| Comments: | Willem Van Galen said:
This recording predates the ones Jean Guillou made more recently on the Dorian label. As its title suggests, it gathers Bach's organ toccatas on one disc. The Flentrop organ Jean Guillou plays here was inaugurated in 1969, but is rooted in much earlier times (for more on this organ, including a colour photograph, visit www.qstone.nl/orgelland/breda). It may be assumed common knowledge that Jean Guillou's performances are rather unorthodox, and the ones on this disc are no exception.
- The overly familiar Toccata & Fugue in d are given a performance which, though dramatic, is never "over the top". The fugue is played in a driven fashion, with the odd moment of "near-chaos" in the middle, which is remedied, as it were, by an impressive, well-paced conclusion.
- Guillou's performance of the Toccata & Fugue in F is to my ears among the most successful on this disc. It is a fresh and engaging rendition in which the Toccata is delivered with modest but piquant registrations, moderate tempo, and clear articulation, all of which contributes to an improvisatory, playful feel. The Fugue's beginning is made to sound almost suspenseful, a mood which is soon offset by a staccato rendition of the countersubject. A brightly registered middle section makes room for a gradual build-up in intensity, which culminates in a wholly satisfying conclusion.
- The Toccata in E is given a most uneven rendition. While the piece's beginning, interlude and ending are played with satisfying vigor, aided by the use of solid registrations, each of the two fugue segments sounds disjointed, in large part due to the divergent registrations of which Guillou seems to be rather fond.
- I have no reservations at all about the Toccata, Adagio & Fugue. On the contrary, it strikes me as a most inspired rendition, no matter what the comparison. Moderate tempo and expansive articulation underline the Toccata's improvisatory aspects. Its pedal solo is played superbly, alive with appropriate rhetoric. Throughout the remainder, the use of contrasting registrations works extremely well to accentuate the various textures. The piece ends with a subtle but majestic climax. The Adagio is utterly reposeful. Never before have I heard the effect that Guillou evokes here from the left hand and pedal accompaniment: it sounds as if he is accompanied by string players plucking the strings of their instruments! The bridge between the Adagio and the Fugue is played on foundation stops only, and sounds wonderfully reflective. The almost whimsical, but surely playful, articulation of the subject throughout the concluding Fugue makes this an attractively relaxed and light-hearted interpretation.
- Energetic and fast paced are the main characteristics of this version of the Toccata & Fugue in d (Dorian). The Toccata suffers from some occasional "run-away" acceleration, while the Fugue has a rather compressed feeling about it, both with regard to tempo (some parts sound rushed) and sound (alternate registrations sound muffled).
In summary, I found that the concurrent use of widely contrasting registrations during most of the fugues causes these pieces to sound incoherent. At the same time, almost all of the non-fugue sections are given exceptional performances, which makes this a worthwhile production. |
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