The Vivat www.vivatmusic.com
home page refers to their ‘recordings of exceptional artistic merit and
outstanding technical quality.’ On the evidence of the releases I have heard so
far, they are more than living up to expectation.
Their latest release
brings an outstanding organist, Luca Guglielmi www.lucaguglielmi.com in
works by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) some of which formed part of the
collection of Friedrich Wilhelm Rust (1739-1796) and Padre Giovanni Battista
Martini (1706-1784) entitled Bach in
Montecassino
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| VIVAT 108 |
Friedrich Wilhelm Rust visited the Abbey of Montecassino www.abbaziamontecassino.org/abbey/index.php
in 1766 where he played the organ and
presented the Abbey’s organist, Padre Giovanni Battista Martini, with a number
of priceless manuscripts from his collection of Bach’s compositions. Rust’s
grandson, Wilhelm Rust was among the most important contributors to the Bach-Gesellschaft www.neue-bachgesellschaft.de .
Sadly the Abbey of Montecassino came under tremendous
bombardment during the Battle of Montecassino in 1944. The loss of life was
massive with the Allies losing 55,000 soldiers and an estimated 20,000 killed
and wounded German soldiers.
Prior to the start of the Battle, German officer Captain
Maximilian Becker and Austrian officer Lieutenant Colonel Julius Schlegel had
arranged for the majority of the abbey's artefacts, library archives and
documents, and numerous other priceless treasures to be moved for safe-keeping
at the Vatican City in Rome. After the war Abbot Ildefonso Rea headed the
project to rebuild Montecassino in all its former glory as well as repatriate
all the valuables and documents that had been held at the Vatican during the
war. The rebuilt abbey was re-consecrated in 1964 by Pope Paul VI.
The organ of the Abbey of Montecassino, built in 1696 by
Cesare Catarinozzi, that Padre Martini and Friedrich Wilhelm Rust would have
played was, of course, destroyed.
For this recording, presenting works by Bach that were
circulating in Italy around the decade of 1760-1770 that could well have been
performed in the Abbey Church when Rust visited, Luca Guglielmi plays the organ
of Chiesa di San Nicolao, Alice Castello, Italy built by Michele Ramasco in
1749 and Giovanni and Giacinto Bruna in 1802. It was restored by Italo Marzi
and Sons in 1999-2000.
Bach’s Fantasia
Chromatica in D minor, BWV 903a brings a fine fluency from Luca Guglielmi with a lovely flexibility of
tempo as the music rushes forward. There is some terrific playing here, beautifully
phrased with the organ of Chiesa di San Nicolao proving a fine choice.
Guglielmi sets a fine pace in Fuga sopra il Magnificat in D minor, BWV 733, allowing all Bach’s
musical lines to be revealed as this fine fugue unfolds.
Duetto I in E minor,
BWV 802 has a lovely choice of registration bringing a fine texture, with Guglielmi
finding his way beautifully around all of Bach’s little twists and turns. The Duetto II in F major, BWV 803 is
beautifully done, combining flair, fluency and dexterity. Again Guglielmi finds
just the right registration, tempi and, most importantly, flow in the
beautifully played Duetto III in G
major, BWV 804 before Duetto IV in A
minor, BWV 805 rises up brilliantly, with this organist pushing the music
nicely forward, allowing every line to unfold with a feeling of momentum.
Guglielmi brings a suitable gravity to the opening of Fantasia pro Organo in C minor, BWV 537/1 providing
playing of fine transparency with some particularly magical moments. There is a
glorious Chorale Prelude Jesu, meine
Freude, BWV 753 showing this organ off so well before the Fantasia super Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 713 where
again the pacing is just right, never hurried, a natural outpouring of Bach’s
invention with fine choice of registration and a lovely coda.
The Chorale prelude
Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten, BWV 668a also receives a rather magical
performance with a lovely gentle opening; this organist bringing a fine
sensitivity with a restrained, gentle forward flow.
The Preludio di Bach
in C per il Padre Martini, BWV 870b has
a magnificent opening again with such a fine, flexible tempo, bringing so many
colours and textures from the San Nicolao organ.
The lovely little Kyrie,
Gott Vater in Ewigkeit, BWV 672 is revealed here as a little gem whilst the
equally attractive Christe, aller Welt
Trost, BWV673 moves ahead with a lovely forward flow. The Kyrie, Gott Heiliger Geist, BWV 674 is
beautifully paced, finely transparent before the (Gloria) Allein Gott in der Höh’ sei Ehr’, BWV 675 which brings some
lovely little phrases revealing Bach’s fine invention, this organist knowing
just how to lift the smallest piece and reveal something special.
The (Credo) Fughetta
super Wir glauben all’ an einen Gott, BWV 681 brings some terrific textures
as Guglielmi brilliantly tackles Bach’s intricate phrases before the (Pater noster) Vater unser im Himmelreich,
BWV 683 that opens with a clear penetrating flauto note before broadening
out with lovely textures. Bach’s (De
profundis) Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir, BWV 687 brings a more stately
pace again with a lovely choice of registration bringing much clarity combined
with fine textures and developing wonderfully throughout.
There is a lovely
light textured little Fuga di Bach in C per il Padre Martini, BWV 846/2 given
such a captivating performance before the concluding Fantasia und Fuga, BWV 904 where Luca Guglielmi
reveals a gentle Fantasia before leading to a very fine Fugue, beautifully
paced and phrased, developing wonderfully, making a fine conclusion to this disc.
Luca Guglielmi is a very fine organist indeed. By choosing
works by Bach that have a connection through Friedrich Wilhelm Rust, Padre
Martini and the Abbey of Montecassino he brings together a fascinating
collection of organ pieces.
Guglielmi receives a very fine recording that brings a great
clarity to the music as well as subtly revealing the pedal lines.
The booklet and presentation are well up to Vivat’s usual
very high standards with excellent notes from the organist and a full organ
specification.
All in all, this makes for a first rate Bach recital.
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