The Diapason September, 2006
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THE DIAPASON SEPTEMBER, 2006 Texas A&M International University Laredo, Texas Cover feature on pages 30–31 MEN of SONG the art of male a cappella singing perfected ENSEMBLE AMARCORD “Move over King’s Singers, Hilliard Ensemble and Chanticleer: There is a new male a cappella group on the international classical music scene...as pleasing as it was sophisticated. The daunting program was leavened by the fresh singing style and general appeal of the singers, a group of handsome and personable 20-somethings. In the areas of balance and precision, the group sounds as if they started singing AFFABRE CONCINUI together decades ago. Their youthfulness shows where it should—in lively, vibrant The Polish Chamber Singers tone and a smooth blend that allows for each singer’s individuality....an unusually “One of the most beautiful and successful concerts in this vociferous standing ovation...a fine year’s festival....The cheering of the audience would not performance by a group destined to have a stop, even after three encores.” long and prosperous career.” (Nordbayerischer Kurier, Wuerzburg, Germany) (The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah) “A standing ovation has never happened before in the history of the festival, but these six gentlemen managed to get the audience to jump from their chairs and cheer!” (Heider Anzeiger, Heide, Germany) CHANSON “Simply splendid...The group’s six young men have been singing together for four years and have achieved a vocal blend and a stylish finesse that far surpass many groups that have been in the business longer....close harmonies, excellent diction and fine attention to style that characterized the entire performance. It was a moment to cherish.” (The Courier-Journal, Louisville) Toll Free 888-999-0644 • Fax (860) 560-7788 [email protected] www.concertartists.com within about a 10-day time period. It was an indescribably moving experience THE DIAPASON to be able to play organs that E. Power A Scranton Gillette Publication Biggs and J. S. Bach had played and that Ninety-seventh Year: No. 9, Whole No. 1162 SEPTEMBER, 2006 I had first listened to and had been Established in 1909 ISSN 0012-2378 inspired by some 30+ years previously. At St. Pancratius in Neuenfelde, An International Monthly Devoted to the Organ, those who played the organ were invit- the Harpsichord, the Carillon and Church Music ed to sign the organ’s guest book. I paged through the guest book and found a typewritten page that had been sent to the church by Biggs thanking CONTENTS Editor & Publisher JEROME BUTERA [email protected] the parish for being able to play the 847/391-1045 organ. I photographed this interesting FEATURES piece of organ recording history with E. Power Biggs in Mozart Country, Part 3 my camera and have included a copy by Anton Warde 21 Associate Editor JOYCE ROBINSON with this letter. [email protected] I eagerly await the next installments A London Musical Journal 847/391-1044 of the series. Holy Week and Easter 2006 Robert Valenta by Joel H. Kuznik 26 West Chicago, Illinois Contributing Editors LARRY PALMER University of Iowa Institute for Sacred Music 2006 Harpsichord The author replies: by William Dickinson 29 I am delighted that Mr. Valenta JAMES McCRAY enjoyed Part 1 of the Biggs series. 554 at Lübeck, 558 at Gouda, 559 at Choral Music The Golden Age of the Organ, Neuenfelde, and 560 at Lüneburg) and LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 3 released 1/17/64, documented a com- four made on the 1955 “Mozart” trip pletely different trip by Biggs that he (BWV 553 at Ebersmünster in Alsace, NEWS BRIAN SWAGER Carillon undertook in 1961 with help from 555 at Absam, Austria; 556 at Mönchs- Here & There 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 Philips engineers. His first use of two- deggingen in Bavaria, and 557 at Appointments 5 HERBERT L. HUESTIS track recording equipment had been Ochsenhausen in Swabia). Biggs had Nunc Dimittis 10 OrganNet Report for Bach at Zwolle, recorded in 1957 recorded all eight of the little preludes In the wind . Osiris Organ Archive and released in 1958. All of his previ- and fugues on the 1954 trip but took by John Bishop 14 www.mdi.ca/hhuestis/osiris ous recordings were monaural, and I advantage of the 1955 trip to replace e-mail: [email protected] am certain that Columbia never recordings on modern organs in the REVIEWS released any “artificial stereo” remakes north (or in one case, a “redundant” Music for Voices and Organ 16 Prepress Operations DAN SOLTIS of those mono recordings. Andrew Schnitger) with vintage organs in the Book Reviews 16 Kazdin’s discography of Biggs lists a south for his final compilation. “Biggs New Recordings 18 THE DIAPASON (ISSN 0012-2378) is published monthly by “stereo counterpart” to the 1956 “Little Part 4” explains this in somewhat more Scranton Gillette Communications, Inc., 3030 Salt Creek New Organ Music 20 Eight,” released in July 1958. But that detail [in the October issue]. Lane, Suite 201, Arlington Heights, IL 60005. Phone is impossible. It has to have been the I don’t recall having seen a carbon of 847/391-1045. Fax (847) 390-0408. Telex: 206041 MSG RLY stereo counterpart to the mono Zwolle that nice letter from Biggs in the log- NEW ORGANS 32 Email: [email protected] web: TheDiapason.com Subscriptions: 1 yr. $35; 2 yr. $50; 3 yr. $65 (United album released in April of that year book at Neuenfelde, although the files CALENDAR 33 States and U.S. Possessions). Foreign subscriptions: (the item that appears just above it in contained several others just like it 1 yr. $45; 2 yr. $60; 3 yr. $80. Single copies $6 ORGAN RECITALS 36 (U.S.A.); $8 (foreign). Kazdin’s list). addressed to other churches that had Back issues over one year old are available only from The 1956 “Eight” comprised four welcomed him and his Ampex in 1954. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 37 The Organ Historical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 26811, Rich- recordings made on the 1954 trip (BWV Anton Warde mond, VA 23261, which can supply information on avail- abilities and prices. Cover: Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, Periodical postage paid at Rockford, IL and additional Hartville, Ohio; Texas A&M International mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes University, Laredo, Texas 30 to THE DIAPASON, 3030 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, Arling- ton Heights, IL 60005. Routine items for publication must be received six Here & There weeks in advance of the month of issue. For advertising www.TheDiapason.com copy, the closing date is the 1st. Prospective contributors of articles should request a style sheet. Unsolicited It’s not too early to plan on advertising The Church of St. Louis, King of reviews cannot be accepted. This journal is indexed in the The Music Index, annotat- in THE DIAPASON 2007 Resource France, in St. Paul, Minnesota, has ed in Music Article Guide, and abstracted in RILM Directory. Be sure your company is announced its seventh season of Send subscriptions, inquiries, and Abstracts. included in the only comprehensive lunchtime recitals. Programs take place address changes to THE DIAPASON, Copyright ©2006. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. directory and buyer’s guide for the organ on Tuesdays at 12:35 p.m., from Sep- 3030 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 201, THE DIAPASON accepts no responsibility or liability for and church music fields. The Directory tember 5 through the end of May: Sep- Arlington Heights, IL 60005. the validity of information supplied by contributors, ven- 3 is printed in a 5 ⁄4w x 8w handbook format tember 5, Brian Carson; 9/12, Mark dors, advertisers or advertising agencies. and mailed with the January issue of Trautman; 9/19, Diana Lee Lucker; THE DIAPASON. It features an alphabeti- 9/26, Dean Billmeyer; October 3, Tim No portion of the contents of this issue may be reproduced in any form without the specific written permission of the Editor, except that libraries are authorized to make photocopies of the material contained herein for the pur- cal listing of companies and individuals, Strand; 10/10, Carolyn Diamond; 10/17, pose of course reserve reading at the rate of one copy for every fifteen students. Such copies may be reused for with complete contact information, Ray Johnston; 10/24, Istvan Ruppert. other courses or for the same course offered subsequently. including web and e-mail addresses, and For information: a product/service directory. <www.stlouiskingoffrance.org>. Advertising deadline is November 1, 2006. Contact the editor, Jerome Christ Church, New Brunswick, Letters to the Editor Butera, at 847/391-1045; New, Jersey, has announced its fall <[email protected]>. music events: September 10, Choral Biggs in Mozart Country return to Germany to re-record the I enjoyed reading Anton Warde’s arti- “Little 8,” or was The Golden Age of the cle, “E. Power Biggs in Mozart Country, Organ, M2S 697, a stereo re-mastered Part 1,” in the July 2006 issue of THE version of the 1954 recordings dis- DIAPASON. cussed in the article? I know the Biggs organ recordings It was this later Biggs album record- discussed in the article not from Bach: ing of the “Little 8” that “hooked me for Eight Little Preludes and Fugues life on E. Power Biggs and the sounds “played on eight famous European he stood for.” classic organs,” but from the Columbia In 1999 I had the privilege of travel- 2-record stereo album entitled The ing with Marilyn Mason’s European Golden Age of the Organ, “An organ organ tour to view, hear, and play the tour of Germany & Holland with E. organs of Arp Schnitger in Holland and Power Biggs playing Bach,” M2S 697.