The organ is something that has fascinated and delighted me for decades; and the organ on record has been a big part of that. It is a slightly unreal part of the organ scene – whatever recording engineers may wish, a recording is not the same as being in the building, feeling the organ, catching a whiff of incense on the air. But realism kicks in at some point – there is limited local live organ music, and being able to hear (and perhaps play) some of the organ wonders of the world will be a fleeting and scarce occurrence for many.
Recordings fill the gap – wondrous instruments, the very best music, and brilliant playing can unite to form something very special. Not the same as being there live, but nonetheless a valid art form in its own right which can be enjoyed time and time again.
My tastes, explored here on aeolodicon, are eclectic. If its on the organ I will consider it – from the earliest writings (such as the 15th century Buxheimer Orgelbuch) to compositions created in the last few months or years. Original organ music, arrangements, and transcriptions are all fair game – thus, the complete works of Bach, Buxtehude and Reger nestle alongside transcriptions of symphonies by Beethoven, Bruckner and Dvořák, themselves complemented by Queen, Led Zeppelin and The Doors.
If its organ plus then the organ will need to be the primary feature to join my collection; but it must be a real pipe organ on a real recording. Oddly, despite knowing that an organ recording is ‘just’ a digital capture of the organ, digital virtual pipe organs don’t do it for me (despite being, to some extents, a much more sophisticated digital capture than any simple digital recording). For me, this is as much a cheat as a electronic/digital organ.
Live improvisation is a definite no-no (except where a minor part of a larger composed programme); I love improvising, but it serves a purpose as a thing of the moment and in most cases doesn’t bear repeated listening. Transcribed improvisations are tolerated, but the same caveats normally apply…another formulaic Cochereau improvisation anyone?
I used to eschew repeated recordings of the same works, particularly when considering single-composer portraits. If I’ve got the complete Bach performed by X, why would I want the complete Bach performed by Y. And if I decided to try that second complete Bach, chances are it would either not last long, or it would replace the former (which would be unceremoniously moved on). Age has changed that view thankfully – because the same music with a different musician on a different instrument can be astonishingly different. If nothing else, some days call for the exuberant spaciousness of X, others require the pedantic precision of Y. Why limit yourself? And this then introduces my fascinations – compositions which have got under my skin to the extent that different performers are avidly collected. Too many is not possible.
These limits on my collection are mild, and so the wealth of recordings currently in, or in the sights of, the aeolodicon collection are delightfully broad.
If its on record, I probably know about it…and I have it, I aim to have it, or I intentionally have decided that its not for me.
This is the heart of aeolodicon, which I hope you will enjoy reading about and will gather inspiration for recordings which are new to you.