Organists are more in the habit of practising the Bach Organ Sonatas
than actually performing or recording them, and they have a reputation
for sounding much easier to play than they actually are. This
new recording by the Australian organist Christopher Wrench makes
a strong case for the music to be enjoyed rather than merely admired,
and his solutions to the various interpretive problems they pose
add up to interpretations that are both convincing and compelling.
The works are also known as Bach’s ‘Trio Sonatas’,
a reference to their structure and Italian stylings, both
inspired by the (instrumental) trio sonatas of Corelli. Johann
Sebastian apparently compiled these works around the start
of the 1730s as exercises-cum-recital repertoire for his eldest
son Wilhelm Friedman, who was soon to take up his first appointment
as organist at the Sophienkirche in Dresden. It is a testament to
Bach’s genius that the pieces function equally well as concert
works as as technical studies, the three-part counterpoint
is strictly adhered to, but musicality is always the first
concern. The challenge for the performer is to highlight the
independence of the three lines while simultaneously ensuring
the balance between them.
The choice of the Garnisons Kirche organ in Copenhagen is sensible from this
point of view. Its range of stops offers just the varied yet
restricted palette that the presentation of the three part
textures require. And Wrench emphasises continuity of tone
in his choices and changes of registration. His forays into
the more unusual sounds on offer, the tremulant for example
in the Adagio of Sonata no. 3, and the ‘Subbas (open)
16’’ in the Vivace of Sonata no.6, are modest enough
not to upset the delicate balance of Bach’s counterpoint.
The organ itself was
built in 1995 by Carsen Lund, based on a 1724 design by Lambert
Daniel Kastens. Its diapason sounds are all on the windy side,
and many registers have a pronounced chiff. Discussion
of the Bach Organ Sonatas in the early 20th century
usually focussed on the question of their intended instrumentation,
with claims made both for organ and pedal harpsichord. Performing
them on such an airy organ seems polemic in that context, but
the distinctive character of the instrument more than justifies
the choice. It also helps lay to rest the suspicion that they
are mere keyboard exercises, displaying as they do the impressive
performance specifications and balance of the instrument. The
recording is a hybrid SACD, and while I have not heard the surround
sound mix, the super audio stereo gives an elegant and precise
aural perspective. There is little in the way of stereo separation,
and the reverberation of the church is not prominent, allowing
the counterpoint to be defined through the timbres, each of which
is served magnificently by the audio.
As with his astute registration choices, Christopher
Wrench has a keyboard technique which is ideal for this music,
making it far too easy to forget just how difficult it is
to play. His approach to ornaments is satisfyingly indulgent,
the lines briefly departing from exact synchronisation for
the sake of a brief trill in the upper part, for example,
and cadences regularly leant on with unhurried appoggiaturas
or mordents. Greater liberties are taken with the slow central
movements than the outer fast ones. Rubato is the rule rather
than the exception here, the bass lines all the more ponderous
and the upper part dialogues all the more lyrical for this
shaping. Again, the performance decisions all seem intended
to emphasise the musical rather than the didactic value of
the sonatas. They are not the most flamboyant organ works
in Bach’s output, but this recording demonstrates how the
sounds they make, rather than the challenges that they pose,
justify their central position in his catalogue.
Gavin
Dixon
Christopher Wrench (organ)
[77:45] 
