Two Landmarks in Columbus. Timothy Edward Smith, organist. 1931 W. W. Kimball organ, 66 ranks; 1972 von Beckerath organ, 73 ranks; First Congregational Church of Columbus, Ohio. Two CDs, Raven OAR 900; www.ravencd.com.
The first CD is played entirely on the Kimball organ, the second on the von Beckerath. The Kimball recording begins with Smith’s own clever arrangement of Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals. The fifteen brief sections give ample opportunity to showcase the wonderful sounds in this venerable organ. All are well played and arranged—the “Pianists” and “Final” are exciting. A Fantasy of Moods by the little-known Charles Edgar Ford probably was composed to show off an organ, which it certainly does under Smith’s realization of the frothy music, concluding with a dollop of chimes. How can you lose? The first movement of Yon’s involved Sonata Chromatica is given a very effective performance and is followed by two more atmospheric pieces: Frank Howard Warren’s Sea Sketch and the more familiar Idyl by H. Leroy Baumgartner. Listen closely for a dollop of harp! Mr. Smith thoroughly understands how to play this music. Seth Bingham’s five-movement suite, Baroques, with its familiar “Rhythmic Trumpet,” is the last composition on the Kimball disc, colorfully and beautifully played. I think the courtly Prof. Bingham would have been pleased.
The second disc (two for the price of one, by the way), played on the more recent 3-manual von Beckerath in the gallery, begins with a convincing performance of Mendelssohn’s Sonata in F Minor, followed by Buxtehude’s Ciacona in C Minor and three of the Brahms’s chorale preludes. The recording concludes with compositions by Alain (Le Jardin Suspendu) and Calvin Hampton (Fanfares), preceded by works of Jakob Praetorius, Nikolaus Hanff and J. S. Bach (BWV 550, G Major). Stylistically and musically Mr. Smith’s playing is equally fine at this organ, which is to say very good indeed.
Most churches would feel blessed to have one of these instruments in house, let alone both of them. First Congregational is fortunate indeed.
—Charles Huddleston Heaton
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
