WOV program #60 - 8 April 2001

Four hours of classical music every Sunday morning, from 8 to 12 US Eastern Daylight Time [GMT-4], only on the internet, in streaming audio. Host and programmer: John Wiser Each program is rebroadcast on the following Saturday beginning at 12 midnight and running through 4 AM Sunday, US EDT [GMT-4].

WOV program #60 - 8 April 2001

J.S.Bach: [6] Schübler Chorales: No. 1, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, S645 No. 2, Wo soll ich fliehen hin, S646 Helmut Walcha, Schnitger Organ, St. Laurenskerk, Alkmaar, Netherlands DG Archiv 457 704 2 6:42

No. 3, Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, S647 No. 4, Meine Seele erhebet den Herrn, S648 Christopher Herrick, Metzler Organ Jesuitenkirche, Lucerne, Switzerland Hyperion CDA67071 5:00

No. 5, Ach bleib' bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ S649 No. 6, Kommst du nun, Jesu, vom Himmel herunter, S650 Michel Chapuis, Andersen Organ, St. Benedict, Ringsted, Denmark MHS 3015 [stereo LP] 6:10

J.C.Bach: Symphony in E for Double Orchestra, op. 18/5 English Chamber Orchestra/Emanuel Hurwitz London STS15013 [stereo LP] 15:18

C.P.E.Bach: Concerto in B flat, cello, strings and continuo, Wq. 171 Angelika May, cellist; Collegium Aureum RCA Victrola VICS 1343 [stereo LP] 25:24

Chopin: Two Polonaises: C# minor op 26/1, E flat minor, op 26/2 Lazar Berman DG 2531 094 [stereo LP] 16:12

Brahms: Trio in B, violin, cello, and piano, op 8 [original version of 1854] Trio Novanta Tudor 797 39:04

Richard Strauss: Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Suite Chicago/Reiner RCA Victor LM6047 [mono LP] 29:52

Franz Schmidt: Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme, organ and brass [1925] Alois Forer, organ of the Vienna Hofburgkapelle Elite PLPS30093 [stereo LP] 25:57

Alban Berg: Le Vin [Der Wein], concert aria [1928-29] Phyllis Curtin, soprano; Boston/Leinsdorf RCA Red Seal LSC 7044 [stereo LP] 12:06

Malcolm Arnold: Symphony No. 2 op 40 [1953] Royal Philharmonic/Arnold Conifer 75805 51240 2 29:45

WOV program #59, rebroadcast beginning 12 midnight, Saturday, 7 April and running through 4 AM Sunday: [a somewhat dated program designed for April 1st!]

Haydn: Symphony No. 60 in C ['Il Distratto'] Orpheus Chamber Orch DG 437 783 2 25:21

Holst: The Perfect Fool: Ballet Music LPO/Sir Adrian Boult London CS6324 10:56

Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune, Strasbourg, Then I am perhaps being given a bum steer by Deutsche Grammophon, which attributes all the Walcha recordings on this 'Originals' CD reissue to the Alkmaar instrument. It would not be the first occasion for disinformation from this source.

Nor, I would expect, the last.

Are the 'Originals' recordings taken from the complete DG set, or are they different? If so, that might explain the discrepancy.

In fact, I think Walcha recorded most of the Bach Organ works in mono for DG before embarking on the stereo set. Is the 'Originals' disc in mono or stereo, John?

Matthew Silverstein complete DG set, or are they Bach Organ works in mono for DG 'Originals' disc in mono or > stereo, John?

The 'big' works on 289 457 704-2 are all in stereo. Of the six Schübler chorales, S645, 646 and 650 are stereo, the balance in mono. I listened straight through this AM on WOV's audition channel, and the instrument appears to be the same throughout, taking windage for monaurality. I don't have vinyls of the chorales for direct comparison. _I_ think it's Alkmaar all the way.

John Wiser says...

Helmut Walcha began his first 'complete' organ works of JSB cycle on the Schnitger organs of St. Jakobi in Lübeck in 1947 and in Cappel from 1950-52. (Several of the pieces played at Lübeck were rerecorded.)

In 1956 he began a new stereo cycle beginning with the Art of Fugue recorded at Alkmaar (DGG's first stereo recording) and followed it with the larger non-chorale based works that same year and in 1962, before recording the remaing works (including all the chorale preludes he did record) in Strasbourg, 1969-70.

AFAIK the mono recordings haven't been reissued since the stereo cycle was