Ancient and Modern Portraits for Organ = ALAIN: Litanies; Postlude; SURZYNSKI: Improvisations on “Holy God”; BACH: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring; Fantasia in G; SIEFERT: Fantasia; ROHACZEWSKI: Canzon; ANON: Polish Dance; Good Polish Dance; Dance; NICOLAS: Hayducki; Alia poznanie; CATO: Cantio Polonica; Chorea Polonica; DLUGORAJ: Vilanella I & II; FRANCK: Cantabile; VIERNE: Carillon de Westminster; GRABOWSKI: Improvisation on “Bogurodzica” – Boguslaw Grabowski, organ – MSR MS 1243, 76:04 **** [Distr. by Albany]:
The ancient music on this well-played CD is hardly that—going back to around the early 1500s, while the modern clocks in at late 1900s. No matter—the primary reason for this disc, performed by Polish superstar Boguslaw Grabowski (organist at the large and famous St. Mary’s of Assumption Basilica in Gdansk), is to show off the virtues of the Lewtak organ at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Camillus, New York. This particular instrument dates from 1896, and its newly-restored pipes are blended with a totally different sound structure coming from 2000 Germany. As a result, the organ is said to be able to sound properly and with distinction in many different types of music. Judging from this disc, I’d say those involved in its production have been successful.
Because of the organist there is a rich mine of Polish music here, including his own improvisations on “Bogurodzica” (“Mother of God”), referred to in the notes as the oldest known Polish religious hymn (essentially the “Hail Mary” set to music). Other dances and improvisations by Poles litter the program, to generally fine effect. We also get a smattering of Alain, Vierne, Bach, and others, each designed to demonstrate the peculiar capabilities of this instrument’s versatility and tonal properties. I like it a lot, and even the carefully marked distance between the organ and the microphones is well thought out and tested, giving us a realistic feeling for the space and the organ, with clean, immaculate sound. A fine effort.
— Steven Ritter
