Helmut Walcha recordings

Notes in The Diapason: a bit of history

Siegfried Gruenstein, the founding editor of The Diapason, served for forty-eight years. The front-page tribute to him in the December 1959 issue celebrating the magazine’s fiftieth anniversary began with these descriptive words:

. . . a rare combination of competent organist and professional newspaper man, (Gruenstein) founded The Diapason in 1909 against the advice of his elders among organists, builders, and well-wishers. That it grew and prospered steadily under his guidance was due wholly to his skill, his impartiality, his integrity and his taste. . . .  At first the principal purpose of the magazine was to represent the organ industry. However, it soon became evident that the organist and the organbuilder were so closely allied in their interests that the field should include both of them and that the paper would serve to bring the two more closely together.

In those early years the magazine expanded its focus in several directions, serving for a time as the official journal of the American Guild of Organists, for example. However, it was not until Frank Cunkle, Gruenstein’s successor, took over the supervision of the magazine that the organ’s sister instrument, the harpsichord, was welcomed into its pages. The first person to take charge of harpsichord matters was Philip Treggor (1920–2004) of Hartford, Connecticut, who published his first column in October 1967 (page 11). November’s column (page 13) featured the lute while a feature article by E. Power Biggs occupied the opposite page with his “Case for the Pedal Harpsichord.” Treggor’s three columns of interviews with Denise Restout, Wanda Landowska’s companion and legatee, presented valuable information about the pioneer harpsichordist’s biography and legacy (1968: March page 15, April page 23, May pages 14–15).

I had made my Diapason print debut five years earlier, in November 1962, when the magazine published the feature article “Hugo Distler—20 Years Later” based on research I was doing for my Doctor of Musical Arts thesis that I was busily writing while a student at the Eastman School of Music. My first guest contribution to Treggor’s column, published in June 1968, was “Isolde Ahlgrimm as the Widow Bach” (page 15), followed in October of the same year with my report on the second Bruges International Harpsichord Competition (pages 10–11). Meanwhile, in July 1968, Treggor’s column featured an interview with Boston-based composer Daniel Pinkham (page 8).

Treggor wrote an informative column about Arnold Dolmetsch’s collaborations with the Chickering Piano Company as they produced harpsichords and other early musical instruments (November 1968, page 12, with continuation in the December issue, pages 10–11), which proved to be his swansong, for he resigned from harpsichord column responsibilities at the beginning of January 1969.

During 1969 harpsichord news items were solicited from our readers, who were instructed to send them to the editorial staff of The Diapason. In May I submitted another feature article about Hugo Distler’s Harpsichord Concerto (pages 12–13), and in September 1969 an announcement and my picture appeared on page 25, with the information that, from henceforth, I would be “the man in charge of harpsichord items.” The following month my first column as harpsichord editor was published: “Praeludium, Allemande, and Courant: Some Notes on a European Summer” (page 12), and in December 1969 I relayed some corrections concerning the Huguenots and the city of Erlangen, as sent to me by Dr. Lowell G. Green of Boone, North Carolina, a reader who knew far more about such matters than I did. I was pleased to publish his corrections since that is how knowledge is disseminated.

So, depending on when one begins counting the years, I am either celebrating my fiftieth anniversary year as harpsichord editor or the fifty-seventh year since my first publication as a writer for this splendid magazine, which I have served by working with every editor except the founder, happy to have lasted even longer than Mr. Gruenstein, albeit with far fewer responsibilities. It will be my pleasure during 2019 to revisit some favorite pieces from this more-than-half-century collection of articles, as well as editing several guest essays, and, hopefully, sharing a few more original thoughts of my own.

2018 Harpsichord Notes: topics and page numbers

January, page 10: A posthumous gift from Gustav Leonhardt (Bach transcriptions published by Bärenreiter)

February, page 11: The Art of the Harpsichord (Two Texas Treasures: three-manual harpsichord by Keith Hill and Philip Tyre, miniature by Art Bell)

March, page 12: Handel with care (performance suggestions, recommended books, Handel House Museum, London)

April, page 10: Harpsichordist Jane Clark’s birthday

May, page 11: Seeking Haydn (new compact disc reviewed, some relevant research noted)

June, page 12: Dandrieu’s Harpsichord Music

July, pages 10–11: A glimpse into actual eighteenth-century performance practices (Beverly Jerold’s article, “Reichardt’s Review of Handel Concerts in London”)

August, page 10: Death and taxis in Vienna (Obituary of Gordon Murray), Review of Bach Violin/Harpsichord Sonatas CD (Pine and Vinikour), Communications from Readers

September, page 12: Armand-Louis Couperin Keyboard Works, edited by Martin Pearlman available for free download

October, page 14: A letter from Johann Sebastian Bach with two illustrations by Jane Johnson

November, page 16: Recent recordings of Bach’s Goldberg Variations by Diego Ares, Wolfgang Rübsam, and Helmut Walcha (from a boxed set)

December, page 11: Christmas gifts: a few suggestions (CDs, scores, books, and an anonymous Landowska caricature)

Lorraine Brugh is professor of music and Kruse Organ Fellow at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana. She recently served as director of the university’s study abroad program in Cambridge, England.

Saturday is market day in Alkmaar. On the way to the Sint-Laurenskerk from my hotel there were stalls filled with fresh fish, cheese, fruits and vegetables, breads and desserts. Tempting as they were, I hurried through to make the 9:00 a.m. starting time for the first round of the International Schnitger Organ Competition 2019. With the church bells chiming 9:00, the jury entered, and the members were introduced.

The jury

The five jury members for 2019 included: Martin Böcker, lecturer at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg and artistic director of the Orgelakademie Stade, Germany; Bernard Foccroulle, professor of organ for the Conservatoire of Brussels, Belgium; Krzysztof Urbaniak, head of the organ and sacred music department, Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź, Poland; Bas de Vroome, organ professor at the Rotterdam Conservatorium voor Muziek, the Netherlands; and Wolfgang Zerer, professor of organ at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Hamburg, Germany. The competition began in 1991 and is held biennially in Alkmaar, centered at the Great Sint-Laurenskerk in the city center.

The organs

Great Sint-Laurenskerk houses two important organs. The instrument that has already won the grand prize, of course, is the large Germer Van Hagerbeer/Schnitger organ (1646/1725) at the west end, both a sight to behold and a delight to hear. Adding to its appeal is the controversy surrounding its history, which has only served to heighten its prominence. Arp Schnitger died before working on the instrument and his son, Frans Caspar Schnitger, finished the instrument.

The second and smaller instrument is in a swallow’s nest gallery on a side wall of the nave just east of the apse and was built by Jan Van Covelens in 1511. Meantone temperament tweaked this Western equal-temperament ear with unusual tonalities and pitches. Hearing the older music of Sweelinck, Frescobaldi, Hassler, and others offered a glimpse into the way this music originally sounded. The Van Covelens organ is the oldest playable instrument in the Netherlands.

The competition

Forty-five applicants from thirteen countries submitted an audio performance to be considered for the 2019 biennial competition. From those ten were chosen to compete in Alkmaar. To prepare for the competition and its organs, the ten finalists were all given a spring weekend in Alkmaar practicing on the instruments. This gave the competitors time to adjust to the mechanical demands of each instrument and their differences as well as conceive registrations before the competition week.

During the first round each contestant performed on both instruments. As we moved from the apse to the west end the performer also moved from the Van Covelens organ to the Schnitger. Pieter Van Dijk, city organist in Alkmaar, explained the differences of the two instruments from the performers’ point of view: the Van Covelens has a smaller manual compass, limited pedal range, and smaller keys and pedals than the Schnitger. The oldest stop, from 1511, is the Hoofdwerk 6′ Holpijp, which starts at low F. The Trompet in the Pedaal (this division’s only stop) balances perfectly with the 8′ Doof (Praestant) in the manual, though it sounds very loud from the console. The Borstwerk and the Hoofdwerk were both used with a 4′ stop as the foundation in one performer’s final Sweelinck variation. There are almost no repeats in the Mixtuur. The Scherp is intentionally weighted to give the top intensity, just as choirs are often weighted with more sound in the treble than in the bass registers.

The Schnitger organ fills the entire west end of the nave, a beautiful and massive case. In 1725 Schnitger added a 2′ flute in the Groot-Manuaal and the 2′ Nachthorn in the Pedaal, adding a brighter and singing quality to the instrument. Schnitger added these at his own expense as he felt the organ was incomplete without them.

A large part of the competition’s challenge lies in transitioning from one instrument to the other in the space of a few minutes. The pieces in this round were all compulsory: Sweelinck, Erbarm dich mein, O Herre Gott, SwWV 30, on the Van Covelens organ, and Bach, Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV 664, and Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 547, on the Schnitger.

There was no memorization requirement for the competition, and competitors were known to the jury and audience only by their contestant number. So, while the playing level was generally strong, musically and technically, there was no way to know who was playing during their performance. Listening became an exercise in hearing subtle differences between interpretations of a piece, considering various tempi, and listening to how performers used the room and its acoustics.

Following the ten performances, the six finalists to advance to the second round were Victor Manuel Baena de la Torre (Spain), Oliver Brett (United Kingdom), Freddie James (United Kingdom), António Pedrosa (Portugal), Daniel Seeger (Germany), and Vittorio Vanini (Italy).

The next round offered some choice in literature, this time played on the Kapelkerk organ in Alkmaar. The organ is a Christian Müller instrument from 1762, maintained by Flentrop since 1939 and restored by the firm between 1982 and 1986. The repertoire included a Buxtehude canzona of the player’s choice, three chorale preludes for manuals alone from J. S. Bach’s Clavierübung III (Wir glauben all in einen Gott, BWV 681, Allein Gott in der Höh sei Ehr, BWV 677, and Die sind die heilgen zehn Gebot, BWV 679), and a Bach toccata for manuals alone (BWV 910–916). A hot summer evening did not make playing these delicate pieces any easier. The jury selected Victor Baena de la Torre, Freddie James, and Vittoria Vanini as the three finalists for 2019.

The finalists

Victor Baena de la Torre (Spain, b. 1995): At the age of twelve de la Torre started playing guitar and piano and later studied these instruments at the Conservatory of Madrid. There he became interested in the interpretation of early music, especially for organ and harpsichord, and decided to study organ with Anselmo Serna and harpsichord and basso continuo with Denise De La-Herrán. As a basso continuo player, he has participated in various opera productions. He has participated in masterclasses for organ and harpsichord with, among others, Lorenzo Ghielmi and Bernard Foccroulle. He currently studies at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Pieter van Dijk and Matthias Havinga.

Freddie James (United Kingdom, b. 1990): James started as a chorister at Southwark Cathedral, and after leaving the choir, he held positions as organ scholar at Croydon Minster and assistant organist at Sint-Nicolaas Basilica, Amsterdam. He was then organ scholar at St John’s College, Cambridge. With the choir, he performed in a range of venues around the world, including in Japan (Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Tokyo Opera City), the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark, and on a number of radio broadcasts, including a recording for Chandos of works by Thomas Tomkins. He was subsequently organist of the Christuskirche, Stuttgart, and is currently organist of the Church of St. Peter and Paul, Oberwil, in Basel, Switzerland.

Vittorio Vanini (Italy, b. 1996): Vanini entered the Conservatorio of Como, Italy, in 2011, where he studied first with Luca Bassetto, then with Enrico Viccardi. In 2017 he completed a bachelor’s degree in organ with honor. During his studies he focused on organ literature, harpsichord, and thorough-bass with Davide Pozzi and on composition with Antonio Eros Negri and Caterina Calderoni. He is currently studying at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Switzerland, in the class of Tobias Lindner. He has been working as a church organist in the parishes of Lurago Marinone and Cucciago, Italy, and he has given concerts in Italy, Germany, and Switzerland.

The final round

The final round returned to Sint-Laurenkerk with literature for both organs. For the Van Covelens organ, each contestant chose a song variation set by Sweelinck. On the Schnitger organ each finalist chose a large Bach chorale prelude from Clavierübung III or from 18 Choräle verschiedener Art and a prelude and fugue [BWV 532, 541, 546, or 550], and a work by Piet Kee from Gedenck-Clanck ’76.

The winners and prizes

The prizes reflect both the civic and religious relationships of this festival to the city of Alkmaar. Following the final round the jury announced the prizes:

Schnitger prize (first prize, €5,000)—Victor Baena de la Torre

The first prize of the competition is named after organbuilder Frans Caspar Schnitger (1693–1729), son of the legendary Arp Schnitger. In 1723–1725, at the instigation of the newly appointed city organist Gerhardus Havingha (1696–1753), Frans Caspar carried out the highly controversial renovation of the Van Hagerbeer organ in Alkmaar. Behind the unchanged organ cases, designed by architect Jacob van Campen, a completely new type of instrument in North German style arose for Holland. Schnitger thus achieved the definitive breakthrough of this aesthetic in Dutch organbuilding. The Alkmaar organ is the best-preserved instrument by him.

Flentrop prize (second prize, €2,500)—Vittorio Vanini

Flentrop Orgelbouw of Zaandam, the Netherlands, has executed many important organ restoration and new-build projects in the Netherlands and abroad, including the restoration of both organs in Grote Sint-Laurenskerk, Alkmaar. Flentrop Orgelbouw adopted the second prize of the International Schnitger Organ Competition during the tenure of Cees van Oostenbrugge, who was then the company’s director.

Third prize (€1,000)—Freddie James

Izaäk Kingma prize (audience prize)—Vittorio Vanini

Izaäk Kingma (1936–2004) was secretary of both Alkmaar organ foundations for many years: the International Schnitger Organ Competition Foundation and the Friends of the Organ Foundation. In addition to his career in education, he was active as an organist in various churches in Alkmaar, including the Trefpuntkerk and the Remonstrantse Kerk. Because of its great merits for the Alkmaar organ culture, the International Schnitger Organ Competition Foundation decided in 2004 to link its name to the public prize of the International Schnitger Organ Competition that takes place during the biennial Organ Festival Holland in Alkmaar.

The symposium

Running concurrently with the competition was an organ symposium, a series of workshops and masterclasses presented by the jury members. This year’s topic was “The better Schnitger?” The young organbuilder Frans Caspar Schnitger, son of the legendary Arp Schnitger, with his organ in Alkmaar, was the subject of the symposium. Workshops and masterclasses were offered for “accomplished amateur and professional organists.” Participants who wished to play for the masterclasses also prepared required pieces for the event.

The presentations included:

Martin Böcker: “Schnitger in Stade and Hamburg and what happens before and afterwards.” This presentation looked at the ways Arp Schnitger developed his premise for sound ideal and construction close to home before building instruments further afield;

Cees van der Poel: “The Zwolle Organ—Schnitger’s Ticket to Holland.” This commission began Arp Schnitger’s international career, opening the way to further projects in the Netherlands;

Krzysztof Urbaniak: “Activity of Schnitger’s pupils east of the Oder-Neisse line.” Dr. Urbaniak demonstrated the direct influence of the Schnitger style on Polish instruments through the students and apprentices of Arp Schnitger;

Gerben Gritter, professor of music theory and organbuilding at the Amsterdam University of the Arts. His doctoral thesis focused on the life and work of the organbuilder Christian Müller, the builder of the Sint-Bavokerk organ in Haarlem. He highlighted differences and similarities between Schnitger and Müller;

Frank van Wijk, organist at the Kapelkerk in Alkmaar: “The innovative properties that the Alkmaar organ still has to offer us today.” VanWijk described many of the events that keep the church and its organs in the center of the city’s life. Hosting children’s choir festivals, organ recitals, and other innovative programming keeps the community connected to this landmark church. The foundation that supports the festival brings guest performers and new music for these old organs in order to reach a new audience. Specific composition commissions and combinations of organ with choir, orchestra, or electronics are used to broaden the organ culture.

Concert and recital highlights

The festival included an organ and choral concert featuring the St. Salvator Chapel Choir, St. Andrew’s University, Edinburgh, Scotland, Claire Innes-Hopkins, director, and Bernard Foccroulle, organist. The Scottish choir delighted the audience with its sleek sound in a beautiful acoustic. The Schnitger organ created an interesting dialogue with its massive and varied sounds.

A noonday concert presented Cees van der Poel and Gerben Gritter playing works of Lübeck, Böhm, Jacob Wilhelm Lustig, and Johann Nikolaus Hanff on the Schnitger organ. A “Four hands and feet organ concert” put the spotlight on Pieter Van Dijk, city organist in Alkmaar, and Frank Van Wijk, playing solo and duet literature.

This is an ambitious festival, carried out by an army of volunteers. The festival committee created a hospitable welcome while running a well-planned, high-level event. Gratitude is due to all those who work hard to keep this instrument and its importance alive, giving pride of place to young organists ready to build their performance careers.