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GRAMOPHONE (10 /2013)
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Reviewer: Malcolm Riley
Farr puts
Trinity’s Metzler organ centre-stage again
On the title-page to this, the only one of his own publications designated
specifically for the organ, Bach dedicates its contents to ‘music lovers,
for the recreation of their spirits’. That which was true in 1739 is equally
valid today. This magnificent new recording, made on one of England’s finest
Baroque-style instruments, the 1975 Metzler in the Chapel of Trinity
College, Cambridge, is a veritable feast, both artistically as well as
sonically. The Keyboard Exercise, as Bach termed it, is often called
the ‘German Organ Mass’. It is the ideal Baroque organ recital, a complete
repast in its own right, a summary not only of older musical styles but also
Rococo and galant flavours, though refined through German, French and
Italian accents. It is performed here in its entirety, including the four
duets which precede the final ‘St Anne’ Fugue. They are a quirky quartet,
written in a two-part texture and veering from the carefree to the heavily
chromatic.
From the opening chords of the
French ouverture-style Praeludium, one can simply relax and enjoy Farr’s
rock-steady rhythmic playing, crisp articulation and commanding overview. His
approach is refreshingly unfussy and quirk-free, and he draws on an unfailingly
interesting palette of tonal colours. Highlights abound among the 21 chorale
preludes; particularly moving is the breathtaking Lord’s Prayer setting (of
diploma recitals’ blessed memory), BWV682. In a strong field this performance
must be in the top three.
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