of twelve discs; the present disc offers some glimpses of Walther’s organ oeuvre that may make them considering to look for more. Federico Terzi performances are such that their qualities come out to full extent. He plays the organ in the church of Boudry in Switzerland, which is the copy of an organ by Silbermann of 1741 in the church of Großhartmannsdorf in Germany. It is a very nice instrument which is well suited for this repertoire. Overall, I am quite happy with Terzi’s performances. Only here and there I would have liked a more clear articulation. However, this disc is a welcome addition to each collection of organ discs.

Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen

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Contents
Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748)
Toccata con fuga in C
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Das alte Jahr vergangen ist (BWV 614)
Johann Gottfried Walther
Das alte Jahr vergangen ist
Johann Sebastian Bach
Fugue on a theme of Corelli (BWV 579)
Johann Gottfried Walther
Alcune variationi sopr’un basso continuo del Signr. Corelli
Johann Sebastian Bach
Pièce d’orgue (Fantasia) in G (BWV 572)
Johann Gottfried Walther
Concerto del Signor Vivaldi in b minor (after RV 275)
Johann Sebastian Bach
Jesu, meine Freude (BWV 610)
Johann Gottfried Walther
Jesu, meine Freude
Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto in D (BWV 972) (after Vivaldi, RV 230)