Brahms, Wagner and Dupré Brahms: Signum SIGCD089 [145 mins] A showcase demonstration of Westminster Cathedral's Willis organ, which the great organist-improviser-organist Marcel Dupré inaugurated in 1924. I remember being fascinated by the slithering chromaticism of his music at one of his regular London recitals in the '50s. The best place to sample these CDs is at the Variations sur un Noël Op 20 on CD II, with 12 short variations that put the organ stops through their paces enjoyably. More ponderous are the early Preludes and Fugues and, especially, the Evocation Op 37, which outstayed my welcome. The first of part of the double CD is devoted to well loved orchestral music transcrbed for organ by Lemare and Rogg; a popular way before the time of the gramophone to become acquainted with that music, and enjoying now something of a revival (q.v. Elgar's Enigma Variations on piano). Quinney is enviably fluent, and there is some interest always in hearing familiar music in unusual guises. My doubts about his playing were more about interpretation than technique; a tendency in the transcriptions to be stolid, rhythmically inflexible and a little ponderous. In Dupré he is expressive and, when required, exciting. Well managed by the engineers, but the booklet could have done with some editing. Full registrations of the instrument, and lots of facts there, but needing careful reading; the transcribers should be named on the listing page and some paragraphs of Quinney's informative text are far too long (see p.8). Desirable for organists; others should sample first. Peter Grahame Woolf another review... The Organ of Westminster Cathedral ‘Never judge a book by its cover,’ they say, but in this case, if you like the front of the box, you’ll like what’s inside. This set showcases the Willis organ at the Catholic cathedral, its richness of sound and its sheer bigness entirely consistent with the opulent Byzantine revival building in which it lives. |