The great organ works
of Liszt are nothing if not mainstream
fare in the organ literature. I counted
in my collection no fewer than eight
recordings of Ad Nos: Bate, Demessieux,
Drury, Fuller, Hock, Kynaston, Lippencott,
Marshall. Gillian Weir has recently
recorded it for Priory at the Royal
Albert Hall - at least the third recording
on that organ. One eagerly anticipates
Louis Robilliard's new recording on
Festivo to be released later this year.
There is also Martin Haselbock's recording
on the organ most closely linked with
Liszt, the Ladegast instrument at Merseburg
Cathedral. In other words to be recommendable
in this field you have to be special.
So, is Johanssen? Well,
yes and no. His performances are dark,
supple, sometimes very atmospheric,
and very musical, if, for my taste a
little cold. His technique, and ability
to make these huge structures hang together
though is never in doubt. His choice
of organ is certainly more apt than
for his Mendelssohn recording; in fact
this is Johanssen's own instrument,
the brand new 81 stop Muhleisen organ
in the Stiftskirche in Stuttgart. Unfortunately,
no more information than a stoplist
is given regarding the instrument. This
shows the overwhelming ethos of central
European eclecticism, but with many
more 8' stops and more reed variety
than is usual in such instruments. The
variety of 8' colour is welcome, and
in this instance appropriately reflects
the Merseburg stoplist at the time of
Liszt, but I couldn't help but be struck
by the seeming lack of colour apparent
in the recording. Partially, I suspect,
this is due to Johanssen who takes few
opportunities to use the variety of
solo stops possible in the central section
of Ad Nos in particular. The curious
exception is the appearance of the Glocken,
which nonetheless was possible in Merseburg!
Despite the Merseberg aesthetic dictating
that 8’ flue variety is far more important
than reed colour for instance, the organ
comes over as being just slightly bland.
Having listened to the disc three times,
I am unable to recall anything especially
beautiful or remarkable.
So, while I admire
Johannsen's first-rate performances,
I would still look elsewhere. Hans van
Nieuwkoop's live recording of 'Weinen
Klagen' in Alkmaar is still the most
telling recording of this work for me.
As regards 'Ad Nos', Nicholas Kynaston's
epic reading on Carlton Classics, (later
re-released on Guild) is still my favourite,
both for his astoundingly gripping projection
of this huge canvas, and the way in
which he makes the not terribly beautiful
1977 Klais at Ingolstadt sound thrillingly
Wagnerian.
Chris Bragg
Kay Johannsen, organ 
